Perfectly Toxic (Sterling Shore 9)

He’s laughing at first, but then he reads it, and his laughter fades as he grimaces. “It means she’s putting on the brakes. She has to clean? That’s a bullshit excuse if I’ve ever heard one. I take it you fucked up?”

“Not that I’m aware of,” I grumble, wondering if this is because I still haven’t met Daniel.

I don’t want them treating me like the hero, when I never would have heard about him if not for Bella. She deserves the praise, and I’m not taking that away from her no matter how much she tries to get me to do otherwise.

“Text her about this weekend. You don’t have a party or anything, do you?” he asks.

“Not this weekend. I cancelled it. But I do have one next weekend, and she’s supposed to be coming.”

“So text her about this Friday,” he says, handing me my phone back.

I can’t believe I’m doing this.

ME: Friday night—you and me.

BELLA: Can’t. Girls’ night. Leo’s boyfriend is opening a club a few towns over. We’re all going to support the opening.

That’s the first I’ve heard about that shit.

“Well?” Maverick prompts.

I blow out a breath while raking a hand through my hair.

“I’ve definitely fucked up somehow, but I have no idea how.”

He frowns while following me out to my car.

“I’m heading over to her house after I make a quick stop to grab a present I bought for her.”

Present? Shit! “Did I miss her birthday or something?”

He laughs then covers it with a cough. “Nah. It’s just something special I picked up for her. I’ll see what I can find out for you.”

He’s going over there, but I can’t?

Fuck that.

Instead of waiting around to figure out what I’ve done, I decide to go home, shower, and then head over to her house.

Unfortunately, when I roll up in my yard, Rye is pulling up at the same time, and he’s… wearing a dress…

It’s lacy, short, white, and… hideous.

“What the fucking hell?” I ask him, choking back a laugh at the insanity before my eyes.

“I need to borrow some clothes,” he growls, his cheeks puffing out. “And a shovel.”

Laughing, I head over to open my door, but I can’t stop myself from snapping a quick picture.

“I’ll kick your ass if anyone else sees that.”

“How did she get you in a dress?” I ask through my painful guffaws.

His cheeks turn red as he glares at me, shouldering by me on his way inside.

“She stole all my clothes, and this was literally the only thing in the fucking house besides her clothes that are way too damn small. It was either this, or get arrested for public indecency. I already almost got arrested for that once. I doubt they’d let me by again. Now give me some motherfucking clothes so that I can go kill my girlfriend.”

“Bedroom. Have at it,” I tell him, still laughing so hard that I have to double over.