Page 52 of Targeted By Vengeance

“A proud one,” she said, sticking her tongue out as she stepped aside to let us in. “Sorry,” she told Maria, whose brows had raised again. “I know you’re not used to this side of me.”

“Don’t,” Maria murmured with a wave of her hand. “I like it.”

“Probably cause you a freak too. I know you've been turning Miles out.”

Maria’s cheeks darkened. She resorted to signing. What did he say?

I was ready to translate for her, but Lexie was already ahead of me.

“He doesn’t have to say shit. That big ass grin says more than enough.”

Maria tried to cover her smile as she giggled.

The savory scent of pizza mixed with the comforting smell of apples and cinnamon wafted through my nose as we walked into the house.

To the left of the long entryway hall was a large living room, nicely furnished with a sectional couch, Lay-Z-Boy and a cherry wood coffee table and bookshelf. A flat screen television hung on the wall above a brick rimmed fireplace, crackling with gentle flames.

Boxes of pizza, wine glasses, and a few bottles of wine were spread out around the coffee table.

“Make yourselves at home,” Lexie said, waving her hand over the couch.

As Maria and I sank down on the soft cushions, Lexie disappeared into the kitchen. Her footsteps shuffled on the tile floor before she reappeared again, holding a pile of paper plates. She set them down on the table beside all the food. “What genre are we feeling tonight?” She asked as she grabbed the remote. “Rom-coms? Horror? Vampire romance?”

Twilight? Maria signed, her face lighting up at the idea.

Lexie reached into the shelf underneath the television stand and pulled out five DVD cases. “Got the whole set right here.”

We snacked on pizza and sipped wine while we watched damn near the entire saga. spent the night watching the saga while we snacked on pizza and sipped wine. We laughed at the now-cringey moments and fussed over the main character’s awful decisions. The signature color grading and iconic quotes added to the warmth bubbling in my belly.

A good time like this had been long overdue.

Between all the conversation and laughter, I didn’t even remember falling asleep.

I just remember waking up at two in the morning sprawled on the end of the sectional with a blanket over my shoulders, pressure in my pelvis, and the score from the fifth movie humming from the speakers. Glancing around the dark room, I spotted Maria sleeping on the adjacent end of the couch and Lexie curled up in the Lay-Z-Boy.

Quietly, as not to wake them, I got off of the couch and tip-toed into the bathroom.

Maria popped her head up when I returned, her brows pinched together. “You okay?” She whispered, grogginess clinging to the cracks in her voice.

“Yeah. Are you?”

She nodded, but I could see the ghost of a frown hovering over her lips.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, taking a seat in the space beside her head.

She shook her head. Sitting up, she raised her hands to sign. Nothing’s wrong. I’m just reveling in this. It’s been a long time since I’ve had girlfriends.

“Oh, you and Mateo don’t sip wine and braid each other’s hair?”

She rolled her eyes. As if.

“My sister and I used to have sleepovers all the time. Mostly with her friends, but still…it was fun. When we were both out of our parents’ house, we used to take turns staying at each other’s houses. We’d stay up late, paint each other’s nails, and drink until we passed out.”

Do you miss her?

My chest tightened. “All the time. I didn’t always want to admit it, but…she was my best friend.”

Maria’s hand slipped over mine, and she gave it a soft squeeze.