s.h.i.t.

Again, Lacey interjects in attempts to seize the situation. "He'll be here in less than an hour. If you're going to avoid him, you should shower because you stink, change because your clothes are soiled, and get going if you can't play nice."

"Right," he utters in an uneasy tone as he turns around and walks away.

About twenty minutes later, Liv's climbing all over me when Raegan walks through the door without knocking.

"Did I miss anything?" she asks, closing the door behind her. I'm a.s.suming Lacey called her because I didn't.

"Trav's in the shower. We're hanging out," Lacey answers first.

"Good. So, Sarah . . . where's Dev taking you tonight?" Raegan situates herself next to Lacey and places her elbows on the table as her hands hold her chin.

"I don't know yet."

"He's hot," Lacey states.

"He's okay," Rae adds in a sullen tone.

Travis and Rae are tight. Ace used to hate this about them, but with time we've all accepted it isn't changing. They share a common bond cemented by pasts they both hate.

"No, he's dreamy hot," Lacey says in a breathless tone.

I find it ridiculous she'd swoon over any man, being that she's married to Hayden. He is about as gorgeous and good-hearted as a man can be.

I look at Lacey first. "Aren't you married?" Then I glance at Rae. "And you said Devon was hot before. I've heard you say it. Why the change?"

Lacey giggles, but Rae doesn't. Her reaction tells me she knows something. Travis opened his mouth; he had to have.

d.a.m.n it.

"Does he have a job?" Lacey questions next.

"He's pre-med. I've told you guys this, too."

"Is he a good kisser?" Lacey asks another question, but this time I frown.

"I haven't kissed him."

"Does he like animals? You can tell a lot about a man by whether he's good with animals or not." Lacey states, putting the pacifier back in Liv's mouth after it had fallen on the table.

"I don't know. I haven't asked."

"Steer clear of the animals," Rae says while rolling her eyes. "Dogs mostly. They cost too much."

Diamond is Ace's dog. He initially got the puppy for Rae's son Decklan, but that dog lives for one purpose-to torment Raegan.

"I had to go to Victoria's Secret again to get new underwear. d.a.m.n mutt doesn't stay out of my hamper long enough for me to do laundry. Sick puppy . . . sick, sick, stupid dog."

"Harsh, Rae," I tell her, smiling and relaxing a little bit for the first time since Travis walked in.

"Does Devon drive a nice car?" Lacey asks.

Lacey's twenty questions are wearing me down. I could appease her by telling them how he orders his coffee and his eggs when he comes to see me at work. I could tell her he's smart, bossy, and appears to go after what he wants. I could say a lot of things, but choose not to.

"I don't know what kind of car it is. I didn't notice. It's nice, though," I answer robotically, pulling an invisible piece of lint from my shirt to avoid Rae's constant stare.

Lacey sits back in her chair with a look of boredom. "Guess we'll see for ourselves."

"See what for ourselves?" Travis asks, coming out of the bathroom and heading into the kitchen for another beer. I hear the empty bottle hit the trashcan with a heavy thump before he opens the fridge door. I smell his familiar body wash, which I buy because I like it better than the other s.h.i.t he chose before I moved in.

Travis completely ignored Rae. That's a first. I can tell she doesn't love it either by the way she greets him.

"Hi, Trav."

"Hey," he answers, then repeats, "See what for ourselves?"

"Girl talk, Travis." I try to distract him. I stand and turn from the women who are driving me crazy with questions, and head toward my room.

Just as I'm about to pa.s.s him, his hand darts out and grabs my wrist. I look at my wrist first, then up at him and find he's looking extremely annoyed, which isn't unusual.

"When do you think he'll bring you home?" The green of his eyes flares with his question.

Now I'm extremely annoyed. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, seriously."

"When he's done with me," I hiss quietly, to avoid Lacey and Rae hearing this ridiculous conversation.

"When he's done doing what with you?"

"Whatever the h.e.l.l I let him do with me. Let go of my arm, Travis."

"He's not right for you."

"Good to know," I state before pulling my wrist from his grasp.

Travis No f.u.c.kin' way.

It's not possible.

I heard the girls talking from the bathroom after my shower. What I heard was bulls.h.i.t.

I see Devon as a c.o.c.ky pretty boy with a G.o.d complex. Lacey sees Devon as a successful, smart man with a pretty face.

Lacey looked f.u.c.king mesmerized by his appearance alone. Her eyes widened in surprised when he walked through the door. Rae stood immediately to greet him, but it wasn't genuine. They both tried to act casual as we waited for Sarah to finish getting ready.

Devon shook my hand when I offered it, but his return was eager and too certain. He doesn't hold eye contact worth a s.h.i.t and barely acknowledged Liv when she pulled on the hem of his jeans for attention. Sarah loves kids, she's going to have as many as her body will let her, I'm sure of this. She couldn't bear to ignore them the way he just did.

"I don't trust him with our Sarah." I hear you, Bean, and neither do I.

