Fake Love - Jaxson Kidman Page 0,46

had this dream of a perfect little family and when that fell apart, she started doing all that weird stuff. Absorbing the sun’s energy and whatnot. She would buy rocks and crystals then talk to them. She would have one for each day and mood. When it came to dating, she decided it was best to just look for the physical side of things.”

Gia looked at me and shrugged her shoulders.

“Kind of gross,” I whispered.

“Yeah. They’re cougars, Winter. And there are guys out there that like that.”

“Good for them then,” I said.

I could see Gia was sad now. I had touched on a tender subject. A subject I knew quite well.

I nudged my elbow to her arm. “What are you into?”

“What?”

“You know… what are you into?”

Gia smirked back at me. “I’ll tell you what I’m not into… Trocs.”

I put my head back and groaned. “I am not into Trocs, Gia.”

“It’s okay. Your secret is safe with me.”

I looked at Gia again.

I opened my mouth, almost tempted to tell her another secret of mine.

But I held back.

I was starting to kind of consider her a best friend.

Gia was safer not knowing everything about me.

Gia gave me the quick tour of her favorite parts of the beach house.

Her house was big and bright.

It made sense because of the way her mother was.

There were more windows than walls.

I felt like I needed to wear sunglasses inside the place, it was that bright.

But it also fit Gia’s personality.

She was bright.

Her room was on the third floor. The entire third floor.

She joked and said her mother had banished her to the attic, but we both laughed and agreed that was a pretty damn good place to get banished to.

The house was inviting for sure. It felt like a vacation house.

As much fun as I was having with Gia, my eyes kept close to my phone.

And to the outside.

Waiting for dark.

Knowing I had to make my escape soon to see Talon.

Val left the house to go out. She hugged me. She hugged Gia. They were all a bunch of huggers.

That made me smile in a sad way because my mother didn’t show affection. And even if she tried to do so with me, I wasn’t sure what I would do.

“Okay, the house is empty,” Gia said.

“I know what that means,” I said. “But… I have to go soon.”

“Go? Where? Hot date?”

“I just…”

“Fuck,” Gia said. “I’m afraid to even ask this… Bump or Troc?”

I touched my forehead and sighed. “Gia, please. I’m trying to figure so much out right now. I don’t want to live like this forever. Okay? I want to be… normal…”

“You are normal,” Gia said.

“I’m not,” I said. “I don’t know who my friends are and who aren’t.”

“Let me give you a little hint… Noah, Easton, and Xavier? They are not your friends. They are scary and dangerous.”

“I understand that,” I said. “I’m not looking to get close to anyone. I’m just… just trying to remember. Easton made a comment about he and I hooking up. Nobody else seems to think it’s true. And when Noah kissed me, it was-”

“Noah kissed you?” Gia asked, her jaw hitting the counter.

Fuck.

“It was a quick thing,” I said.

“When?”

“In the hallway. When I went with them… I mean, what the fuck, right? Noah got arrested for attacking someone and then just shows up hours later?”

Gia reached across the counter and grabbed my hand. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. They are dangerous. And not just the guys themselves. Their families. You do not want to be on their radar. Or a target.”

Too late, Gia. Way too fucking late for that.

“Now tell me about this kiss,” she said with a grin. “Because, I’m sorry, but Noah is freaking sexy. He’s like this… I don’t know… like some mob guy, right? Wearing nice clothes with his perfect face, eyes, and hair… yet he’s so…”

“Gia,” I snapped.

She stepped back. “What?”

I took a deep breath. “Can I have a drink before this conversation continues?”

There were solar lights under the entire railing of the deck outside.

It was subtly lit up and cozy.

I waved my hand under one of the lights and felt the fruity drink crawling into my brain, making me feel tingly.

“Did Talon kiss you?” Gia asked. “Or better yet… since he’s a Troc… where did he kiss you?”

I looked at Gia. “Okay, when was the last time you got some?”

“Excuse me?”

“I’m being dead serious. Every time we talk, you go down that path. Aren’t there any sexy runner guys you