Bad Habit (Bad Love 1)

“Lying liar who lies.”

We both laugh, but we’re interrupted when Asher and Adrian, my brother’s other best friend, come barreling out the patio door.

“Well, well, speak of the devil,” Nat drawls out in the worst fake Southern accent I’ve ever heard in my life.

“Where’s my brother?” I ask, cutting a warning glare in Nat’s direction to keep her mouth shut.

“Inside making food. Why? You need someone to rub you down with some sunblock?” Adrian asks, taking a step in my direction, but Asher blocks him with a stiff arm across the chest.

“What, bro?” he asks, feigning innocence. Returning his attention toward me, he adds, “I’m just looking out for the baby sister. We don’t want that pretty porcelain skin to burn, do we?”

“I’m good.” I laugh, shaking my head.

Adrian makes a lot of noise, but he’s generally harmless. Growing up, it was always my brother, Asher, and Adrian. The three drunken amigos who basically owned the school and everyone in it. Dash and Adrian are the charmers—the rich boys who fucked shit up with a smile on their faces—while Asher ruled with a quiet authority. They may not be in high school anymore, but they still run this town.

Adrian is Mexican-American, or as he likes to call himself, a sexy Mexi. He’s tall and gorgeous, with golden eyes and dimples for

days. Everyone loves him. It’s impossible not to.

“But really.” Adrian lowers his voice, smacking Ash’s hand away from his chest. “I needed to talk to you guys about Saturday.”

Saturday is Dash’s birthday, and every year on the day before, we usually have dinner with our parents at some fancy restaurant in which they end up arguing before dessert. Then Dash and I bail and binge-watch movies all night, with every type of junk food imaginable. His actual birthday, though, belongs to friends. This year, my parents can’t make it, with my dad being too busy with the merger. They offered to fly us out, but Dash insisted on staying, using work as an excuse, when really, he just doesn’t want to go. Thank God, because neither do I.

“What’s up?” I slide my peach-colored, oversized sunglasses onto the top of my head.

“We’re taking the pontoon and the Jet Skis out to the lake. It’s nothing big, just a few of us hanging out, but it’s a surprise. You girls in?”

“I’m out,” Nat says dejectedly.

“What, why?” I ask, using my arm to paddle myself closer to the steps. She loves going out on the lake, and we haven’t been in a long time.

“Uh, work,” she says, like the answer should have been obvious.

She acts like work is a burden sometimes, but, I think she secretly loves it. She spends the majority of her time there, and when she’s not there, she’s talking about it, dreaming up ways to improve it, or hunting for new trends.

“Boo,” I pout, stepping out of the pool. My eyes drift to Asher, who’s still silent, standing with his arms crossed, as I grab my towel off the lounge chair.

He makes a show out of looking me up and down from my head to my toes before turning and prowling back inside.

Adrian just shrugs. “He probably needs food. You know he gets cranky when he’s hungry.”

Yeah, and also when he’s awake, or, you know, breathing.

“See you in a couple of days?” he asks, one hand on the sliding door.

Before I can answer, Ash’s arm darts out and jerks him back into the house by his T-shirt, Adrian’s laughter trailing behind them.

“So, we’re going to act like this isn’t a thing?” Nat asks, looking at me from beneath her sunglasses.

“Yep.”

“Just checking.”

Chapter 4

Briar

Saturday morning comes fast, and I haven’t seen Ash since the day at the pool. He’s been making himself scarce lately, and I don’t know what to make of it. Last night when Dash and I had our usual birthday celebration, it took all I had in me not to press for answers. Answers to where he’s been and what he’s been up to. I have three years of questions I need answered. But, I managed to keep my mouth shut, not even mentioning him once. We video chatted with the parental units—well, with my mom, as Dad was too busy on a business call—watched movies, and ordered from his favorite pizza joint, before I finally called it a night.