Custom Built (Fast & Fury #1) - Chantal Fernando Page 0,16

on some black, ripped skinny jeans with a lace bodysuit underneath when I hear her knocking. She always does the exact same knock, two slow taps followed by three quick ones. I don’t know if she realizes she does it.

“Hello,” I greet her with a wide smile. “You look beautiful.”

Her red hair has grown down her back, similar to mine, and it suits her. She’s wearing a white dress, her green eyes lined and smudged in black eye shadow. Growing up, people always thought we were sisters and we milked it for all it was worth. Now, though, she’s always changing her look and I couldn’t keep up with her even if I wanted to.

I met Billie in kindergarten. Apparently I gave her a once-over and she thought I was a snob. But there was this really mean kid in class—I don’t even remember her name—and we bonded over our mutual dislike of her. The rest is history.

“I needed a change,” she says, touching her locks.

Closing the door, I take a wild guess. “New hair means you’re single, doesn’t it? What happened to Troy?”

“Troy who?” she asks, dismissing her boyfriend of three years. “He’s old news. How have you been? How’s the new job going? You need to fill me in on all that, because a simple ‘I have a new job’ text message isn’t going to cut it.” She lifts up the champagne bottle she brought with her. “Let me pour us a glass, and then you can update me on your life.”

I get comfy on the couch as she brings two glasses with her and fills them to the brim. After catching her up on me losing my job, finding a new one, finding out about Abbie, and all things Crow, she sits there with her mouth open.

“Your life is way more interesting than mine,” she finally says, after a big swallow. “I’m glad your work situation sorted itself out. I know how stressful that must have been for a control freak like you.”

“Not going to lie, it was definitely stressful. Now what happened with Troy? Last I heard the two of you were planning to get engaged soon.”

She swirls the liquid in her glass, eyes hypnotized. “I had a bad feeling, so I checked his phone. I know, I know,” she murmurs, looking up at me. “I know I shouldn’t have, but I needed to know. And I was right; he’d been cheating on me. You should always trust your gut.”

“I’m sorry,” I say, fingers tightening around my glass. “What an asshole! He was punching way above his weight with you, and then he has the nerve to cheat on you?”

“That’s exactly what I said to him,” she grits out, teeth clenched. She waves her hand. “Anyway, it’s done now. I kicked him out, he’s Veronica’s problem now. I’m glad I found out the truth. Imagine if I’d married the scumbag?”

“So true,” I agree, then mutter under my breath, “He better hope I don’t catch him down an alleyway or something.”

Billie laughs and finishes the rest of her drink. “You know me, I’ll be fine. I mean, it hurts, but he obviously wasn’t for me, so. There’s no point crying over dick that wasn’t that great anyway.”

I pour us more champagne, and we toast to that. “So what do you want to do tonight? Dinner?”

“Dinner sounds perfect.”

Although I’ve known Billie for a long time, and I know that her “dinner” always ends up being café Patrón shots, dancing on stage, and potentially throwing up on the cab ride home.

I wish I were joking.

She can be a mess, but she’s my mess, especially now that Troy is toast.

“I’ll call a cab,” I state, grabbing my handbag and making sure it has all the essentials to survive a night out with single Billie.

“And I’ll finish this champagne.” She smiles, doing a little dance, shaking her hips.

Shit.

Here’s to me surviving tonight.

Chapter Five

“Dude, you have to taste this, it’s amazing,” Billie says, bringing the chopsticks to my lips.

I take a bite and have to agree. “Okay, we need to order more of that. Plus, filling your stomach is a good idea.”

“Filling our stomachs,” she replies, and eats another dumpling. “When’s the last time you got drunk with me?”

I rack my brain. “Your last birthday?”

“You had two drinks,” she reminds me, lifting her brows and chewing slowly. “And then you left early to finish some work. I think you were investigating some guy that was cheating on his wife. Oh my God,