Bad Habit (Bad Love 1)

“Hey, pretty girl,” he says, taking off his sunglasses and giving me an expectant look.

“What?” I ask defensively.

“Your secret is safe with me,” he says with a wink.

“Don’t you have a job?” I say, avoiding that statement altogether.

“Don’t change the subject.”

“Ughhhh,” I huff dramatically and close my laptop. “What do you think you know?” I cut my eyes at him, giving him my best death glare.

“I know that I thought I caught you in the middle of your, you know, me time,” he says the words with air quotes, wagging his brows. “Until we walked outside and saw Kelley’s truck. Weird, though, since we didn’t see him come in.”

I roll my eyes, dropping my head to the back of the couch.

“Don’t worry. I told Dash that he was asleep in the media room and that he wouldn’t wake up to come with us.”

What? My eyebrows shoot up in surprise. I wasn’t expecting that.

“Why would you cover for me?” I ask, genuinely confused. They’re best friends. More like brothers.

“It’s not for you. I was hungry and didn’t want to get held up.” He shrugs. “Besides, that asshole Kelley is just as much my friend as Dash is, whether he wants to admit it or not.”

I think back to the day on the lake and how Adrian wanted to help me get Asher’s attention.

“Why are you pushing this?” I ask him, suddenly wary of his motives.

“Dude deserves some good in his life. Besides, we’ll never get rid of Whitley if she thinks she has a chance with one of us.”

One of us?

“Oh my God, did you hook up with her, too?!” I slap his chest.

“You don’t even want to know.” He grins, squeezing my knee. “Trust me on this one.”

“Gross.”

“Downright filthy.”

If the rumors are true, this means she’s hooked up with all three of the boys in my life. Ash, my brother—yeah, found that out last summer—and now Adrian. My nails cut into my palms as I clench my fists. Why won’t she just go away?

“Calm down, little killer.” Adrian laughs, reaching over to uncurl my fingers, and then leans back, propping his feet up on the edge of the coffee table. He pulls on my hand, and I lie back with my head on his shoulder, kicking my own feet up. “You don’t have anything to worry about with her.”

I’m not so sure, I think, but instead, I say, “I’m not worried. Thoroughly disgusted,” I add, “but not worried. Where’s my brother, by the way?”

“Should be pulling up any minute. He had to drop his truck off at the shop, so he called Kelley to pick him up.”

Fuck. My first instinct is to dread seeing him, but some pathetic part of me still feels a thrill run through me at the thought of it.

“We’re gonna hit up the club later tonight,” Adrian explains.

“The club?” I snort. Imagining Asher at a club is straight-up laughable. I can just see him there, hating life, arms crossed in the corner. But my amused smile melts away when I imagine what would inevitably happen next. Gorgeous girls. Short skirts. High heels. Wanting one night with the bad boy with sad eyes.

“Yes, the club,” he says, mimicking me in a high-pitched, Valley Girl voice. “I need some pussy tonight, and I’m sick of the same old places and faces. I need fresh meat.”

“What you need, sir, is a damn filter. And condoms. Lots of condoms.” I roll my eyes and cross one ankle over the other.

“And what you need is my d—” Before he’s able to finish what’s sure to be an inappropriate remark, the door opens and Dash and Asher walk in.