Me: Lies.
Joel: You wound me, Ace.
Joel: Guess I’ll just have to prove myself when we rehearse.
I squint the last word, then slam my phone down on the counter.For good measure, I throw eye daggers in the direction of my spare room.
I amsonot surviving this next week.
I thought the last one was bad.But this…
Evenmoreforced proximity with him?
Fuck my actual life.
Yep, now’s not the time to quit drinking.In fact, I’m going to needmorewine.Stat.
And maybe a priest.
CHAPTER20
Joel
Anna is avoiding me.
She’s not even beingsubtleabout it.
After the whole almost-kiss thing, she’s been moving through the house like she’s got a Joel-activated security system.Any time I enter a room?She’s suddenly got somewhere else to be.If I start a conversation?She’s giving me one-word answers and pretending she has emails to send.
It’s adorable, really.
And maybe I’d be a good person and let her have her space.
But where’s the fun in that?
Especially when wehaveto practice together for Mina’s party, and she’s dodging it like I suggested a séance to raise the ghosts of her bad decisions.
Monday, I texted her.When do you want to practice?She left me on read.
Tuesday, I asked her in person.She pretended she didn’t hear me and walked out of the kitchen with her entire plate of food.
Wednesday morning, I slid a note under her door.
We could always just perform an interpretive dance instead.
She crumpled it up and threw it at my head when she walked past me later.
We’re making progress.
I’m still figuring out my next move when I step into the living room?—
Andfreeze.
Because there, sitting pretty on the coffee table, isher book.
Taken by the Barbarian King.
Anna is nowhere to be found, but I am certain she didn’t mean to leave it here.