"Where you headed with her tonight, Devon?" I ask, folding my arms across my bare chest and resting my a.s.s against the table, crossing my ankles.

He takes a second to take me in and smirks through his answer. "Dinner, a late movie, and whatever else we find to do."

"Bringing her here, to her home, is what 'else you can find to do.'"

He smirks again, narrows his eyes too quickly for Lacey, who's standing at my side, to catch, then says, "That's up to her, isn't it?"

Having Sarah living with me temporarily is one thing. Having us carefully sidestep explosive conversations that make us want to strangle each other is another. Having this p.r.i.c.k in my face, unknowingly rubbing in my face the fact Sarah doesn't want me is just f.u.c.king s.h.i.t.

Easing off the table, I take two steps, making my way into his s.p.a.ce, and lean in. "Careful," I say with control, but feeling anything but calm.

"Travis, can you come help me in the kitchen?" Raegan tries, but fails, to get me to leave this alone.

Stepping back, I notice he's starting to lose his calm demeanor. "What movie?"

"I don't know. Whatever Sarah wants to see, I guess."

"Sarah likes gore, a lot of it."

Lacey steps near him and pulls Liv from his feet. "Oh she does not, Travis." She sends me a quick look of embarra.s.sment then gives her attention back to him. "She likes anything. Just take her out and away from big brother here and have a good time."

"What the f.u.c.k?" Right after I say it, I swear I see him smirk again. And it's another one at my expense.

"Would you shut up?" Lacey exclaims loudly to those left in the room.

"Trav, really, I could use your help in here for a second," Rae calls again from the kitchen.

Releasing an annoyed breath, I move toward Raegan in the other room and find she's not doing anything. She doesn't need help.

Grabbing my ear and twisting hard, she hisses viciously, "Did you really not listen to what I said? s.p.a.ce, Travis. Give it to her."

Raising my hand and squeezing Rae's wrist, she releases me. I tell her, more loudly than necessary, "I don't like this idiot."

"Stop," she says, putting her hand in my face, blocking my view of hers.

"You see him, right?" I c.o.c.k my eyebrow, looking down at her then pointing out the obvious a little louder than probably needed. "He's an a.s.shole, Rae."

"Keep your voice down." She rolls her eyes in disgust. I turn my head to Lacey and watch as she traps him in a conversation he's not interested in.

I admit he's a lot prettier than I am. He's wearing a dress shirt casually tucked in what looks to be a new pair of jeans, coupled with clean and shiny dress shoes.

f.u.c.k pretty.

A few seconds later, I'm still standing in the kitchen near the hallway. I hear, then see, Sarah breeze in as though she hasn't a care in the world.

She's about to.

"What the f.u.c.k is that?"

Her G.o.dd.a.m.n clothes are worse than Rae's.

"What?" she snaps back, stopping on her way to the living room.

"That!" I snap back, pointing to her outfit.

She's wearing a minidress that hits mid-thigh-just barely. It's a black, strapless piece that I've only seen her wear once, for about fifteen minutes, since she's moved in. I made her take it off before we went to meet the others for dinner downtown. She was p.i.s.sed at my reaction, but I didn't mind waiting outside for her to change. Her shoes are shiny and black with a heel that adds five inches to her already tall, athletic frame.

I don't remember Sarah ever dressing to impress anyone-let alone Mr. f.u.c.kwad who's waiting for her at the door.

"You look nice," Rae adds, removing any meaning behind my insinuation.

The entire time I'm taking in what she's wearing, I feel my blood heating in my veins. I've never enjoyed Sarah dressed like this, but he will.

No.

"Sarah?" I question, waiting for her to answer me.

"What?" she snaps, using the same tone as before.

"Can I talk to you?"

"You want to talk now?" Her words drip with sarcasm.

All eyes, including Devon's, come to us as she raises her voice with irritation. But he's no longer smirking; he's seething.

Looking her up and down one last time, I feel my jaw close tight and my body tense with anger, and what I should deny, jealousy. I look at Devon, who's still staring at us maliciously.

"Have a nice time," Rae says, as she nods toward Devon to keep Sarah moving. Looking down, I notice Rae's hand on my chest. I don't remember feeling her put it there.

On her way to Devon, Sarah looks back with narrowed eyes and a furrowed brow. "I'll see you guys later."

Devon doesn't say anything to any of us as he opens the door for her to exit. The second they're gone, both Rae and Lacey turn to give me pointed glares of absolute disapproval and shock.

"What the f.u.c.k are you two lookin' at?" I ask with waning patience.

"What is wrong with you?" Lacey bellows, and causes Liv to jump slightly as she sits on the floor by her feet. "Jesus, Travis. Could you have been more ridiculous?"

"Way to play it cool, Travis," Rae says. "Nice work," she follows up, narrowing her eyes after checking to ensure Lacey hasn't caught her indirect intent.

"I didn't do anything that I wouldn't want someone to do for either of you."

Lacey gives s.a.d.i.s.tic laugh. "For us? Are you kidding?"

"No," I state simply.