She stabbed me again, digging in. “More juvenile than objectifying a perfectly respectable woman?”
Had she just gut-punched me? No. But the words stole my air all the same. There was nothing she could’ve said that would’ve hurt more. She had no idea how hard I went out of my way not to objectify women.
Her eyes flashed. “I don’t go around locking lips for fun, you know. If I kiss someone, I mean it. Unlike some people.”
“Oh, really?” Now I was feeling the irritation. “So, you meant it when you kissed me at Sophie’s place?”
She straightened and shrugged like our kiss was an annoying bug she was shaking off. “A moment of temporary insanity.”
My mouth parted. Oh, wow. That was a fist to the chest. I’d thought it meant something. It had felt like it meant something. To me, at least.
“Stop trying to change the subject.” Her eyes pierced straight into me with a sharp slice. “The way I see it”—another finger-poke to the pec—“you have to do what I say. Because if you don’t, I’ll tell Silas.” She shrugged likenot my problem.“And if I tell Silas, he’s going to tell yourmother.And we all know how Jenny feels about your kissing habits. ‘Hot Lips Holden.’” She burst out laughing. So Silas had told her my mom’s nickname for me.
Just awesome.
Christy thought I was a man whore.
Learning how she truly saw me caused me to temporarily lose my mind, I guess. Because before I could stop myself, I blurted, “I don’t kiss them, Christy. Ever. They kissme,okay?”
A laugh choked in her throat and she took a large step back, horrified.
Holy. Crap. What had I just done?
What was it about this girl that made me a bumbling, out-of-control idiot? I’d never admitted that to anyone. Not Silas, not Sophie. No one.
Just then the sliding glass door opened, and darn it if Silas didn’t walk in. Wearing basketball shorts and cowboy boots, looking like he’d just rolled out of bed.
Christy’s eyes lit up, victorious. “Ah,karma.”
“You have got to be kidding me,” I muttered.
She backward walked her way to him, eyes trained on me the whole way. “Good evening, Silas,” she sang. Every muscle in my body tensed. I’d just gotten things right with Silas again.
“Hi,” he said dryly. He scowled at me, shaking his head like I was the biggest a-hole on the planet. I knew what it looked like.
They walked over to me, together. Christy didn’t even try to rein in the smug smirk she was wearing. “So, Silas, Holden and I were wondering if you could settle something for us.”
His gaze skittered between us, unamused. “What?” His tone said he’d rather be anywhere than here at this time of night, catching us together.
Same, buddy. Same.
Her pointer finger made a sweeping motion around the room. “Are those security cameras on?”
She wouldn’t.
His head cocked at me. Not Christy.Me.“What did you do?”
Christy waved her hand. “Oh, it’s only a hypothetical discussion. We were just wondering.” She swung a narrowed glare at me. “Right, Holden?”
I shoved my hands into the front pocket of my hoodie and shook my head. “Un-freaking-believable.”
She cupped a hand around her ear. “What was that? I didn’t hear you, El Smoocherino.”
My nostrils flared as I let out a bitter laugh.This woman.
Silas’s forehead crunched and his head volleyed between us.
I shrugged, mad enough to chew fire. I was only trying to protect her. I threw my hands up. “Fine. You win.”
