Suddenly, Sierra paused the really bad horror movie we were watching.
“Did something happen with Charlie?” Heather asked, smirking at me.
“No!” I exclaimed, tugging the pillow to my chest. “Why do you think that?”
Thank God my hair is long enough to cover the marks he left on my body!
“You’re acting kinda weird,” Sierra said.
“Am I?” I asked—definitely suspiciously.
Think, Athena! Come up with some type of an excuse.
“And what are these?!” Heather exclaimed, pushing my hair over my shoulder and staring with wide eyes at the hickeys that Charlie had left all over me.
I’d thought I was way past the age of getting hickeys, but …
Charlie had transformed into a wild animal a couple of hours ago, claiming me in ways that no other man ever had. Deep down, I secretly loved that he had left marks on my body and come inside of me when he never did that to any other girl—at least in his videos.
But it was going to be a bit hard to explain because I didn’t want them to think we were something when we weren’t.
I wasn’t sure what Charlie thought we were after that. Did he still want to be friends? Friends with benefits?
I didn’t want to lose him.
“I, um …” I started, my throat closing. “They’re from …”
“Charlie?” Sun smirked.
“No!”
“Are you seeing Charlie?!” Heather squealed. “I knew it! We’ve been?—”
“These aren’t from Charlie,” I said quickly so she wouldn’t come up with this entire scenario in her head.
It’d probably meant nothing to him. He slept with so many girls anyway. I was just another one.
“Then who are they from?”
“His brother,” I blurted out without thinking about the consequences.
As soon as the words left my mouth, everyone suddenly became quiet. I opened and closed my mouth a handful of times, trying to find a better excuse, but I literally couldn’t think of anyone else who’d be acceptable.
Who else could I say?
“Derek?” Sierra asked as the front door opened.
“Did someone say Derek?” Charlie asked, holding cheesecake from my favorite bakery, Doughburgh. He placed the cheesecake on the counter and glanced at me. “Did he stop over?”
“No,” I said, turning my gaze away and cursing to myself.
Why the hell did I say Derek and literally not anyone else?!
“Oh.” Heather giggled. “Athena was just telling us about last night.”
I glared at the side of her head for bringing him up, but this was my fault.
“And my brother came up?” Charlie asked from the kitchen, unboxing the cheesecake.
