Lib Novel Page 46
“Any triggers?”
“Well…” Lane hedged. Rosalie waited. “There was this one asshole. And his friends. At a bar recently.”
“What happened?”
“They took a dislike to me.” They rolled their eyes. “I was out with a girl. She kind of saved the day.”
“How’d that make you feel?”
“Honestly?” Lane bit back a small smile. “It was fucking hot.”
Rosalie looked at them a little closer.
“Tell me about her.”
Oh shit. Telling Savannah’s literal best friend that they’d been fooling around with her little sister was not on the agenda tonight, or ever.
“Oh, you know,” they shrugged. “Just a pretty girl.”
“Are you still seeing her?”
“Nah.” They weren’t. They really weren’t. Really.
“How come?”
“It’s too complicated,” Lane said. That, at least, was accurate.
“Hm,” Rosalie said.
“Don’t hm me.” Lane narrowed their eyes. Rosalie smiled.
“Hmm,” she said.
“Oh, come on,” Lane huffed. “I know what you’re thinking. That I either pick girls who are too complicated for things to work so I can keep myself emotionally safe, or I bail at the first sign of trouble so I don’t get hurt.”
“Is that what’s happening?”
“No,” Lane denied. “It’s honestly just really complicated.” Rosalie waited. Lane frowned at the floor for a while. Finally, they looked up. “How do you tell the difference between just like… lust, and actually liking someone?”
Rosalie looked thoughtful.
“That’s a hard one. What do you like about her?”
“I mean… she’s hot,” Lane started. “Like, really gorgeous.”
“I figured that.” Rosalie’s tone was dry. “What else?”
“We have this insane, wild chemistry. She’s a great kisser.” Rosalie just nodded. Lane got to the real problem. “She’s smart. She can be funny… almost sweet. She takes none of my bullshit.”
“Uh huh.”
“What does that mean?” Lane panicked.
“It means uh huh,” Rosalie told them, leaning back in her chair. “Aside from the ‘complications,’” she air quoted, “do you have any other reservations?”
“A thousand!” Lane shook their head. “She’s from deep MAGA territory. Some of the shit that comes out of her mouth…”
“Right,” Rosalie looked even more interested. “How does she treat you?” Lane blinked.