Page 63 (2/2)

Silence, then a muttered, "Fine"

I nod to myself with a satisfied setting ready, basically because I don’t do anything to rab a pair of panties After closing it, I open the next one for a shirt and screa there

It takes only a second for me to understand it’s a fake Another three seconds for er It will take h" I turn er, "No etically back at rowl at myself I’ve had it It’smy ass off all day Only one person in the world cares that it’s my birthday, and he’ssex with doesn’t care and has made it clear he doesn’t want to care about er a bit when he didn’t even bother to say a lousy happy birthday a few hours ago when he found out

Now he scares the shit out ofa rubber snake in my drawer?

Asshole

Ben, on the other hand, has immunity because he’s totally adorable

I fly out of my room and sto my annoyance When I clear the botto, I come to a dead halt as I take in the scene beforebeside her, whonize as Alex Cross around the kitchen table and looking down at a cake sitting there They all look up at , and Ben yells, "Happy birthday"

My eyes cut quickly to Zack, and he looks back at ive hi about h I don’t convey in my look the fact that I know he must care just a little bit, since he clearly orchestrated this

He orchestrated this, I think in wonder In just a few hours too Impressive

Birthday cake, and he invited Sutton over…the wo a relationship with because it threatens his boundaries Suddenly, the attention of my birthday see Sutton off this past week Ever since Zack laid his feelings out toa friendship with Sutton and Olivia, I actually decided to pull back

Not because Zack wanted me to and it threatened his security That didn’t concernback because I kneas the one as going to get hurt Sutton and Olivia are the type of women I know I could become very close to I know that just as I know that eventually those friendships would pullto Zack He would not like that And if Olivia and Sutton ever learned the truth about my relationship with Zack--that it’s not really a relationship but just a asms--they would not take kindly to that idea Either they would take it out on Zack, which would cause friction aht side with Zack and realize that it would not be a good idea to mix their friendship with a woman who has Zack tied up in a precarious situation

Noit spelled for me was either a ruined or a strained friendship with Sutton and Olivia, and that would hurt me