I was aching again.

She was my girl. She deserved the best fucking guy there was for her.

“There’s not much more to it. He’d reach out. We’d have sex. He’d say that it was a mistake—” Oh, that dickwipe! “—then he’d reach out again, said he made a mistake, and it was just a repeat. The longest we lasted was two days, but same thing.” She closed her eyes, and when they opened, there was a haunted look that she masked quickly. Same Sash. “It is what it is. I’m done with him.”

I waited a beat.

Her gaze lifted to mine. “You can say whatever you’d like. If you two made up and he realized he’s the biggest douche in the world and now wants to be your brother, then you’ve got my blessings. But him and me, we’re six feet under, Babe. I’m sorry. There’s no going back for either of us.”

Some of the tension I’d been holding lifted.

That was going to make this a bit easier. And there was no easy way to smooth into this, so I just ripped off the Band-Aid.

“I found out that he slept with my mother all those years ago and I attacked him, but now I’m thinking about it, and that would’ve made my mom a sex offender.”

Oh. Crap.

There was so much there to grimace about.

Sasha’s eyebrows pulled together. “What?”

“Yeah.” My gaze fell to the table. That really was making my stomach do figure-eights, and not in the happy way.

“Chad and your mom?”

“The Chad.”

She grunted. “Fucking Chad.”

I snickered because I couldn’t help myself. “That just took on a whole different meaning.”

A third grunt from her. “Am I supposed to feel bad for him?”

“I don’t think so? I mean, he gave her money afterwards so she could get a fix.”

“Gross. Fucking Chad.”

Yeah. “Fucking Chad.”

“I feel bad for all other Chads out there in the world now.”

“Me too.”

Her new brandy came over and she reached for it. Settling back in, she cocked her head to the side. “Wait. When did this happen?”

“Last night.”

“At your guy’s house?”

“I got up for a snack. Chad came in drunk. You know the side where usually people are lovey-dovey when they’re drunk and they’re just assholes when they’re sober?”

She cocked up an eyebrow, her arm resting on the back of the booth and she was turned toward me.

“Not for Chad. Turns out he’s nicer when he’s sober.”

“Damn.”

“Yep.”

“Did Cut hear any of it?”

“Well…” This was the part where I told her what really went down, on the whole me going for his jugular. And then I waited because it was complete silence at the table afterwards.

She took a breath, blinked a few times, and then drained her second brandy. “Damn again.”

“Yep. Again.”

“He’s gone?”

I nodded.

Her eyes slid sideways to me. “And you have his phone?”

I met her gaze, also sideways. “I mean, it’s at Cut’s house.”

“You’re saying that we can get to it?”

“Why?”

“Because I might know his passcode.”

My mouth dropped.

I had no words. I didn’t know if I should be excited or wary.

Forget that.

Excitement. All day every day.

“What do you want to do?”

“What do you think?” Sasha just gave me a knowing grin.

Oh yeah. We were about to get into some trouble.

“Are we too old to do stuff like this?” I said this as I was sliding out of the booth.

Sasha was right behind me. She snorted. “Two words: toilet paper. Let’s fuck this guy’s life up a bit.”* * *Me: You at your place right now?

Cut: I headed to Hendrix’s. You done already?

Me: Nope. I think it might be a late night.

Cut: Okay. Have fun.* * *We were in Matilda, and I put my phone back in my purse just as the light turned green.

I was driving this time, and I glanced at Sasha. “I feel like I should tell Cut what we’re going to do.”

“Plausible deniability.”

Right. That was a good way to think of it.

I added, “I’ll tell him later.”

Sasha’s head bobbed up and down. “Later.”

Like next year later, maybe.

“You know the code to get in?”

My stomach dipped. “Yes. And I know where they keep the extra key.”

A smile from her. “Excellent.” A beat later, “Plausible deniability.”

“Plausible deniability.”* * *Koala Sister: Um.

Koala Brother: Um what?

Koala Sister: Um um.

Koala Brother: OMG, Cheyenne. Just say it.

Koala Sister: Nothing. Love you. Miss you. How are you?

Koala Brother: Dude.

Koala Sister: DUDE!

Koala Brother: Same, by the way.

Koala Sister: Dude.42Cut“That was your girl?” Hendrix asked, coming back with a beer in hand.

He handed it over, sitting down on his couch.

I took it. “She’s doing a girls’ night.”

Hendrix frowned, taking a sip of his beer. “I had a buddy who always thought ‘girls’ night’ was code for ‘I’m going out drinking with my girls and I’m going to cheat on you.’”

“I don’t think that’s what this is. Cheyenne’s not like that.”

“Still.” Another sip and he shrugged. “He found out after they broke up that his girl had been cheating on him the whole time. Screwed him up for life.”