Free Very Twisted Things (Briarcrest Academy #3) by Ilsa Madden-Mills Page B

lousy cook. On the other hand, if you like cheese puffs and Oreos, I’m your girl.”
    “I love Oreos,” Spider said in a flirty tone, and she rewarded him with a smile.
    “Here, peel those,” she said, tossing me an orange.
    “This is going to be gross, isn’t it?” I asked as she poured ice water over the mixture.
    She shook her head. “My mom used to make these when I was sick with a cold. She swore it cured whatever ailed you.”
    “Yeah, because it made you sicker,” I joked.
    “Funny,” she said and hit the button, turning the contents a greenish-brown. Spider pretended to throw up in his mouth.
    “You see your mom often?” I asked.
    She went white and her hands stilled as she lifted the blender off the base. “She’s dead. Both of my parents are.”
    My chest constricted at the pain on her face. “Recently?”
    She nodded, and I noticed she was gathering herself, her throat muscles working as she swallowed. And right there in the kitchen with the early morning sunlight shining through the window, V became more than just a girl I was attracted to. She was real , a person who’d seen the loss of a parent at a young age, who’d faced empty chairs at the dinner table. Like me .
    I got some glasses down from the cabinet, and she divided the green stuff between us. It sloshed into the glasses with a thud.
    “You know, maybe I don’t need this. I feel better all ready,” Spider said uneasily as he stared at it. I bit back a grin because his face was almost the same color as the drink. Spider might be an abrasive bastard, but his stomach was as delicate as a newborn’s.
    “Drink it,” she ordered him with a smile, and for a second I thought he might resist, but he took a small test sip.
    I chugged mine to the last drop. “Excellent,” I lied. No way was I going to ruin her memory of her and her mom’s thing.
    She leaned over to encourage Spider, and I got antsy. Did I notice that his eyes were glued to her rack? Maybe. Did I notice that she ran her eyes over his bare chest more than once? Yeah.
    I set my glass down sharply. “How’d you end up in LA?”
    “Lots of reasons. Mostly to get out of New York.”
    “Is that where your ex is?” I tried to sound smooth.
    She blinked. “Yes.”
    Good, he was thousands of miles away. I nodded. “How’s the playing coming? Any closer to getting yourself on a stage?”
    Fear flickered over her face as she fiddled with her glass. “I have a job coming up, but I’m not sure I can do it.”
    “Maybe you could play with us sometime?” I said. “We practice a few days a week at a studio on Melrose. You could even ride with us down there.” Dammit . Even though I didn’t mean to, I was sending mixed signals.
    Spider’s eyes had widened at my offer. Girls were generally not allowed at our work sessions. I ignored his searching looks.
    “I’ll think about it,” she said, but I could tell by how stiff she’d gotten that the thought terrified her. She checked her watch. “I have to go. I have an appointment later.”
    She was running away. Part of me was glad, but the insane side of me wanted her to stay. I let out a sigh. “Sure, let me walk you to the door.”
    She said her goodbye to Spider, and we walked to the foyer where I asked for her phone. She handed it over, and I typed in my digits.
    “What are you doing?”
    “Putting my number in so you can call me if you ever need anything. That’s a big house you live in. It worries me.”
    She stared at me. “I think you made it quite clear last night that it's not a good idea for you to be alone with me at my house.”
    I groaned at the memory. “I’m sorry for kissing you and then pushing you away. I never should have let it get that far.”
    She nodded and stared at the ground. “No, it was my fault.”
    “No, it was mine. I had to kiss you. I wanted to since the ice cream shop.”
    She sent me a sly smile. “Well, if you change your mind about some super-hot-no-strings-attached-sex with