Page 5 of Bad Habit
“Public nudity.” He nods approvingly, “Should we add it to the waiver forms at the front desk?” That stupid chain around his neck dances with the way he is laughing.
“I hate you.”
“Still pretending, pretty girl?” He leans in and my eyes catch the snake that wraps around his shoulder and my own itches on my side. It’s weird to be tied to someone just because we love the same person endlessly. I’ll never forget the unfiltered emotion in AJ’s eyes when she realized we all got viper tattoos to cement that we will always be in her corner. In hindsight, it was kind of crazy but I live to be impulsive.
I look up and find myself rooted, staring up where his curls are shading his brown eyes and licking the back of his neck. Amusement reflects back as he doesn’t break eye contact.
“Do you two ever stop arguing?” Maxwell’s voice makes me jump. My eyes are still on Oliver’s as I lift one shoulder and smirk. There’s a promise in his eyes about what happens when we stop arguing.
“Never.” I say, finally breaking eye contact to face Maxwell.
“I passed Ty on my way in. Eli is going to help him bring in the rest of the boxes.” Maxwell steps forward and hands me a sheet of paper.
“What the fuck is Ty doing here?” There’s obvious annoyance in Oliver’s voice. He hates anyone that isn’t his family or AJ. He’s only just now getting to where he is friendly with Rory. And that’s only because I think AJ threatens to stop talking to him if he isn’t. When I first started working here, I had to point out that he was an asshole to Rory every time they were near each other.
I check the order on the sheet that Maxwell handed me,“He’s the bartender for tonight.” I give just enough pause so my next words land with a sting to his ego. “And my date.” I add, looking up just in time to see Oliver’s jaw tick.
The feeling of watching him try to not get riled up is one of my things.
“It’s a watch party. Didn’t know we needed dates.” Oliver growls as he snatches the paper from my hands.
“Fine. I bribed him with a date to do this for me so I didn’t have to pay him.” I admit. Maxwell highfaves me before we let our hands smack each other’s asses. I reach out to grab my paper back from Oliver but he easily keeps it out of my reach.
Squinting at the paper, he says, “There’s nothing cherry on here.” I swallow tightly at the realization he cares about what I like.
“Wow, didn’t know you could read.” He tilts his head as his eyes roll into the back of his head. I take the moment of distraction to take my paper back. I still need to check all the items. “I’m not drinking tonight.” Both their heads swivel to me in shock. I mean, I do love a good margarita but, “it’s an important night for the gym. And someone has to make sure everything goes right. And that won’t be you two.” I make sure to give Maxwell a sympathetic smile. He really is the sweetest guy alive, but he has a tendency to mess things up without even trying.
Eli and Ty come through the front doors and Ty beams at me from where he is hauling carts behind him. He’s a cute enough guy. Unfortunately, he doesn’t stand a chance of being seen when a shirtless Oliveris in the room. Actually, I don’t know how any guy is seen when in the presence of the triplets. Eli’s earrings shimmer as he gets closer and his glasses start to fall down to the tip of his nose. I step forward so I can push the middle of the frames back up for him.
He gives me the same grin that matches his brothers, “Thanks, Mia.” I think Eli is the brother that’s the most confident in who he is. He’s always the same every time I’m around him, hot as hell, a little edgy, but always consistent. Max is my twin flame. He’s every bit as chaotic and full of life as I am but I see his heart beat in the same pattern as my own. I grin at Eli and prep myself to take on Ty. I’ll have to keep him just close enough to not be rude but I have zero interest in spending time with him. Ty is nice and he’s a decent bartender. He just doesn’t quite do it for me though.
“Can’t believe you actually agreed to a date with me.” Ty steps forward, his hands in his pockets and his voice full of an awkward kind of awe.
“Not really like you to do something for free.” I feel the heat from where Oliver’s bare chest is at my back. It takes physical restraint to not react.
Ty grins over my shoulder to where I’m sure Oliver is glaring at him. It seems to be his default setting.
“Getting undivided time with Mia is worth it, don’t you think?” He raises an eyebrow and I swallow hard.
I feel Oliver inch just close enough that his breath barely ghosts over the back of my neck. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never had her undivided attention.”Lies. It’s the game we keep playing.
Oliver steps around us as he puts his headphones in to go on his morning run. They all run. Psychopaths.
OLIVER
“Take this over to her.” I shove a can of cherry coke into Maxwell’s chest where he’s leaning up against the backwall. Mia made him promise to keep an eye on things tonight and not drink. Surprisingly, he listened. Though I shouldn’t be surprised. Mia has the infuriating ability to make any man do what she wants just because she asks.
He presses the can into my chest, mirroring my actions. “You take it over to her.” He argues.
Holding the can back out to him I have to hold back my frustration, “Don’t be an ass. You know she won’t take it from me.” She would probably shake it up and spray it in my face. Or maybe not. She’s more or less avoided me since that night. I miss her bite.
“If she knew you did this shit, maybe she wouldn’t hate you so much.” She doesn’t hate me,not really.I like that she pretends most of the time. Watching her whole body try to hold in her rage makes my heart beat faster.
“Just bring her the drink, Maxie. She’s been drinking water all night and she left her candy at home. I think there’s a bag upstairs. You can bring that to her too.” She religiously eats those damn cherry lifesavers. She prefers the ones that are in the roll. Why? I’ll never know. I picked some up from the gas station the other day though and left them in the office but I don’t think she’s found them yet. Max walks away,clearly done with me, but I know he will take care of it for Mia. He’s the best of us triplets and his heart is too big to not take care of her.
I let myself steal a glance her way. She’s been chewing on her nails for the past hour as the first few fights went on. AJ has her phone turned off, I know. And there’s no way Dad is checking his. If I could guess, she’s stressing over her friends’ state of mind. Her and Rory are oddly close. I think it’s because she’s Melinda’s favorite. She’s Dad’s second favorite. I don’t think anyone will ever out rank AJ with Dad, not even his own sons.
Her being so stressed makes my chest tight. She looks small the way she’s stayed glued to Ty’s side all night, using him as armor. His dumbass thinks it’s because she is actually interested. He keeps leaning into her and I watch her shift her body just enough so they aren’t touching.
