Page 89 of Thorn Kiss
I huffed out a breath as I set my tools down, my cheeks flushing with heat. “No one.”
"Liar, liar, pants on fire. I know June and Madi went on a date last night. You forget your sister tells meeverything.I heard all about her ditching them so they could go out and I even heard that you and Madi went on a date earlier this week too.”
“Can I just say, I hate living in a small town?” I grumbled.
“No, you don’t.” Mateo grinned. “So, am I right? And does this mean you and June are dating now?”
My brows shot up. “No. No one is dating. There’s a lot happening right now, but don’t get it in your head that it’s going to be like the three of you.”
Mateo let out a low whistle. “Damn, is that smoke I smell? I think your ass is on fire, Whynot.”
“Fuck off,” I sighed. “You don’t get it.”
He crossed his arms as I leaned against the car next to him. “I think of all people, I may be one of the most qualified toget it.”
“If I tell you something, you can’t tell anyone.”
“Mmm . . . I can’t guarantee that.”
“You can’t tell Avery.”
Mateo shook his head. “I don’t know if I can promise that. Anytime Levi and I try to surprise her, she roots out all our secrets like a bloodhound. She’s got this radar for it.”
“Mateo. I need my friend right now, not my brother-in-law.”
He cursed under his breath. “Okay. Fine. I’ll try.”
I knew that while he was giving me a hard time, I could always trust Mateo. He was one of the best people I’d ever known.Here goes nothing.“I kissed June on New Year’s Eve this year.”
Mateo’s mouth dropped open. “What?”
“Yeah. And since then, I’ve wanted her. Well, I actually wanted her before then, but never did anything about it. You know how that is.”
Mateo slowly raised a brow. “I do. Go on.”
“Well, anytime I try to talk to her about it, she pushes me away. And then I met Madi, and thingsescalated. . .”
“Escalated.” Mateo let out the softest snort. “I see. Continue.”
“We’re supposed to have a date tonight, but then June texted, and said she wants to propose something. Then I got a mildly threatening text from Evie. So now I have no fucking idea what’s going on or what I should be doing.”
Mateo planted his hands on his hips and started pacing. “Well, you’re fucked.”
“I am, aren’t I?”
“Yeah. What about June and Madi . . . Does it bother you that they’re interested in each other?”
“No,” I said. “I just . . . I don’t know. I keep thinking about both of them. I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing.”
Mateo paused in his pacing. “Do you like June?”
“Yeah. I do.”
“And do you like Madi?”
“Yeah.” The corner of my mouth tugged.
“Hmm.” We were both crossing our arms now, like we were squaring off. “You've always been so . . .”
