Nerdy (Unexpected Lovers, #2) - J.B. Heller Page 0,13

up at the little table, drags out a tiny chair, then sits in it.

He looks ridiculous sitting there, but at the same time, it’s so freaking cute. I can’t even.

Emory and I have been texting back and forth for the last nine days since she came to the house. Sometimes we discuss Drown with Me, and other times, we just shoot the shit. But things haven’t gotten overly sexual again, and I’m not sure how I feel about that.

I definitely made the right call asking her to come to the wedding with me. I have zero doubts about that. But the more we talk, the more I’m thinking I’d prefer for it to be an actual date and not a fake arrangement.

She’s a bit of a train wreck, but she’s also funny, smart, and insanely pretty. She’s the complete opposite of Jayla, who is put-together, sleek, sophisticated, and super high-maintenance. Emory feels like a go-with-the-flow kind of chick. She’s a breath of fresh air.

Storm drops down on the couch beside me and props her feet up on the coffee table. “This day dragged on forever,” she moans.

I roll my head on the back of the seat to face her. “You do look extra exhausted today.”

“I work with a bunch of misogynistic pigs. It’s like they don’t think I’m capable of handling the job they hired me for. I spent a good chunk of my life learning everything there is to know about astronautical propulsion systems and the science behind them, yet they still doubt my abilities. Even after I graduated at the top of my class and—”

“Breathe, Storm,” I say, cutting off her rant. “I know better than anyone how hard you’ve worked to get where you are.”

My frustrated twin closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. “Sorry, I know you do, Bash.” She sighs heavily then drops her head to rest on my shoulder. “I wish they’d just let me do my damn job without hovering all the freaking time.”

Resting my cheek on top of her head, I take her hand in mine and give it a squeeze. “I know.”

“So,” she says, “enough about my shitty day. Have you found yourself a plus-one yet? I already gave the caterer the numbers, and I included your date, so you better have one.”

“I have, actually. I’m bringing Emory,” I tell her.

Storm jolts upright, a huge smile splitting her face. “Really? The chick writing the article about Drown with Me?”

I nod. “The one and the same.”

“I knew she was into you,” she says, beaming. “When did you guys start dating? The wedding can’t be your first date. You know that, right?”

Running my hands through my hair, I shrug. “We’re kind of just talking at the moment. I like her. She’s a fucking disaster, but she’s funny and cute.”

Storm arches an unimpressed eyebrow. “Just talking? What does that even mean, Bash? Have you asked her to be your plus-one?”

I roll my eyes. “Yes, I asked her. And talking means talking. We text,” I say, shrugging. I sound pathetic even to my own ears right now.

“You text? What are you, teenagers? You’re a twenty-five-year-old man, and you’re texting the woman you like instead of going on dates with her because…”

I clear my throat and lay my conundrum out for my sister. “Okay, so, when I asked her to come with me, it was kinda, partly, sort of…to get you off my back. Not as a date, per se. And since then, the heat level of our conversations has seriously diminished, leading me to believe she’s not into me the way I could possibly be into her, given the chance.”

Instead of offering some sage and, honestly, probably much-needed advice, my twin throws her head back and laughs at me. Like, full-on belly laughs.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I glare at her. “Are you done?”

She snorts and shakes her head, dropping her feet from the coffee table to the floor. “You’re such an idiot.”

“I was hoping for something a little more insightful,” I deadpan.

“I saw your text thread the other week. I’m sure you can figure out how to get back there,” she says.

I furrow my brows at her. “That’s it? That’s all you’ve got for me? After everything I’ve done for you, you won’t even help me out here? What the hell, Storm?”

Again, she simply laughs, then she gets to her feet and pats the top of my head. “I feel so much better. Thanks, Bash,” she says before dropping a kiss to