frowned. “He doth wha?”
Donovan rolled his eyes. “It’s Shakespeare, dickhead.”
The guys laughed, but Dex was done with them discussing him and Harper. “For Chrissakes, are we playing or not?” he demanded then glared at Ryder. “I need four fucking cards.”
Everyone laughed, but Ryder dealt, and the game got back on track.
Chapter Seven
Two days later, Harper was done with waiting. “That’s it,” she said to Em, “I’m texting him.”
She hadn’t contacted Dex before now because she didn’t want to freak him out any more if he was already freaked out enough.
Em, who was still in full-on wallow mode, practically inhaling an entire two-litre tub of rocky road ice cream before Harper’s eyes, snatched the phone from Harper’s fingers. “No.”
She was surprisingly quick for someone with only one unoccupied hand, who looked like she survived on thin air. That’d be the sixty billion ice-cream calories she was currently consuming.
She shoved the phone in her back pocket. “Absolutely not.”
“It’s just one text.”
Harper had been disappointed to wake Monday morning and find the bed empty, but not surprised. Dex had been upfront concerning his attitude toward dating and relationships, and there wasn’t anything between them. Aside from some truly awesome sex.
Which had, admittedly, complicated things somewhat.
But only if they let it.
She just hoped his silence wasn’t because he was checking himself into a witness protection program somewhere.
“That’s not the way this works,” Em insisted. “Treat them mean, keep them keen.”
Harper blinked. Em had never treated a man mean in her entire existence. She was the very definition of a pushover and men knew it.
“You were the one who said I should go out with him to get up Chuck’s nose.”
“That’s because I was drunk. And now I’m sober, and as your friend, I am duty bound to inform you that all men are bastards.”
Em was still shitty on men in general and determined to concentrate on her career as a high school science teacher instead.
Knowing Em like she did, Harper thought that’d probably only last to next week.
“You know we’re talking about my situation now, right?”
“It applies to any situation,” Em said.
Harper doubted it. Considering she’d already blown the whole treating-him-mean thing by getting down and dirty with him two out of the three times they’d met, it was a little hard to go back.
“We’re not a thing ,” she insisted. “That’s not what we’re doing. I just want to check he’s not freaking out.”
“He should be freaking out,” Em said around a mouthful of ice cream, jabbing her spoon in Harper’s direction. Harper had her own spoon, not that she was getting much of the sweet treat that Em was zealously hoovering up. “He slept with you and snuck out like a bloody thief in the night. I hate it when men do that.”
Harper shrugged. “I don’t care about that.”
“Well, I care.” More spoon jabbing. “He better not show his face around me or I’ll…”
She stopped and inspected the ice cream like it might suggest a suitable punishment. “Send him to the principal?” Harper ventured.
“Ha.” Em glanced at her, face stern. “You so funny.” Then she returned her attention to the ice cream, hunching over it further.
“Would you like me to leave you two alone?”
Em looked up apologetically. “Sorry,” she grimaced. “I can’t seem to stop.”
Harper sighed, placing her spoon down. “Don’t worry about it.” She patted Em’s hand. “It’ll just go to my ass anyway. And I have to go pick up Jace and Tabby from their gym class.”
Em nodded and handed over Harper’s phone. “I love you. Stay strong.”
Harper took it, nodding assuredly, with absolutely no intention of listening to a woman high on sugar and man-hate.
No matter how much she loved the nutter.
She waited till she got to the car before she texted. It took her another ten
Donovan rolled his eyes. “It’s Shakespeare, dickhead.”
The guys laughed, but Dex was done with them discussing him and Harper. “For Chrissakes, are we playing or not?” he demanded then glared at Ryder. “I need four fucking cards.”
Everyone laughed, but Ryder dealt, and the game got back on track.
Chapter Seven
Two days later, Harper was done with waiting. “That’s it,” she said to Em, “I’m texting him.”
She hadn’t contacted Dex before now because she didn’t want to freak him out any more if he was already freaked out enough.
Em, who was still in full-on wallow mode, practically inhaling an entire two-litre tub of rocky road ice cream before Harper’s eyes, snatched the phone from Harper’s fingers. “No.”
She was surprisingly quick for someone with only one unoccupied hand, who looked like she survived on thin air. That’d be the sixty billion ice-cream calories she was currently consuming.
She shoved the phone in her back pocket. “Absolutely not.”
“It’s just one text.”
Harper had been disappointed to wake Monday morning and find the bed empty, but not surprised. Dex had been upfront concerning his attitude toward dating and relationships, and there wasn’t anything between them. Aside from some truly awesome sex.
Which had, admittedly, complicated things somewhat.
But only if they let it.
She just hoped his silence wasn’t because he was checking himself into a witness protection program somewhere.
“That’s not the way this works,” Em insisted. “Treat them mean, keep them keen.”
Harper blinked. Em had never treated a man mean in her entire existence. She was the very definition of a pushover and men knew it.
“You were the one who said I should go out with him to get up Chuck’s nose.”
“That’s because I was drunk. And now I’m sober, and as your friend, I am duty bound to inform you that all men are bastards.”
Em was still shitty on men in general and determined to concentrate on her career as a high school science teacher instead.
Knowing Em like she did, Harper thought that’d probably only last to next week.
“You know we’re talking about my situation now, right?”
“It applies to any situation,” Em said.
Harper doubted it. Considering she’d already blown the whole treating-him-mean thing by getting down and dirty with him two out of the three times they’d met, it was a little hard to go back.
“We’re not a thing ,” she insisted. “That’s not what we’re doing. I just want to check he’s not freaking out.”
“He should be freaking out,” Em said around a mouthful of ice cream, jabbing her spoon in Harper’s direction. Harper had her own spoon, not that she was getting much of the sweet treat that Em was zealously hoovering up. “He slept with you and snuck out like a bloody thief in the night. I hate it when men do that.”
Harper shrugged. “I don’t care about that.”
“Well, I care.” More spoon jabbing. “He better not show his face around me or I’ll…”
She stopped and inspected the ice cream like it might suggest a suitable punishment. “Send him to the principal?” Harper ventured.
“Ha.” Em glanced at her, face stern. “You so funny.” Then she returned her attention to the ice cream, hunching over it further.
“Would you like me to leave you two alone?”
Em looked up apologetically. “Sorry,” she grimaced. “I can’t seem to stop.”
Harper sighed, placing her spoon down. “Don’t worry about it.” She patted Em’s hand. “It’ll just go to my ass anyway. And I have to go pick up Jace and Tabby from their gym class.”
Em nodded and handed over Harper’s phone. “I love you. Stay strong.”
Harper took it, nodding assuredly, with absolutely no intention of listening to a woman high on sugar and man-hate.
No matter how much she loved the nutter.
She waited till she got to the car before she texted. It took her another ten
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