Free Perfectly Toxic (The Sterling Shore Series Book 9) by C.M. Owens Page A

less than a year ago, I had an apartment with Allie and Angel in our old city. I never brought guys home, but Allie and Angel went camping for some mother/daughter bonding time. I figured why not invite my boyfriend over? I did, and the next morning Allie came home to find Angel’s piggy bank money from her birthday party was gone. Over two hundred dollars that she’d gotten from our hospital friends we’d invited to the party… It was all gone. So was Allie’s necklace. I’d gotten it for her our first Christmas as friends. It was the first present she’d ever gotten. It wasn’t worth much money, but he stole something she treasured. He stole from Angel—a little kid. And I had let him into our home.”
    He sits back, and so do I. We both stare like we can’t look away for several long, silent moments.
    “I guess Allie was pissed.”
    “She was upset, but not at me. Allie is really emotionally mature, usually. Other than when she first found Wren. But who wouldn’t be under those circumstances? She usually always focuses her anger on the actual target and doesn’t lash out at anyone else. I deserved her anger, but she refused to be mad at me. It just made me feel worse.”
    He leans up, but before he can say anything, we hear a very familiar voice from very close by.
    “Sexually aggressive women are actually less likely to have sex than girls who go for shy sexy.”
    Britt Sterling.
    My eyes pop up, and I find her vibrant red hair behind Ethan’s head, sitting in the booth right behind us. How did I miss her come in?
    Her back is to us, so she doesn’t see us as she talks to a group of people who all look about her age.
    I can’t hear what someone says to her, since they’re keeping their voice lower, but Ethan cranes his neck as though he’s listening as well.
    “You can’t stimulate a woman that way,” Britt tells them. “I tried it on myself. It’s just a myth.”
    I choke on my milkshake, and Ethan covers his face while shaking with silent laughter.
    I really love Britt. She’s so refreshingly blunt and literal.
    “I have to get home for a celebration for Rain’s sister, but I’ll give you my notes on sexual stimulation if you want,” she tells a guy who is… not looking like he’s laughing with her.
    My smile fades as I study all of them, and Britt stands as someone tells her they’ll happily read her notes when she gets the chance to hand them over. She walks out happily, oblivious to the fact they’re all laughing at her. There’s a huge fucking difference between laughing with someone and laughing at them.
    “Is she for real?” a guy asks.
    “I told you!”
    They’re talking louder now that the topic isn’t about sex.
    Ethan’s eyes meet mine, and something cold and calculated crosses his gaze.
    “Why the hell are you hanging out with her?” a girl asks another girl, who is between the two guys.
    “Because she’s Dane Sterling’s sister. And because she’s in with all the Sterlings. My father said it’s the best move on my part. But all the girl does is talk weird like that. She gave me a twenty-five minute spiel about Wonder Woman yesterday. As if I fucking care. Don’t even get me started on her longest monologue ever about the origins of science fiction films.”
    Britt—sweet, loveable, honest, genuine Britt—is being used, mocked, and laughed at by people she thinks are friends.
    Deciding I can’t stomach listening to this and not do anything about it, I stand, and so does Ethan. My milkshake is almost gone, but his is still pretty full.
    “You finished with that?” I ask sweetly.
    He smirks as he slides over to me, almost as though he knows what I plan to do. As soon as I step by him, I open the lid, then do a fake stumble thingy that has the cup flying out of my hand, and splattering all over the girl and the two boys she’s wedged between. The other girl is lucky I can’t pull off a double fake stumble and hit her side of the booth as well.
    “You stupid