Love Thy Neighbor (Friend-Zoned)(27)

Helena pokes her in the shoulder and retorts, “Well, hell! That’s not her fault. She’s freaking awesome. It’s the guys that are nuts, not her.”

Nina’s face becomes heated and she begins to say something but stops and touches Helena’s black hair. She tuts and says, “How long has it been since you colored?”

Helena attempts to answer, but Nina cuts her off. “I hate store color. How many times have I told you not to use store color?” Nina looks over at me. “How many times have I told her not to use store color?”

I open my mouth to answer, but she cuts me off with a frustrated, “Too many times!”

Helena and I look at each other and burst out laughing. Nina is certainly a force. She takes pride in her work as a hairdresser and hates when Helena and I don’t do our hair when she deems it’s time to. Nina ignores our laughter and mutters to herself, “Find a place that sells color.” She looks towards the pile of wood in the corner of the room. “And a coffee table.”

Blowing out a frustrated breath, I beg, “Can we please talk about something else? I’m sick of hearing about * Cole.”

Nina smirks and goes back to cooking. Helena chuckles. “Asshole. Cole. That rhymes!”

I throw a smile her way and ask, “How goes the studies?”

She pulls her hair out of her face and makes a gross face. I love my sisters so much. This is exactly what I needed. I’ll have to thank Ghost later on. She scrunches her nose. “One more year. Just one more year and I’ll be a physical therapist.”

Nina and I whoop and clap.

Helena is the smart one out of us girls, but she’s school smart. Nina and I, you could say we’re street smart. You see, Nina decided when she was fifteen that she’d had enough of school. Without telling mom and dad, she got a job at a local salon sweeping floors and watching the hairdressers as closely as possible. She fell in love with everything hair. In total Nina fashion, she came home from school with permission slips for mom and dad to sign that would allow her to quit school and basically did a song and dance about the benefits of hairdressing and how having a hairdresser in the family would be great for all our relatives. An hour later, she had my parents, hook, line and sinker. Nina is a go-getter, always has been. She now owns an extremely popular salon in Cali. So popular, you have to book a month in advance and there are strictly no walk-ins. Thinking of their success puts a huge smile on my face. I’m so proud of them.

“Well?” Helena breaks my thoughts.

My brow scrunches. “Well, what?”

She looks annoyed as she repeats herself, “Casper. Poltergeist. Ghost. Have you f*cked him again?” At this, Nina stops what she’s doing and looks over at me with a cheeky grin.

I scoff and put on my best hoochy imitation. “First things first, sistah, you don’t f*ck Ghost.” Both of my sisters lean closer as if we’re trading inside information. I point my finger to enunciate each word and go on, “He f*cks you.” I grin at the memory of that steamy night. Bent over a conference room table, I shudder in delight. We didn’t even see each other naked. I still had my dress on and he still had his clothes on, he just ripped my panties and undid his jeans and It. Was. On. Yummy. I sigh dreamily. “And it is something else altogether. It’s like he reaches into your head, takes your control and sets it alight. Gone.” Still grinning, I finish with, “It was unbelievable.”

If my sisters were to grin any wider, they’d both split right down the middle. They go back to cooking and leave me to my thoughts.

I sigh once more.

I really do have the worst taste in men.





Chapter Eight

Just dinner with the family





Standing in front of Nat’s apartment door listening to the sounds of the girls laughing, makes me want to sneak away like a little bitch. I feel bad, like I’m intruding on their family time. Unsure whether to knock or run, I stand at the door, rubbing the back of my neck in restlessness.

Having to go to work today with a swollen nose was bad enough. Having to tell the guys how my nose got swollen was even worse. Then having to explain what happened to Nat last night to them…that was just…not good. I had to make them swear not to tell the girls. She’ll tell them when she’s good and ready.

I had a what the f*ck moment when Trick took it the worst. He was ready to knock skulls. If I’m being honest, I think his home situation has him spoiling for a fight. Nik became very distant and was pretty damn upset. And Max…he was shattered. So much so that he cancelled his hot date. Nat is his buddy. They’re good friends. I could do without having to watch ‘em flirt all the time, but I know their friendship is just that.

A good friendship.

When the girls find out, though…shit is gonna hit the fan.

Nat told me she doesn’t want to press charges. That she just wants to move on. And I get it. I do. But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to make this guy wish he was never born. Cole Lewis is going to beg for death before I’m through with him.

The door opens suddenly and I see Helena’s smiling face. She doesn’t greet me, just grabs my arm and pulls me in. The conversations between the girls doesn’t dim now that I’m here, they just talk around me. And it surprises the shit outta me that I don’t want to leave now that I’m here. Nat’s voice is already soothing me. Being around Nina and Helena is like being around Nat, times three.