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Anyway, the headache hit and Joss was concerned--she didn’t foolet some food in me We bumped into Braden and Vicky While I was pissed off that Braden had slept with her again and brought her back into our lives (and Adam’s orbit), I still noticed the tension between Joss and Braden

Ad matchmaker but recent revelations had spoiled my hopes However, Braden still asked an awful lot of questions about Joss and he stared at her (a lot), and I was beginning to suspect that, despite denials fro on I didn’t kno to feel about that now that I knew Joss wasn’t keen on being in a relationship It was difficult to pin down her true feelings about anything and I didn’t want either Braden or her to get hurt

Deciding to bite s I kept our conversation cheerful as we approached our friends Braden, Adae chenille blanket with two picnic hampers beside them My eyes immediately went to Adam and then quicklyhed as Joss teased Braden upon our arrival, so not many people outside of our family dared to do and I loved that Joss did I think secretlyabout it I flopped down onto the blanket beside Ada arm caainst his side "Nice to see you, Els"

The whole point of the picnic was to catch up with Ada so hard on the new development we’d barely seen them these last feeeks Ithe faainst ot for a ave him a half-hearted smile and pulled casually out of his enoring the sudden tension radiating from Adam He knew

Good

Hearing Joss tell Braden she needed to take a rain check on the picnic, worry brought azed up at her in concern, suddenly wondering if there had been ht "Is everything okay? Do you need me to come?"

Joss shook her head, and waved her phone at me "No, I’m okay Rhian just really needs so Braden’s eyes for solanced atJoss in a weird way Did he not believe her? Why not? Rhian was Joss’s best friend She stayed in London and had been having personal problems lately, so it was completely plausible that she needed to talk "See you later" Joss walked away, her long ponytail swaying across her back Looking back at Braden I watched him watch her in a way that unnerved me It wasn’t just the fact that he had that deter after so-- usually a developlimmer of excitement in his eyes

I’d never seen hihed happily The practical side of me (and believe it or not I had one) worried her lip between her teeth, thinking Joss and Braden were either the perfectto happen

Later, after having frozen Ada him off, my suspicions over Braden’s interest were confirmed when he pestered me all the way home about Joss I knew by the ti after her, and I knew frorown up with hi he was absolutely relentless, even when he was reaching for the impossible I could only hope Joss didn’t hurt him while he tried to reach for her

I’d spent the picnic catching up with Jenna and laughing at Braden and Ed’s jokes Maybe once in the entire three hours we hung out did I speak directly to Adaaze at all costs That was difficult, considering he was constantly trying to catch it

Thankfully there wasn’t a quietwith me, so my form of torture worked out even better than I’d planned it

I was gratified to discover it was a form of torture because by the time Braden and I left him, Adam’s expression was black with ill humor Normally, Braden would have noticed our behavior, but ratified to discover later, after having a discussion with Joss regarding Braden --I was still unsure of where Joss stood on that one since I thought she was protesting her disinterest just a wee bit too reed with ht a lesson If he didn’t want to be in my life in a romantic sense, then he needed to butt out ofto continueat the bar while Braden, Adaer of Braden’s nightclub Fire, and Darren’s wife Donna I wore a black top that was backless It was held together by a silk ribbon across the h neckline and draped chiffon panel that fell a good three inches past my waist I’d ht they ht as well have been painted on My hair was pulled up into afour inch silver heels to

It was a little more femme fatale than I usually went for but it did the trick Ada Donna, his gaze burning as he took in the full effect of the outfit

That just pissed me off

What pissedto Club 39 Knohat he was up to regarding Joss, I didn’t feel co hi However, Braden wouldn’t listen to me and Donna wanted to check out the bar

My annoyance levels increased when Adaoing to tell uess?" he asked, his words clipped

I shrugged, not looking at hi about"

"Ellie, don’t Being a bitch doesn’t suit you"