Home > Crazy Stupid Perfection (Crazy Stupid #3)(2)

Crazy Stupid Perfection (Crazy Stupid #3)(2)
Author: Melissa Toppen

“You know exactly what I’m talking about.” I keep my voice low as to not be overheard by Gavin.

“Actually I don’t.” She shakes her head in disbelief. “If anyone is playing games it’s you. That is your specialty after all.”

The air becomes so thick around us that for a brief moment I almost find it difficult to breath.

“Is that what you think I did? That I played you?” The heat that rises in my throat makes me feel like I could breathe fucking fire.

“I’m not doing this Paxton.” Her eyes dart towards the hallway and I follow her gaze.

There’s no one there.

“So we’re just gonna continue to pretend like nothing ever happened?” I let out a frustrated sigh, throwing my hands up in the air.

“What do you want from me Paxton?” Her voice is riddled with a combination of anger and sadness that damn near drops me to my knees.

I don’t realize I’ve reached for her until she’s already pressed tightly against my chest. At which point I know it’s too late. I can’t stop myself from leaning forward. I can’t stop myself from pressing my lips firmly against hers.

She hesitates for only a moment before her hands are tangling in my hair and she’s pulling me deeper into the kiss. The feel of her against me, the taste of her on my tongue, the feeling of her slender body as it trembles slightly against mine, it’s enough to drive me fucking crazy.

Suddenly all I want is to be on her, inside her, and I don’t give two fucks what anyone has to say about it. But just as the thought takes hold, Charlie abruptly pulls away, taking two full steps backwards.

She opens her mouth to say something, her cheeks flushed, her breathing erratic, but then she closes it without a word when Gavin steps around the corner, his face focused on the screen of his cell phone.

Suddenly the need to escape becomes overwhelming and before I can even process my actions I am slipping on my jacket and heading towards the front door. I don’t know where I’m going or why. All I know is if I don’t get out of here right fucking now, I’m likely to do something I will greatly regret.

“Where the fuck are you going?” Gavin’s voice halts my movements just as I pull open the front door.

“I gotta few things to take care of. I’ll be back later.” I don’t give him a chance to respond before I am in the hallway, pulling the door closed behind me.

“What the fuck was that?” I mutter out loud, trying to process what just happened.

Knowing I just need to clear my fucking head, I quickly exit the condo building and take off down the sidewalk. Even though the sun has set, the sky is still ablaze with the lights of the city.

I walk for a good thirty minutes, my mind jumping between Charlie and Gavin. What if I just told him? What would his reaction be to finding out that I’m fucking in love with his little sister and have been for years?

Truth is I already know his reaction, which is exactly why he can never find out. He’d never forgive me. Family is everything to him. Right now I’m a part of that family. But I won’t be if I can’t lock this shit down.

I look up just in time to see the glowing sign of Deviants to my right. Veering in that direction, I jog across the street and push my way inside, just hoping for some sort of distraction. I catch sight of Decklan and Kimber just as they disappear behind the door that leads up to his apartment. So much for Decklan’s help in the distraction department.

Shaking my head, I slide into a stool at the end of the bar and nod to the bartender Val, who notices me almost instantly. Leaning forward, I peer toward the blonde on my right, immediately doing a double take when I realize it’s Harlee.

Harlee, as in the girl Gavin is at home sulking over right now. This explains why Decklan sent Charlie to the condo. I thought she was there to make sure his drunk ass didn’t do something stupid. Clearly he just didn’t want Gavin stumbling in and realizing that Harlee’s here. I know without a doubt that this is Kimber’s doing. No way Deck would purposely keep things from Gavin without some kind of inside influence. Fuck, he’s as pussy whipped as they come.

“You look so happy right now,” Harlee slurs, clearly just noticing me.

“Yeah, well.” I shrug, nodding toward Val as she sits a beer in front of me.

“Wanna talk about it?” She pushes.

“Nope.” I raise the beer bottle to my lips and drain half the bottle in one drink.

I’m not trying to be an asshole or anything. I just have no desire to discuss Charlie with anyone, let alone the girl Gavin is currently balls deep over.

“That bad huh?” She asks, kicking her leg over the stool next to her when some young dude tries to sit down. “Taken,” she chimes with a smile.

“You have no idea.” I sigh, answering her question after the guy walks away.

“Girl trouble?” She asks.

“Something like that.”

“Well you’ve come to the right place. I’m having major girl trouble.” She hesitates for a moment and then laughs at herself. “I mean boy trouble. I like boys, not girls. I mean, I like dick. Oh my God. I just said that out loud didn’t I?” She rambles, causing me to laugh despite my sour mood.

“You’re cute.” I observe, for the first time really taking a moment to observe Harlee.

I finish off the remainder of my beer in one long gulp, sliding the empty bottle across the bar. “I can see why Gavin is so taken with you,” I add, nodding once again at Val when she slides another beer across the bar to me.

“Yeah, not so much anymore.” She sighs, taking a long drink from the glass in front of her.

“Maybe someone should tell him that.” I chuckle, for some reason finding humor in this whole situation.

Gavin is at home torn up over a girl who is sitting at his bar clearly trying to drink him away. All the while I’m all fucked up over his sister who I kissed and then just walked away from.

“From where I’m sitting he’s still very much taken with you,” I add on.

“Yeah well, from where I’m sitting, I’m pretty sure he hates my guts. Love sucks. Where the hell is Kimber?” She changes the subject so abruptly it takes me a moment to catch up.

“I saw her and Decklan go upstairs on my way in.”

“Fucking whore,” she blurts, covering her mouth instantly like she can’t believe she just said that out loud.

My beer catches in my throat and I have to force it down before bursting out in laughter. “You have no fucking filter. You realize this right?” I wipe at some of the liquid that managed to escape the side of my mouth.

“Me? That’s completely untrue. Didn’t you hear, I’m the coward who hides behind her own excuses?”

“Well that’s okay because I’m the asshole who dicks over his friend and completely fucks everything up every chance he gets.” I shake my head, wishing the statement hadn’t just left my mouth.

“We should start a club.” She doesn’t acknowledge my comment, holding her drink up.

“And what should we call said club?” I turn toward her, a small smirk on my face.

“How about The Fuck Love Club?” Her smile widens.

“Fuck love,” I agree, clinking my beer bottle against her glass before we both drink.

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