Page 43 of Chasing Hope

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“Smitten indeed.” I crane my neck around to the group of guys. “Who else is smitten? Last I was around everyone, they were all horny bastards.”

“Well, Grayson is head over heels in love with Bella. Like, disgustingly in love.” Cindy points her finger inside her mouth and fakes a gag. “It’s hard to be around them sometimes.”

A napkin suddenly bounces off her forehead. “Hey!” Bella snaps. “We aren’t bad to be around.” She knocks her shoulder into Layla. “Tell her.”

Except Layla only winces. “It’s not that you’re hard to be around but…it’s very evident that you love each other.”

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Bella gasps. “My best friend, the traitor!”

“Grayson can never keep his hands off you!”

The incredulity is replaced with a smile. “That’s true.”

“Besides those two, all the rest are very much still horny bastards.” Cindy leans into my side, her voice lowering to a mere whisper. “Matteo, on the other hand, is always on his best behavior, and I think I’m beginning to connect the dots as to why.”

Bella and Layla follow Cindy’s line of sight to Matteo, who can’t stop glancing my way. When he slides his eyes this way again, only to spot us all staring, he frowns.

Not caring how obvious she’s being, Cindy continues to study Matteo. “Is he grouchy with you?”

Pursing my lips, I turn away from him, only for my back to feel like it’s going up in flames again from his searing gaze. “Yes and no. He talks a lot more with me but he’s always got a level of gruff going on.”

“Interesting,” Cindy says slowly, raising her wine glass to her lips.

“Not really. We grew up around each other so he’s comfortable with me.”

At that, Cindy smiles. “Oh, believe me, I knowallabout childhood friends becoming lovers.”

I roll my eyes. “Valenti and I arenotyou and O’Connor. That would take him to actually see me as anything other than Caleb’s little sister.”

“He certainty isn’tlookingat you like you’re just the little sister of his best friend.”

Layla grins at me across the table. “If it’s just Valenti whose emotions have to change, does that mean yours?—”

“Okayyyy,” I say with a chuckle, doing everything in my power to not look atthatend of the table. “So, what’s the book choice for the next meet-up?”

The girls burst into a fit of giggles at my very obvious change inconversation.

Cindy clicks her tongue. “I can’t wait to watch this unfold.”