Page 30 of The Monster I Am
“Great,” I mumble, amused. “We’re the fucked-up leading the fucked-up.”
“Hey!” she interjects, playfully. “I’m amazeballs. And frankly, the best person you’ve ever met from Willowbrook. Possibly the world. You’re welcome, by the way.”
I smirk, mockingly patting her leg. “Forever trauma bonded by cardio.”
“And forced proximity,” Soph grins. “My favorite trope.”
“Where do I come into our little trio? I need a cool title or something,” Abby asks, excitedly.
Turning my head to look at her over my shoulder, I nod. “That’s easy. You’re the delicious center spread. Our glue. Don’t worry—we’re forged by trauma as well. The two of you conspired to make me dance.”
Abby’s face falls. “That didn’t turn out well,” she murmurs sadly. “Oh, my gosh. It’s partly my fault for making you go to the stupid dance!”
Before I can say anything, desperate to comfort our little sympathetic Oreo cream, Soph pipes up.
“She acts tough, but no one in this world can force the great stubborn legend that is Bexley Spencer to do anything she doesn’t want. She wanted to go to that dance—plain and simple,” she finishes, making kissy-faces in my direction.
I raise an eyebrow. “I’ll deal with you later,Sophie.But she’s right, Abs. You guys aren’t to blame in the slightest. Honestly, I needed to break out of my comfort zone after everything that happened with Mom. Besides, up untilthatpoint, I was having fun.”
“I’ll say,” Soph murmurs cheekily. “You and Tai were looking pretty damn cozy on the dance floor. I even sacrificed my makeup time to dye his hair for you. The pathetic sap was practically begging me. I had to give in and do it out of pity. It was cruel to let him suffer.”
We pull into a parking spot, my hand unclipping the seatbelt as I prepare to say goodbye to the seat for a little while. “Someone else was looking mighty cute on the dance floor with Parker.”
Abby slides forward eagerly, unbuckled as well. “Yes! You still haven’t told us how that’s going. We need all the details. Are you talking now? Did you kiss?!”
Soph’s cheeks turn bright red, spluttering over her words. “I… No… Shut up, Thanos!”
I gawk at her. “Why are you staring at me?! Abby is the one who said it. Also, Thanos?!” Mimicking her earlier kissing noises, I yelp as she flails her arms and playfully swats at me repeatedly.
“Bexley Spencer, I will end you. With love, obviously. But also… You’re Thanos because you’re collecting Infinity Stones.”
“What?”
I should have seen it coming by the smirk that slowly creeps on her face, clearly deflecting and placing me in the hot seat.
“The real question for one million dollars is what’s going on with you and my brother?”
Abby’s head swishes back and forth like she’s watching a heated tennis match. “Oh! That’s a great question. Yes, share with the class, Bex.”
Curbing any guilty or telling expression on my face, I purse my lips as if I’m eating sour candy. “What?” I mumble, feigning stupidity.
There’s no getting out of this one, though. In fact, I’m impressed she’s resisted and waited this long to bring it up.
She absolutely busted Tai and I kissing. Even if I’ve tried to convince myself that maybe her optic nerves had temporarily malfunctioned the moment she opened the door. Wishful thinking.
Resembling a detective on the verge of getting a confession out of a suspect, Soph leans forward, maintaining heated eye contact with me. “Tai Beckett,” she says slowly. “What is your relationship with him?”
“He’s my mortal enemy.”
Flicking her gaze to Abs for a split second, she turns back to me, eyes dancing with sick satisfaction at my torture. “And do you go around kissing your mortal enemies often?”
There’s a dramatic gasp from the backseat. “What?! You kissed Tai?”
“No!” I quickly answer, ashamed to admit that I’m confident my cheeks are now as red as Soph’s were five minutes ago. “I tripped and fell onto his mouth. Accidents happen, you know.”
Leaning back victoriously, Soph grabs her keys. “I’ll allow it. You’re the only suitable candidate worthy of the sister-in-law title, anyway.”
I sink into the seat, and this time, it has absolutely nothing to do with the sweet, plushy love of my life.
