back against the couch and watch the ceiling fan. I just wish I knew what was going on in that brain of his. I knew what Tessa's plan of using Zayn to make Cade jealous would do, but I didn't think it would cause that reaction. There's been a lot of banter, but nothing like that. What's worse is that a part of me liked it. God, how I liked it.
I'M LAYING ON A lounge chair by the pool while Colby swims laps for his morning workout. Tessa occupies the seat next to mine, with a pair of oversized sunglasses on her face as the sun beats down on us.
"You know, you're going to look like a raccoon if you keep those things on. Your tan lines will be atrocious."
She rips the glasses off her face. "This is why I love you. Ugh, what am I going to do when you leave me?"
I tilt my head to the side. "Probably burn down the penthouse or something Tessa-extreme."
Laughter bubbles out of her, and she splashes me with her water bottle. "Bitch."
Colby climbs out of the pool and I can't help but watch as droplets of water roll down his toned stomach. When he catches me staring, he smirks, and I flip him off. He knows he's hot. He doesn't need the ego boost.
"Take a picture, Len," Tessa tells me. "It'll last longer."
I force myself to look away and roll my eyes. "Shut up. Not everyone can be dating Asher Hawthorne."
"Maybe not, but you could be dating Colby Hendrix," she counters.
Yeah, right. "Even if he was the settling down type, I don't know if my jealousy could handle it."
Her lips purse. "Yeah, you're probably right."
I know I am. Colby has at least ten women throw themselves at him daily, even when he's just sitting home. Over the past few days, I've seen how much his phone goes off with calls and texts from numbers he never cared to save. Some of them are requests to hang out, while others are just naked pictures. I swear, when it comes to him, it's like morals go right out the window—if they ever had them at all.
Colby comes over and plops onto the end of my lounge chair. I flinch when a drop of water lands on me, which only makes him shake his hair out like a dog. I try to shield myself from the onslaught of water, but it's no use. I glare at him when he's done, and he laughs.
"What are you two talking about?" he questions.
"Oh, you know, just how Lennon wants to—"
I cut Tessa off before she can say anything else. "Suck...on a popsicle."
She smirks. "Close, but not quite."
I try to level her with a look, but she's not intimidated by me at all. Down side of her knowing me so damn well—she knows she can get away with murder. Not buying my pissed-off expression, she snickers and grabs her water bottle.
"I need a refill. I'll be back."
She goes inside and leaves Colby and I alone. He hops over to her seat and lays back, basking in the sun. I can't help but laugh.
"She's going to kill you for getting her seat all wet."
He keeps his eyes closed but scrunches up his nose. "Nah, Asher would be really mad if she murdered his best friend."
My brows raise even though he isn't looking at me. "Uh, are you forgetting how they get through their arguments? Don't give her any ideas. She might slit your throat just for the angry make-up sex."
Colby jumps up in an instant and comes back over to my seat. "Touché."
His phone starts to ring on the table. He looks at the number for a second before answering and walks away. Whoever it is, he clearly has no intentions of me hearing what it's about, not that it's any of my business. He had a system before I came in and took over his bachelor pad. We might be close, but I'm not dumb enough to expect his whole lifestyle to change just because I'm here.
If it were an option, I'd stay until my dad gets back from the cruise, or maybe even until I leave for school—but I can't. Colby's guest room is great, but I know he's been avoiding having people over and going out, to be a considerate host. I've seen him when he goes without sex for too long, and let's just say it isn't pretty.
He hangs up the phone and puts it back