To my utter astonishment, Chris popped out of the hallway behind her. “Lexy, you’re overreacting. The texts were just a joke. We didn’t mean them.”
“What the hell is happening?” Ben demanded.
“And why are you in my house?” I added.
Poor Will froze like a deer in headlights, blinking at all of us.
“We came over because I left my blow-dryer here and I needed to pick it up.” Alexis raised shaky hands to wipe her face. “It was supposed to be a quick stop, but Chris had to use the bathroom—”
“Gross,” I interjected. “And probably illegal, without my consent.”
“When he was in there, he got a text. I wouldn’t have looked, normally, but you got in my head, Lee! So I peeked.”
“Invading my privacy,” Chris said hotly.
“Shut up,” Ben and I said at the same time.
“I found his text messages with a girl named Kim. She was telling him all the things she was going to do to him as soon as he ditched his girlfriend and came over.”
“Oh, that’s not good,” Will murmured.
Disbelief acted like an opiate for my sore muscles, letting me sit up straighter on the couch. “Are you kidding me, Chris?Again?You didn’t learn your lesson the first time?”
My poor sister, with her trusting, forgiving heart, her steadfast belief in love. I’d been wrong—those were good qualities, and they didn’t deserve to be squashed. Theycertainlydidn’t deserve to be exploited.
Chris looked at me and blanched. He backed away, putting a hand up. “You stay away from me.”
Alexis wiped her nose. “I can’t believe what a fool you made of me. I defended you. Gave you chance after chance. Ilovedyou. But you were lying to me this whole time. This is so humiliating.”
“I’m sorry,” Chris tried. “I get lonely sometimes, you know? Maybe I look for comfort in the wrong places.”
“How can you belonely?” Alexis cried. “You have me, and we do everything you want to do all the time. Stop making excuses.”
“Well, maybe I have needs you can’t satisfy,” he shot back, striding for the door. “Have you ever thought of that?”
Alexis and Will both gasped.
Chris gripped the doorknob. “You know what? It’s not a maybe. Idohave needs you can’t satisfy. You should really learn to be more adventurous in bed, Lex. You’re like a timid little mouse. It can get really bor—”
I lunged, but got only as far as the next cushion before flopping. “Goddammit, my arms are too weak to hit him!”
“Don’t worry,” Ben said calmly. In one smooth motion, he took an impossibly long step toward Chris, pulled back and punched him clean in the face. “I got it.”
“Ahh!” Chris shrieked, clutching his nose.“I just healed this!”
“Get out of here before I get handsy, too,” Alexis called, with uncharacteristic swagger.
“You’ll want to keep that nose elevated,” Will advised, sounding very much like a doctor. “And get some ice on it. It’ll help with the swelling.”
Chris gave him an incredulous look, then scrambled out the door, slamming it behind him.
“Well.” Will turned to Ben. “That was quite macho of you. And here I thought you were just one of those legal types who liked to kill them with words.”
Alexis flung herself at Ben and wrapped her arms around him.
“Really?” I asked. “So when I punch Chris, it’s allno, Stoner, you’re out of control. But when Ben punches him, suddenly he’s your hero?”
Alexis ignored me. “Thank you,” she said to Ben. “I promise, that’s the last time anyone will have to punch Chris.”
