The girls fold me back into their chat, and I pull my best interested face—but I’m completely out of it. All I can think about is Lewis and his… friend? Girlfriend? Hookup?Are they a thing?I don’t get that vibe, but it doesn’t matter. Seeing her bounce on his lap like that has seriously triggered me. Her voice is like nails on a blackboard.
Lewis, this… Lewis, that… Urgh.
Give her another minute, and I bet she’ll be stripping down to her panties, and when the two of them float off to the makeshift bar at the far end of the living room, I hate her even harder.
“What do you think, Amy?”
I drag my eyes away from Amber to focus back on Lois, watching her try to figure out what I was staring at.
“Sorry. That girl was yapping away so loudly I couldn’t hear you,” I explain. “Is it me, or were you guys hearing ‘penis’ every time she said ‘Lewis,’ too?”
The girls laugh.
“Agreed.” Lois nods.
Becca rolls her eyes. “Big time. Amber’s a nice girl and all, but when she’s got her eye on a guy, she goes in hard. She’ll ease up once Lewis has fucked her.”
“That’s great to hear.”
I turn to Carrie, and the hard stare she’s giving me throws me off-balance.
“What?” I ask, suddenly awkward.
“Guess my prayers got answered,” she murmurs.
Oh, I get it. She sees me—she can feel the jealousy coming off me in waves, and it’s like a domino effect, Lois and Becca catching on in turn.Fuck!Amelia is way too busy devouring Adam’s face to even realize.Small mercies!
I act like it’s no big deal, like I haven’t even noticed them realizing, and I’m grateful that none of them try to push it—especially with all their boyfriends hanging around.
When Lewis finally edges his way back over to us, I sit there peering at my phone, blasting off a message to Raven, reassuring her I’m not wasted or high or in jail.
“Wanna play charades?” he asks, like we’re five years old.
“Aren’t you supposed to be looking after Amber?” Carrie asks, and we exchange a knowing look.
“I’ll deal with her later.” He glances back at me. “What do you say, Amy?”
I say you and your bitch should go play on a road somewhere.
“Say no,” Lois mutters, flapping her hands at me, panic mounting in her eyes.
“No.”
“Guys, come on! It’s the best!” Lewis protests. “It’s the ultimate team-building exercise!”
“You can say that again,” Carrie snorts.
Don sneaks up behind her, wrapping her in his arms. “Come on, baby. It’s not that bad. That was the night you fell for me, remember?”
He plants a kiss behind her ear, and she giggles, snaking her arm around his neck, drawing him to her mouth.Why do I want what they have, all of a sudden?
Carrie pulls away from him. “I’m still not sure how I ever fell for you, but one thing’s for sure—it definitely wasn’t when you used me to act out an ironing board, let me tell you.”
“You gotta think bigger picture, though. There were the maracas, the glass of milk… That’s romance, right there.”
“Who knew my big brother had it in him?” Amelia is shaking her head sadly.
That’s her brother?I’m lost. I have literally no idea what the two of them are jabbering on about. Out of all of them, they’re definitely the weirdest.
