Dangerous Kiss (Dangerous Noise 1)

"I'm with Ethan."

"Ethan as in your rock star ex-boyfriend Ethan? As in the guy you've been pining over for the last two years Ethan?"

"I have not."

"Yeah, you barely even looked at Mr. Boring. The whole time, you were thinking about Ethan."

"Denny was nice."

She scoffs.

I can't exactly argue. Denny was nice but that was it.

I take a deep breath and I give Athena the short version of events. Mal offered me a job, I took it, Ethan and I decided to sleep together, just sex. Athena uh-huhs and yeah rights at all the appropriate places.

The woman sees through me like I'm made out of glass.

"I'm not going to give you hell about holding a candle for a guy who is hot, rich, and famous and… hot. God, he's so hot in pictures. Is he really that hot?" she asks.

"Yeah."

"Good in bed?"

"You have no idea."

"I have a lot of ideas, but sharing them would be weird." She laughs. "I'd hate you if I didn't love you

."

"I'm starting to freak out." I take a deep breath, but that only helps so much. "I don't want to use the l-word but—"

"Violet, you're twenty-three."

"Yes."

"You can say you love a guy."

I clear my throat.

"Go talk to him."

"But—"

"Like you're about to finish grad school or something."

"But—"

She gets stern. "Not like you're about to finish high school."

"You know, one day, you're going to care about someone, and it's going to drive you crazy, and you're going to feel like an asshole for giving me this shit."

"Yeah, but you're so sweet, you'll console me anyway."

"I hate you." Mostly for being right.

"I hate you too. Now go talk to him. And at least text me in the morning so I know you're alive."

She's right.