The Girl's Got Secrets (Forbidden Men 7)

So I cried a little more because I’d ruined things for all the guys. At some point, I slept, but only to wake up a few hours later and return to my pity party before passing out again. My head throbbed and my eyes felt nearly swollen shut when I stumbled out of bed the next morning. Pulling my hair into a sloppy mess on the top of my head with stray dark strands dangling everywhere, I padded barefoot into the kitchen, wearing nothing but a sleep top and shorts under a quickly yanked-on half-robe.

I wasn’t hungry, wasn’t even really thirsty, but I was tired of being in my room, so I made myself a hot chocolate. As I was sipping it and exiting the kitchen, the door to Jodi’s room opened down the hall and footsteps approached.

Expecting to see my roommate, I opened my mouth to give her a halfhearted greeting, but she wasn’t the person who exited the hall. Eyes flaring wide, I yelped, “What the hell?”

Gally snickered at me, his gaze going to my bare exposed legs. “So you’re the real Sticks, huh? Looks like you need to put your mask back on, sweetheart.” Then he strolled out, all smug and disgusting.

His words still stung, so my hand flew self-consciously to my face, knowing I must look like hell after the night I’d had.

When Jodi’s bedroom door opened again, I gritted my teeth. “I can’t believe you brought that asshole here into our apartment last night. He’s such a—Heath?”

As yet another member of Non-Castrato exited the hallway, my mouth dropped open. If my jaw hadn’t been attached, it would’ve fallen so far it bounced off the floor. “Wha...how...huh?” I sputtered.

He flushed a bright crimson, but then nodded respectfully to me before hurrying toward the door and fleeing.

I gaped after him, totally not understanding.

Moments later, Jodi wandered into the front room, groaning over sore muscles and stretching as she let out a big, satisfied yawn. “Mmm...morning.”

I could only stare at her as she passed by me and entered the kitchen. Turning, I followed. “Jodi?” I finally said in a low voice as I watched her brew her own steaming cup.

“Yeah?” she asked, her back to me as she worked. “You finally ready to let me cheer you up?”

“What? No. Uh... I’d rather it if you explained why both Gally and Heath just came strolling out of your bedroom?”

“Sure.” She whirled around with a bright smile, before cringing and saying, “Oh, puta. You look like hell. You really need to shower and do something with your face.”

Clenching my teeth, I muttered, “Focus, woman. Gally and Heath.”

“Oh, right. Well, they kept fighting over me, so...” She shrugged. “I just taught them how to share.”

The few sips of hot chocolate I’d just drunk swirled evilly in my stomach, threatening to come back up. “Eww,” I said, trying not to picture the image she’d shoved into my head, and yet unable to not picture it.

Dumping my hot chocolate into the sink, I retreated to my room to cry some more. Not sure why seeing my roommate with two guys I didn’t even want for myself spurred more tears in me, but I felt wretched and selfish enough that when Jodi stopped by to check on me a few minutes later, I was unresponsive and bitter because she hadn’t halted anything in her life to be there for me, despite how she’d tried to do just that.

She sighed over my pathetic state and then was gone again, leaving me alone in the apartment, and I couldn’t help but think how Asher wouldn’t have given up on Sticks so easily if he’d been this depressed. He would’ve stuck around no matter what.

Which made me cry...again because I’d lost the best friend I could’ve ever had.

I wasn’t sure how much time passed after that, but I was half out of it when someone knocked on my front door.

Thinking it might be Asher, I lurched out of bed, then almost passed out when the blood rushed so fast to my head. Taking a second to catch my bearings, I patted my face and hair, then thought screw it and raced to the door, flinging it open.

“Holy shit,” Ten gasped, pulling back. “Is that what you look like as a woman?”

“Hey, give her a break,” Caroline scolded, appearing from behind him. “No one could look presentable after the night she must’ve had. How’re you doing, honey?”

I shook my head, squinting, trying to figure out why I was seeing them. Finally, I had the wherewithal to ask, “What’re you two doing here?”

“Oren kind of fucked up with Asher last night too, so we’re here to pow-wow with you and figure out how to get the both of you back into his good graces again.”

I sniffed, wiped at my face and glanced at Ten. “So you messed up too, huh?”

He blew out a disgusted sigh before admitting, “Yep. I had to go and bring up an old issue that doesn’t even bother me anymore...just because I could.”

“Is that why you have a black eye?”

Nodding, he repeated, “Yep.”