Kiss and Break Up (Magnolia Cove, #1)(10)

“You were watching?”

“Duh. Someone had to make sure that shmuck didn’t take advantage of you.”

I exhaled a tremulous breath. “You didn’t need to worry about that.”

“I don’t now, so thanks.”

“Asshole.”

He bumped my shoulder with his. “Could be worse. Kissing him would be like licking the inside of a toilet bowl, he’s hooked up with so many people lately.”

“Not helping, and like you can talk.” Dash was notorious for leaving girls hanging.

“Hey, I didn’t scare anyone off by spraying them with spit and phlegm.”

My stomach shook. Tears threatened. I stood, wanting to head inside and find the fastest route out of here. I pulled my phone out of my purse, firing off a text to Alfie.

“Freckles?” Dash said, poking me in the cheek. “Don’t be sad. That’s stupid. He’s a bastard anyway.”

“It’s … whatever. I’m going home.” I brushed some sand from my butt, then swerved through the crowds outside, keeping my head down.

Willa was where I left her in the kitchen, her chin on her fist, looking fascinated as she watched a couple of guys make out against the refrigerator. Daphne appeared, looking flushed as she ran her hands over her hair. “There you are.”

Willa turned, blinking out of her trance as she saw us. “Where’s Byron?”

“God knows, probably halfway to Mexico by now.”

Daphne’s hands paused, and she crept closer. “Huh? What happened?”

“What happened with Lars?”

“Touché.” She sighed. “Let’s trade in the car. Alfie’s coming soon, right?”

“Just asked him to come earlier. Let’s wait out front.”

“Freckles,” Dash said, latching onto my hand and spinning me around. “Where’re you going?”

“Home.”

“Over some lousy kiss?” He pulled a cigarette from behind his ear, then lit it, not caring that he was inside. “You can hang with me.”

“And get laughed at some more?” I shook my head, turning away to join the girls. “No thanks.”





Dash



Peggy Newland had been a permanent fixture in my life since the dawn of my existence. In fact, I remember our mothers laughing about it when they were still friends, telling anyone who’d listen how I’d learned to write Peggy’s name before I wrote my own.

In my defense, what kind of assholes named their kid Dashiell? My asshole parents, that was who.

So it was a given, if you asked me, that I wasn’t going to bother trying with that shit until I had to.

She was the one constant in my life. A pillar of light among the ever-gray bullshit that stalked from one day to the next. But lately, she’d started to change.

I couldn’t tell if it was the removal of her braces, the haircut, or the way her tall body had curved more around her chest and ass. Either way, I didn’t fucking like it. I was a needy bastard, a taker, and she wasn’t as available to me as she’d always been.

And let’s not even talk about that almost kiss. I’d never been more grateful for an attack of sinus in my life, and I’d spent the past few days stewing over why.

Yes, she was gorgeous. She always had been. But she was like a sister to me, which probably explained the sickening twist in my gut.

Only I wasn’t sure if that feeling was due to her sudden interest in dating stuck-up idiots, or because I could feel her shifting, swaying away from reach.

“You keep scowling all the time, and you’re going to age faster than me.”

“Not likely with all those Botox injections.”

Mother Dearest didn’t even gasp; she knew better than to poke at me.

I still blamed her for Peggy moving away. Though I knew it wasn’t technically her fault, I didn’t like the way she constantly tutted whenever I went to Peggy’s place or said her name.

Resentment had burrowed deep inside her veins, and I sometimes wondered if she’d ever slice herself open, admit she was being a rabies-infested hyena, and let it bleed out.

Not everyone had the courage to stay in a loveless marriage, and not everyone had the courage to leave one either.

In my mother’s eyes, her ex-best friend had betrayed her by leaving her to rot in this world of money all alone. Not only that, but she now felt as if she couldn’t even associate with her due to how far down the social ladder Peony had jumped.

No one had pushed her. She had well and truly jumped and of her own accord. I couldn’t lie, I loved the luxury I’d been born into, but that didn’t keep me from respecting the amount of balls that’d take.

“For your information, I haven’t seen Dr. Bryant in four months.”

I dodged left, but it was too late, and some asshat shot me. “Probably because you spend too much time with Emanuel in the pool house. And would you get out? I’m fucking dying here.” Literally. Her fucking perfume was smothering the life from me.

“Watch your mouth.”

“Why? Not my fault you’ve never been a fan of honesty.”

Her hands flew into the air, the books and jeans she’d been collecting from my bedroom floor falling back to the floor in a heap. “I don’t even know where you came from.”