Page 43 of Falling With You

“I can see the laughter. I can hear it. I do not appreciate it.”

“Oh, we’re not laughing at you.”

“I’m not laughing. Therefore, you’re laughing at me, notwithme. You can’t actually finish that statement.” I threw my hands up into the air again and started pacing. Baby ran into the room, bumped my calf, and then ran back out. My cats were weird, but I was weirder. I even had a t-shirt that said that.

“Okay, go shower, because you stink.”

“Fuck you too, Violet.”

“Oh, you’re going to shower, you’re going to shave your legs, you’re going to shave whatever else you need to, and you’re going to look fuckable for that man of yours. Because you are going on a date with Aiden Connolly, and you’re going to have a fucking good time.”

I blinked at Violet and then looked at Harmony and then Meadow. “That seemed very harsh just then,” Meadow said, looking between all of us.

“Very much so. Are you okay?” Harmony asked.

“My sister is about to go on a date with my boyfriend’s twin. It is all very soap opera, and I’ve been waiting for this.”

I just stood there. “Waiting?”

“Not only is this out of one of my favorite books, I’ve also looked at the way you two tend to not look at each other or look at each other too much. I’ve noticed the way you two fight and get all growly at each other. You guys are perfect for one another.”

I held up my hands, trying to stave off everything. They didn’t even know I actually had a crush on him or for how long. It was just getting to be too much. “Okay, you’re going to have to slow your roll, because I am going on a single date with Aiden. And, yes, the fact that you are dating his twin makes it weird.”

“Imagine the double dates,” Violet said, clasping her hands together and getting a faraway, dreamy look on her face.

“Excuse me, triple dates. I’m also dating a brother.” Harmony put her fists on her hips and started laughing as everyone else burst into giggles, as well.

Everyone but me, that was.

“Okay. I’m going to go shave my legs and my underarms. But nothing else.”

“Well, if that’s what you need to shave, that’s what you need to shave,” Meadow said very seriously. But I saw the laughter in her eyes, and I cut her from my friend list, as well. I cut them all.

“I’m going to open some wine.”

“Oh, good idea, Harmony. But we don’t want to get her too drunk. I’m sure she’ll get drunk enough when she’s on her date,” Violet sing-songed, and I turned away from all of them.

They were traitors. All of them were traitors.

I stripped down in my bathroom and shoved myself into the shower, cursing myself as the cold water blasted me because I’d been too impatient to actually wait for the water to get hot. I scrubbed and shaved and nipped and tucked and growled the entire time.

I didn’t know why I was so out of it. This was just a date. Just dinner. I had been out to dinner plenty of times with Aiden.

Never really alone, but this wasn’t any different than usual. Right?

I turned off the water and pulled the shower curtain back, only to scream like there was an actual man with a butcher knife coming at me.

“Really?” Violet said dryly. “You’re going to scream like that movie? I’m just in here looking through your makeup. And I guess you really didn’t shave everything,” Violet said, giving me a wink before handing me a towel. “Oh, don’t look like a prude,” she said as I tried to cover myself. “Sienna, what is up with you?”

I wiped the water out of my face and covered myself with my towel. “You were standing in my bathroom, and I didn’t know you were here. Of course, I’m going to scream, you pervert.”

“Oh, shut up. I wasn’t actually expecting you to throw the curtain open like you were ready to show everything to the world.”

At that moment, Harmony and Meadow came running in, each holding something different. Harmony held a wine bottle, while Meadow held a spatula.

“We heard screaming,” Harmony said.

I looked at Violet and threw my head back and laughed.