good company tonight.”
“I don’t mind,” she said. “I can make you something to eat and bring you ice packs. Whatever you need.”
“No, really, it’s good,” he said. “It’s Saturday night. You should go and have fun with Grace and Addison.”
“I don’t want to,” she said. “I want to go home with you and make sure you’re okay. Just give me your address and I’ll meet you there, all right?”
“I said no,” he said.
This time she was certain he could see the hurt on her face.
He grimaced and squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry. Look, I’m not the most fun guy to be around when I’m in pain, all right? I’ll probably just take some Tylenol and go to bed early. I appreciate the offer, but I’ve been through this before and it’ll be fine in the morning. I’ll text you tomorrow, okay?”
“Yeah, okay. Bye, Connor.” She knew when to admit defeat.
He squeezed her hand again before carefully easing behind the wheel. She watched as he turned the car on and then waved goodbye. His face was a solid block of pain as he drove away.
* * *
“I know you’re angry, but I really don’t think my brother did it on purpose.” Addie plopped down on the couch next to Kira and patted her leg. “Daniel’s selfish, but he’s not deliberately malicious or cruel.”
Kira sighed. “Yeah, I know. I was just pissed at him. I’ll text him tomorrow.”
“Maybe he really is jealous.” Grace was sitting in one of the recliners. “Maybe he didn’t mean to do it on purpose per se but ended up taking out that jealousy on Connor in some sort of macho bullshit way.”
“That does kinda sound like Daniel,” Addie said.
“Yeah, maybe.” Kira glanced at her phone again. Maybe she should text Connor, just to make sure he was okay. She’d already texted him once to see if he made it home and he had replied, but it’d been half an hour. Maybe he was reconsidering his decision to be alone. She could just confirm –
“Kira!”
“What?” She stared at Grace.
“I said that you didn’t seem that happy about Daniel’s potential jealousy,” Grace said.
“I’m worried about Connor,” Kira replied. “I think he was in more pain than he let on. Besides, if the way Daniel shows jealousy is by trying to hurt Connor, then I don’t want him to be jealous. I just want him to leave us alone.”
She didn’t miss the way Gracie glanced at Addie. Kira frowned at her. “What?”
“What were you and Connor going to do tonight if he hadn’t gotten hurt?” Addie asked.
Kira blushed. “I told you, get to know each other a little better.”
“Oh yeah? By talking or kissing?” Addie said.
Her face went even hotter. “Does it matter?”
Grace took a swig of beer. “Have you and Connor had sex, Kira?”
“What? Of course, we haven’t. You know this isn’t real.”
“We know it isn’t,” Grace pointed to herself and to Addie, “but we’re starting to wonder if you and Connor do.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means,” Addie gave her a delicate look, “that you and Connor are acting like a real couple.”
“That’s the point,” Kira said.
“You’re a little too good at it, if you know what I mean,” Grace said.
“No, I don’t think I do,” Kira replied.
“Look, you told us that Connor doesn’t like PDAs, right?” Grace said.
“He doesn’t.”
“Then why can’t he seem to stop touching you whenever you’re in public?” Addie said.
“I – well, because he’s trying to help me make Daniel jealous,” Kira said. “He’s doing what I asked him to do.”
“Yeah, well,” Grace drank more beer, “then Connor deserve an Oscar for his performance because the possessive way he gets around you is more than convincing.”
Kira didn’t reply and Addie touched her leg. “It’s not a bad thing if you’re sleeping with Connor, honey.”
“We’re not,” Kira said. “We’re not, but we…”
“Ooh girl, no stopping now.” Grace swung her legs over the recliner. “Not when it’s just starting to get good.”
“We’ve done some… stuff.”
“What kind of stuff. Be specific, Kira. Specificity is important.” Grace grinned at her.
“He’s seen me without my, um, shirt and bra, and he’s,” Kira made a motion toward her tits, “done stuff to me, here.”
“How was it?” Addie asked.
“Amazing,” Kira said. “He’s not just good at kissing.”
“Did he make you come?” Grace asked.
“Grace Louella Larken!”
Grace made a face. “Ugh…Louella. God, my parents hate me.”
Addie giggled. “It could be worse. My middle name is Mabel for God’s sake.”
Grace grinned at her before wiggling her eyebrows at Kira. “Did he, babe?”
“No, we haven’t,