Heavy, floral, seventy-year-old perfume that smells like he’s been doused in it.
My nose immediately wrinkles. “Why do you smell like that?”
“Like what?”
“Like…” My mind races at why the hell he’d smell cheap when it hurls into my gut like a baseball bat. “Where were you?”
I crane my head higher to look into his dark brown eyes and find shit-all.
Thatpisses me off.
“Handling some?—”
“Business,” I fill in for him. “You said that already. Give me more.”
He cocks his head to the side. “You’re on this shit now?”
“Evading is the first sign of being sus.”
“I didn’t say I wasn’t going to tell you.”
“Great. Make sure you don’t leave outwho.”
Cairo rolls his eyes at me, and my palms slam into his chest. Too bad he was already expecting it because his arm wraps around my hips to keep me grounded to him.
“You’ve got mefucked up?—”
“Is that jealousy I’m hearin’ in your tone, Little T?” Cairo hedges like a piece of shit asshole who’s loving every single moment of this. “I’m confused.”
“Answer the fuckin’ question. Why do you smell like a cheap whore?”
“Because I was at Muncy’s house, and Vivian was there.”
My defenses immediately go down. I know Cairo well enough to know she’s not his top fan. I’d also bet confidently nothing happened either.
I think.
No, I know.
Cairo isn’t a cheater, but he’d only be able to be called that if we weretogether,and I’m not entirely sure where we are yet. We’re still back and forth, up and down, and all around.
I’m getting dizzy.
“Anything else?” Cairo presses with a quirked eyebrow, alluding that he’s ready for any sort of freakout or ball-bashing I’d want to give him.
“No,” I quip easily. “Though I know you weren’t selling Girl Scout cookies, so what gives?”
“Someone had to delete that marvelous photo you took of?—”
I lift my palm to shut him up. There’s onlyonepicture my dumbass took. A petty and equally stupid moment that could get me in more trouble than the boys could get me out of.
“I got it.” I exhale defeatedly. “Not one of my smartest moments, I know.”
“One of your most creative ones, though.”
I don’t understand what’s going on with him, but I fully expected to have my ass handed to me here. Cairoispractical and collected. I don’t know what to make of casual Cairo.
“How are you not mad at me right now?”
