Twisted Hate (Twisted, #3)

by Ana Huang

Josh was many things—infuriating, cocky, the spawn of Satan—but he wasn’t stupid, and he was the last person I wanted knowing I’d been stood up.

You’ve got to be kidding me. Never ask the universe questions you don’t want answered because it turns out the day could, in fact, get a lot fucking worse.

They occasionally said something to each other but spent most of the time watching Ava and Bridget with infatuated expressions. Well, as infatuated as someone as cold as Alex and as gruff as Rhys could look anyway.

The list of things I’d rather do besides go on a weekend trip with my ex-best friend and the redheaded menace included, but was not limited to, feeding my hand through a woodchipper, eating a pound of raw maggots, and watching Glitter on repeat with my eyes taped open.

There was a difference between not looking a gift horse in the mouth and questioning something that was completely insane.

Half an hour later, after Stella and I painstakingly reviewed every line of the lease, searching for red flag phrases like tenants must provide sexual services to the building’s owner every month to make up for their ridiculously cheap rent and finding none, we signed on the dotted line.

Because sitting in the middle of the room, drinking coffee out of my favorite mug and examining a stack of papers, was none other than Jules Ambrose.

I swear, you’re late to one party and suddenly everyone thinks you make a habit out of it.

“You done having sex in the lobby?” Jules was still silently flirting with Ski Bro, but she tore her eyes away from him at my comment. “If you think I’m having sex right now, it’s no wonder women leave your room unsatisfied.” Touché. A small smile played on my lips. If adventure sports were my physical release, sparring with Jules was my mental one. Nothing else gave me quite the same rush.

There were only two other options. I could room with Ava or Jules. If I roomed with Ava, Alex and Jules would have to be roommates, and that was fucking weird.

“You need someone to bend you over and fuck that attitude right out of you.”

Oxygen. I needed oxygen.

I rolled my glass between my fingers, disturbed by my violent, unwanted thoughts. Where the hell had they come from? Since when did I care whether other men looked at Jules? I don’t. Todd has a punchable face. That’s all.

She was savage. I fucking loved it.

Then again, men possessed nothing if not audacity.

God, if Max was the last person I thought of before I died, I would be pissed.

I would not think about him tonight, not around Ava. That was just wrong.

She was a mess—hair tousled, lips swollen, skin slicked with sweat and marked from my teeth. It was the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen.

Oh no. Oh no, no, no. I could not be jealous over Josh. Scratch that. I wasn’t jealous over Josh. I probably ate expired yogurt for breakfast or something. That was the problem with lemon-flavored foods—they tasted tart whether they were supposed to or not.

What was happening to me? Maybe someone spiked the food with aphrodisiacs because I shouldn’t be this flustered over Josh.

Alex will be staying behind too. Jules’s words echoed in my head. What was he doing? Eating babies and ruining lives, probably.

A muscle ticked in my jaw. The bastard never made things easy.

“I’m also not discussing taste with someone who once dressed as a rat for Halloween.” He paused before adding, “A rat who wore a red bandanna.” “Oh, for fuck’s sake, that was one time.”

Well, l sent him memes and he replied with frowning or eye roll emojis, but Alex had a shit sense of humor, so I didn’t expect him to appreciate my excellent meme selection.

“Because if you hurt her again, I’ll take that stick out of your ass and stab you with it.” “If I hurt her again, I’ll let you.”

“Whoever you are, you should write for the murderous edition of Hallmark.” Alex glared at me. “Tell anyone I said that, and I will skin you alive with a rusted knife to prolong the pain.” “Exactly. Just like that. So murderously romantic.”

I blinked away the tears gathering in my eyes. I wasn’t crying. I was expelling excess moisture. That was all.

The novelty of being surrounded by the world’s richest and most famous faded fast the longer I sat on that ass-numbing wooden pew.

The past two months raced through my head at warp speed. Everything from Vermont to the other night blurred together into one jumbled stream until cold realization rattled my lungs. Motherfucker.

World leaders: they were just like us.

“Jules.” My hand paused on her back for a second. ”Shut up and let me hold you.”

Honestly, her mother sounded like a piece of fucking work, but I kept that to myself. Don’t speak ill of the dead and all that.

I’d been so excited for New Zealand, but my enthusiasm had waned, for some reason.

"some reason" lolol

but she fell asleep insulting me.

I didn’t know how I ever thought Jules was insufferable, because as it turned out, she was pretty damn extraordinary.

“We have two options.” Josh’s voice was so low it was almost inaudible. “One, we stay and face the music with courage. Two, we sneak out through the back before they see us like cowards.” We stared at each other. “Option two,” we mouthed in unison.

Well, I hashed shit out while Alex sighed and reminded me how stupid other people were. It was like therapy, except with sports, beer, and a grumpy best friend.

Man, fuck having a best friend. They were overrated know-it-alls.

Trying to outargue Alex was like trying to nail jelly to a wall—futile and a waste of time.

If I told him, he would tell Ava, and I would rather guzzle a gallon of filthy Potomac River water than have that conversation with my sister.

Except for a few rare gems, Alex’s advice swung from wildly disturbing—like the time he suggested I blackmail a professor who had it out for me because I’d corrected him in class—to irritatingly vague.

“You’re one of the few people I trust.”

JUST TELL HIM JULES BE HONEST WITH HIM

I had a much bigger problem to deal with. This is a strictly physical arrangement. No falling in love. Red, you’ll fall in love with me before I ever fall in love with you. The banging in my chest intensified. “Oh, fuck.”

That was just wrong. What kind of monster didn’t eat dessert?

I was still shirtless from the shower, and I didn’t want to brag or anything, but my abs were a fucking work of art.

The great thing about having a morally questionable best friend was that they didn’t question you when you did morally questionable things.

The urge to vomit returned. “He needs medical attention.” Alex’s sigh contained multitudes of exasperation. “You and Ava. So driven by your consciences. No wonder you’re siblings,” he muttered. “Fine. I’ll send someone to take care of him.” “Take care of him as in…” Another, deeper sigh. “As in medical attention, Josh. I’m not going to kill him. I barely know him.” “Right.” With Alex, it was always best to double check.

“Besides, you were in the shower for an hour. A geriatric grandmother could’ve taken care of Max in that time.” “Bullshit. I was in there ten minutes, tops.”

“You promise not to tell Ava?” I wasn’t ready for that conversation yet. “I promise not to bring it up, but if she asks me about it directly, I’ll tell her the truth.” Alex lifted his shoulder in a shrug. “Sorry.” I’ve never heard anyone sound less sorry in my life.

“Ninety-nine percent of people in this world are idiots,” he said. “I regret to inform you that you’re one of them.” My brows snapped together. “I’m convinced you don’t actually want to be my friend again.” Where was the ass kissing? The flattery? He gave up his company and flew to fucking London for Ava, but I couldn’t get so much as a sympathetic that sucks, man? Talk about getting the short end of the grovel stick.