“Then we do that again,” he answers, smirking.
I narrow my eyes. “What if I just want to go back to being friends?”
“Then we stay friends,” Nik says from behind me, voice drowsy. “Friends who dothaton repeat.”
We all burst out laughing.
Eventually, I start to yawn, and the boys take it as their cue. They help me back into my bikini, and Axel lifts me like I weigh nothing. He carries me into the house while Nik trails behind, throwing a towel over his shoulder and yawning like this is the most normal thing in the world.
In my room, they hand me a t-shirt and panties to wear. I change without protest, then head to the bathroom. By the time I crawl into bed, they’re waiting, each offering a kiss like a promise.
“This is just the beginning,” Axel murmurs.
“I hope so,” I whisper back.
Chapter 30
The next morning, I wake up to the sound of my bedroom door opening and closing. At first, I think I’m dreaming, until I see Johnny standing over me, wearing a face of barely restrained fury.
If it were anyone else, I might be intimidated. But this is Johnny. He’d never hurt me.
Still, the look in his eyes chills me.
“Johnny?”
“Lina,” he snaps, like my name is something foul in his mouth. The sheeraudacityof it wakes me faster than any coffee ever could.
“Can I help you with something?”
He crosses his arms, jaw clenched. “I saw you last night,” he hisses.
“Saw me?...” Realization clicks into place. “Oh.Oh.” So, Ididsee movement at the window.
If he came in here thinking he could shame me, he’s going to be disappointed. Last night was the first time I’d been truly touched with care. Withrespect. There’s nothing he can say to make me regret a second of it.
“Okay,” I say coolly. “And?”
“And? Are you fuckingstupid?”
His words hit like cold steel. Whatever amusement I had disappears in a flash of white-hot anger.
“No,” I say, carefully calm. “But clearlyyouhavesomething to say.”
He runs a hand over his freshly buzzed hair and down his face. His nostrils flare, catching the light on his nose ring. He looks wrecked.
“God, you drive mecrazy!”
“The feeling’s mutual,” I bite back. “Maybe you should go find Tasha before you say something you can’t take back.”
“Tasha left last night.”
“Oh,that’swhat this is about. She didn’t give you what you needed, and now you’re throwing a tantrum because you’re jealous.”
“I’mnotjealous,” he growls. “I’m pissed because you’re making shitty decisions that you’re going toregret.”
“Why? Because I didn’t includeyouin those shitty decisions?”
“Yes!” he shouts, and it echoes like a crack down my spine.
