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It’s his turn to study me Finally he says, "I don’t care what he says Z took a pretty hard hit today If we don’t distract hiht back on the half-pipe, and honestly, I don’t think he’s up for it"

"What do I have to do with that?"

"He’s interested in you If you co, he won’t be in any hurry to rush off and try to kill hi gri on here than rins engagingly, and despite o Only because I want to see the movie Not because I want to spend ti to fk him to keep hi--"

"It’s not I swear In fact, I’ him I--"

"Hey, are you two about done with your secret little exchange?" Z asks as he walks up to us, followed closely by Cam and Ash

"No secrets," Luc tells hi Ophelia to eat and catch the movie with us"

Z’s brows nearly touch his hairline as he turns to h I have no idea why "Yeah"

He stares atseconds, those cool blue eyes of his so intense that it takes every ounce of willpower I have to hold his gaze But if I learned anything in the years I spent hanging on the streets, it’s that guys like this don’t respect girls who back down So I don’t Instead, I lift my chin and wait for him to speak first

I expect a sexual innuendo, maybe an advance Instead, when he finally does speak, all he says is, "Cool" Then he brushes past lance

I watch hiot the h of relief--or at least that’s what I tell myself it is--as I follow him and the others to the car

I’entirely too ainst the wall as she pushes through it

"Hey," I say, s at her in the noresthe back wall of the bathroom Instead, she walks to the sink next toher hands just as I turn to dry h itto be the one to break it I already tried that--both in here and at the table where she spentI-can’t-see-or-hear-Ophelia--and I’m done Sure, it’d be nice to have a friend here in Siberia, and last night I thought that she ht be that friend, but hey, whatever No skin off my nose if she wants to pull that whole I’m-a-bitch-who-hates-you-for-no-reason routine She’s not the first to throw it at me and probably won’t be the last

I toss the paper towel into the trash basket and head for the exit without saying another word to her But just as my hand closes around the door handle, she says, "You’re nothing to hiht?"

For a second I think about just continuing to walk But if I do, this thing is going to grow by epic proportions She’ll think I am interested in Z, which will just lead toI do not need iven h of it, thank you veryaround to face her "He’s nothing to ht I’ve heard that before"

"I’ from me I’m not interested in Z"

"You sure about that?"

"Yeah Pretty sure He’s not exactlyaround with Z has proven to h the years, it’s that he’s every woman’s type"

"Even yours?"

She stiffens, looks away "No Not mine We’re just friends"

"You sure about that?" I deliberately echo the question she had just posed to me

"Yeah Pretty sure He’s not my type, either" This tienuine s to like you"

I raise my brows at her "Is that such a shock?"

"Actually, it kind of is" She reaches over and pulls the door open "I spend so uys--between those idiots out there and my four brothers--I barely reirl"

"Yeah, well, not glaring at her like you want to rip her head off is usually a good start"