The air between them practically crackled. I had no idea how to defuse it, and frankly, I wasn’t sure I wanted to.
Beside me, Talon straightened, his expression torn between amusement and mild exasperation. “Come on,” he said quietly, leaning closer to me. “If we don’t get them out of here, one of them’s going to end up banned from this place.”
I couldn’t argue with that, so I followed Talon toward the door. Roxie and Ledger were still bickering the entire way out, their voices bouncing off the bar walls like a soundtrack.
When we finally stepped into the warm April night,I exhaled, relief washing through me. Talon glanced at me, the corner of his mouth twitching upward.
“Next time,” he said, “I vote we leave them at home.”
The smile that pulled at my lips was impossible to hold back. “Deal.”
CHAPTER 10
LIVVI
The door slammed behind us, and I finally let out my breath. Roxie was already flopping onto the couch, hands in her hair, a mix of exasperation and indignation plastered across her face.
“I can’t believe him,” she groaned, flinging a pillow onto the floor. “That guy isthe worst.I don’t care what anyone says—he’s awful!”
I sank into the chair across from her, trying not to laugh. “Ledger really got under your skin, huh?”
“Under my skin?” she repeated, incredulous. “Livvi, he practically invaded my personal space, tried to one-up me at every turn, and then had the audacity to smirk like it was cute!” She jabbed a finger toward the air, as if Ledger’s imaginary face was sitting right there. “I don’t get it. How does someone think that’s charming?”
I only shrugged, not sure how to respond.
Roxie leaned back, crossing her arms, not seemingto need a response anyhow. “I don’t know why people say he’s so great. Hegenuinelyannoys me.”
I stifled a laugh, picturing Ledger’s cocky grin juxtaposed with Roxie’s fiery scowl. “Although you two are … interesting together.”
“Interesting?” she scoffed. “You mean obnoxious. And frustrating. And completely impossible. Honestly, Liv, I wish I could never see him again.”
I leaned forward, curiosity getting the better of me. “Okay … so whyexactlydo you dislike him so much? All Talon said was that you guys hadn’t gotten along since freshman year of college. That doesn’t seem so intense.”
Her eyes narrowed, and she let out a long exasperated sigh. “Freshman year? That’s when it started, yeah. We shared a class, and I made one measly correction to his answer, which I had no idea would start a whole thing between us. Who could answer first, who could do better on tests, who could arrive first. Then it just escalated from there. But it’s more than that. Ledger thinks he’s smarter than everyone else, always has to one-up people, andhe never takes me seriously. It’s like everything I say or do is a challenge to him. He’s infuriating. I can’t even describe it. I hate how, after all these years, he can still get under my skin.”
I nodded, taking it in. It made sense, seeing how sharply he and Roxie had clashed at the bar. And somehow, it made me even more intrigued by their dynamic. There was clearly more going on under the surface than either of them wanted to recognize.
Roxie’s annoyance faded, and a sly grin tugged at her lips. “What about you and Talon?”
I blinked, caught off guard, my stomach doing a somersault at the mention of his name. “What about him?”
Roxie’s eyes sparkled. “He was practically glued to you at the bar. And before you start denying it, don’t even try.”
I shook my head, trying to keep my voice steady. “He’s … friendly. And curious. That’s all. Really.”
Roxie laughed, not unkindly, and leaned back, folding her arms like a detective who already had the answer. “Friendly? Curiosity wouldn’t make him hover over you like that. He’s interested. And from what I’ve seen? He doesn’t usually stick around for anyone. Trust me, I know the type.”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous.” I waved her off. “You’re imagining things.”
She quirked a brow, not looking the least bit convinced. “Am I?”
Heat rose to my cheeks, and I looked down at my hands. “Yes. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She snorted. “Right. Sure you don’t.”
Before I could respond, my phone buzzed on the table, and I reached for it. The screen lit up with a new message fromTheWriteGuy. My heart skipped a beat.
She leaned over my shoulder instantly. “Ohhh, what’s that? Is that Talon?”