rolls her eyes to the ceiling.
"Oh God," I mutter. "Not this again."
"The story that will go down in infamy," Katie supplies. I can't help but smirk.
Rawley and Tiffany join us as Katie and I are setting the table.
"No oatmeal for us," Rawley says, scowling at the large pot of oatmeal Katie puts on the table.
Katie ladles a large portion into her bowl.
Tiffany scowls scornfully at Katie. "Too high carb."
Katie's lips thin and she reaches for the bear-shaped honey jar. She smiles, and it doesn't quite reach her eyes. "Suit yourself. Carbs are delicious."
I think I might love this woman.
Tiffany’s lips purse as her gaze lowers to Katie’s waist. “You would think that, wouldn’t you?”
The bitch. I open my mouth to say something, but Katie beats me to it.
She gives Tiffany a shrug, narrows her eyes, and swirls honey directly over a spoonful of oatmeal.
“My mother always told me, sweets for the sweet.” She tips her head to the side. She shrugs. “I like to think it keeps me sweet.” She shoots me a toothy grin. “Wouldn’t you say so, honey?”
Honey? She’s adorable. “Absolutely, babe.”
Tiffany rolls her eyes and pushes away from the table, mumbling to herself. “Sweetness and cellulite.”
I wait until Gran takes the dirty dishes to the kitchen before I intervene. “Tiffany.”
Tiffany looks my way.
“What?” she snaps.
I rise to my full height and stalk over to her. She shrinks back a little, her eyes flitting over to Rawley, who’s so engrossed in his phone, flipping through Tinder Twat that he doesn’t even look up.
I shove my hands in my pocket, adopting a feigned air of nonchalance.
“Oh, nothing. Just a warning.”
Her eyes flash at me. “Warning? Like back when we used to play those games and you’d warn me I was getting” —she makes air quotes with her finger— “punished?” We never went that far, but I hate that she’s brought this up in front of Katie.
I shake my head. “I don’t appreciate the way you’re treating Katie. You don’t have to be her best friend, but I won’t let you bully her, and I won’t allow you to be cruel. I want you to remember something.”
“What’s that?” she throws back, glaring.
“I’m the one who owns this house. And I can escort you off the property any time I want.”
She rolls her eyes.
“And furthermore?” I lower my voice. “I know secrets about you no one else here knows. No one.”
Her eyes widen. “You wouldn’t.”
“Oh, I would.”
Her boobs are fake, her cheeks and lips are fillers, and she’s had a tummy tuck. None of which matter to me, but she sure as hell likes to pretend that her perfect figure is real, using her facade to body shame other women, natural beauties like my curvy Katie Kat.
And if that’s not enough, she faked half of the entries for the pageants she won, relying on her parents currying the favor of the judges beforehand.
Among other things.
She opens her mouth, then slams it shut and huffs away, marching over to Rawley.
“Let’s go,” she says.
“To get the cake?” he says. He rises and stretches, then reaches for her, but she stomps off furiously. He looks at me in consternation, but I only shrug.
Off they go, and I turn to find Katie staring at me, an unreadable expression on her face. Weird. I thought she’d be happy I just took Tiffany down a peg or two. I sure as hell am.
“You okay?” I ask.
“Yeah,” she says softly. “Just going to… go work on my book for a bit before the party preparations are in full swing.”
But she’s getting up from the table and not meeting my eyes.
“Katie.”
My voice is a little harsher than I intend. She looks up at me sharply.
“What?”
“Come here.”
She purses her lips and frowns. “I have work to do,” she says, turning away from me.
Walk away from me? Not happening.
“Do not walk away from me, little girl.”
She freezes, her back to me, then glances over her shoulder. “Or what?” Is that my imagination, or is there hurt in those beautiful eyes of hers. “You’ll punish me? Just like you do with all the girls you’ve dated?”
Ahhh. Bingo.
Gran comes shuffling in the room with a broom. “Give me a hand, Katie?”
I take the broom from Gran. “Katie and I will be right back, and when we return, we’ll do anything you need us to. We just need to have a little talk first.”
I reach for Katie’s hand, but she pulls away. She takes the broom.
“I can sweep the room first.”
“You will not.” I