“I see they didn’t install any humour while you were in the hospital.”
I flip her off and reach for one of the chocolate-covered doughnuts.
Her lips part as if she’s about to give me some more sass, but Theo joins us, and the second she looks up and spots him, whatever biting remark that was about to fall from her seems to shrivel up and die.
Pulling her mask on along with her usual grimace when she looks in Theo’s direction, she reaches out for the pinkest doughnut left in the box.
“Here, take this one.” The way she says it makes my teeth shiver, it’s so sickly and fake.
“Why? Laced it with rat poison?”
“Yep. I’m looking forward to watching your insides melt.”
“And they say romance is dead,” I mutter around my mouthful of sweetness.
Stella and Calli laugh, but both Emmie and Theo scowl at each other.
He must decide the risk of poisoning isn’t all that great, though, because after a couple of seconds he reaches for the offending doughnut and stuffs almost the entire thing in his mouth, much to Emmie’s disgust.
“Thanks,” he mumbles, marching to the kitchen for a drink before disappearing to his room and slamming the door behind him.
“You should go cheer him up,” Stella suggests.
“Fuck off. His attitude is not my issue.”
“I dunno, I reckon you could probably help each other work out some stress,” I say, feeling brave with there being a coffee table between us.
“What the fuck are you trying to say?” she growls.
“That you look about as uptight as him.”
She huffs in frustration. “I’m not uptight.”
“No? Do your dad and Miss Hill keep you up all night with their—”
“Shut the fuck up,” she hisses, her face twisting in anger.
“What? They are banging, right? I knew it was her with some rough looking biker in the car park last week.”
“He’s not rough,” Emmie spits while both Calli and Stella laugh.
“No, he’s not. He’s hot as fuck is what he is.”
“I’m sorry?” I ask, my brows lifting, and I rear back and look at my girl through new eyes.
“Emmie’s dad. He’s hot,” she confirms.
“He’s like… forty.”
“Hardly. You need to look closer.”
“So what are you saying, then? That I’m too young for you?”
She thinks for a moment, and I brace myself for what’s going to come next.
“I mean… you’re okay for now. But you know, never say never. Emmie’s dad might get bored with Miss Hill and might be willing to trade for a younger model.”
An unamused laugh falls from my mouth while Calli falls about giggling. Even Emmie cracks a smile, making me wonder if there actually is something in the doughnuts.