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I hold up a slice of strawberry cheesecake: her favorite "Someone looks like they could use solowers ataround like tenty-two-year-old losers with no work to "Muy even handled it before er in it a bit You know you want to eat it"

After a couple of minutes, she finally yanks it out ofinto herme the bird with both hands "I ate ou," she mutters with her mouth full

I lean in closer and place my hand to my ear "What was that, babe? I can’t hear you Did you sayyu friend in the world?"

She shakes her head but cracks a s off her cheesecake filled teeth

I wait for her to finish chewing before I apologize Again "For the twentieth time, I’ht and get you kicked out Imy pants" I hand her a bottle of water to wash down her dessert "And if it makes you feel any better, I al upside down in the dark like some supersized half human bat or some shit"

Madison spits out a hter "Holy crap! You poor thing If you had peed, I would have stopped being your friend Just saying I would’ve had no choice"

I punch her arm playfully "Shut up You’re horrible"

We both allow for a couple es the ht, preparing herself for a story I knew she would ask sooner or later "What did this friend look like? Is he so dude or what? Did he have bubbles and puss co out of his neck and shit? Is that why he stayed downstairs, probably jerking off in the dark basement? Spill"

My heart speeds up at just the otten that dark look in his eyes out of ht, and I can’t deny the fact that the way he almost made my knees buckle still has me shaken to my core There’s so much I want to ask; to know, but it’s such a weird situation that I wouldn’t even knohere to start He’sout loud A part of et that tattoo and the other part is telling me maybe I should just stay away and pretend we never met

I clear my throat and stand up from the couch Myheartbeat She’s going to think that I’oes"He’s undeniably gorgeous, Madi No joke You think Jax is the sexiest ht out of the water And yeah, that’s his damn name: Royal Tell me that isn’t sexy He seriously stunned me speechless and I couldn’t take my eyes away Not even for a second I still feel like a co open; not to ht"

She ju to call me out on bullshit "Whoa, whoa, whoa Back your ass up a bit You ith hiht you ith Colton’s brother?"

I nod ain"I was Royal is Colton’s brother Strange, I know" I take a deep breath "I was going to tell you but didn’t want you flipping out over Jax He was there, but I hardly got to talk to him"