Read Online Damaged and the Knight by Bijou Hunter - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Bijou Hunter
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think you might be a fun friend, if you could stop screaming in my face.”
Bailey smiled brightly. “You thought I would hit you.” When I nodded, her smile grew. “I was going to hit you too, but you looked pretty badass standing up to me and I didn’t want to ruin that moment for you.”
“See? You’re nice, but you hide it.”
“Nice means weak.”
“Maybe with guys, but we’re not guys. Pretending we are doesn’t work. We should be our best. I want to improve myself too. Get stronger and accomplish stuff, so I’m not just mooching off Farah and Cooper.”
“So you want to be my friend then?”
“Only if you promise to stop threatening me over mushrooms.”
“You started that.” Squinted at her, I frowned and Bailey laughed. “You look funny when you give me your pissed face. You should work on that.”
“I will, if you work on your big mouth.”
“Okay, but Maddy gets too much attention with her stupid baby bump.”
“Maybe Maddy’s not used to getting attention though? Besides, she’s cooking up your niece. Aren’t you excited about the chance to be the cool aunt?”
Bailey grinned again. “Yeah, but won’t Farah be the cool aunt?”
“She’ll be the nice aunt who kisses their ouchies and plays games with them. You’ll be the aunt that feeds them candy and lets them stay up late.”
“Cool is better than nice.”
“They’re both nice qualities.”
Bailey sighed. “Yes, I can see that. Or at least, I can lie and pretend I agree.”
“Sometimes, lying is the only nice way to handle a situation.”
“I have no problem lying. So less big mouth and more lying. Sounds like a plan.”
“Do you want to come back inside? Farah ordered your meat pizza.”
Bailey stood up and stretched. “I have shitty friends. They always run away or just laugh like everything I say is great. I want someone who can be honest, but likes me. Can you be like that?”
“I can try.”
Bailey took my hand. “I can be a good friend. I’m loyal and will hold your hair when you puke.”
“I don’t plan to puke much, but that’s good to know. I’ll hold your hair too.”
When Bailey smiled, she seemed younger than earlier. Her angry bitch wall was down and I just saw the insecure girl underneath. We returned to the kitchen where she fake apologized to Maddy. Jodi laughed through the whole thing while Sawyer threw chips at her older sister. Yet, Bailey fake laughed like she wasn’t irritated by her family.
Farah caught my gaze and I saw pride in her eyes. I wasn’t sure why she was proud of me, but I’d take the compliment. Farah’s love was the only thing I really had to hold onto anymore. Well, now I had Bailey’s friendship.
Chapter Eight
On a Tuesday while I napped through Charmed , Cooper returned home without Farah. I tried to ignore him while I dozed, but he hovered over me and kept talking really loudly to the dogs that were also ignoring him while napping. Finally, Cooper knelt in front of me and sighed loud enough in my face to blow my hair around.
“I’m proposing to Farah this Friday.”
My eyes popped open. “Hot shit.”
“I’ve got the ring,” he said, opening a little box and showing off the big shiny rock my sister would likely piss herself over. “I’m taking her out to dinner and popping the question. She’ll say yes, of course, but I want her to come home and squeal with you.”
Sitting up, I looked at the ring and shivered. “She’s going to lose her mind.”
“Yeah,” Cooper said, grinning. “I need you to keep my secret and deck the place out with rose petals. Oh, and light candles. You know, really romance the place up while we’re gone. Can you do that?”
“Hell yeah.”
“Hell yeah indeed.”
Imagining Farah’s reaction, we shared a conspiratorial smile. Three days later, everything was in place for her surprise. It had taken all of my self-control not to say anything. I did tell the dogs at one point, just so I could tell someone.
Bailey smiled brightly. “You thought I would hit you.” When I nodded, her smile grew. “I was going to hit you too, but you looked pretty badass standing up to me and I didn’t want to ruin that moment for you.”
“See? You’re nice, but you hide it.”
“Nice means weak.”
“Maybe with guys, but we’re not guys. Pretending we are doesn’t work. We should be our best. I want to improve myself too. Get stronger and accomplish stuff, so I’m not just mooching off Farah and Cooper.”
“So you want to be my friend then?”
“Only if you promise to stop threatening me over mushrooms.”
“You started that.” Squinted at her, I frowned and Bailey laughed. “You look funny when you give me your pissed face. You should work on that.”
“I will, if you work on your big mouth.”
“Okay, but Maddy gets too much attention with her stupid baby bump.”
“Maybe Maddy’s not used to getting attention though? Besides, she’s cooking up your niece. Aren’t you excited about the chance to be the cool aunt?”
Bailey grinned again. “Yeah, but won’t Farah be the cool aunt?”
“She’ll be the nice aunt who kisses their ouchies and plays games with them. You’ll be the aunt that feeds them candy and lets them stay up late.”
“Cool is better than nice.”
“They’re both nice qualities.”
Bailey sighed. “Yes, I can see that. Or at least, I can lie and pretend I agree.”
“Sometimes, lying is the only nice way to handle a situation.”
“I have no problem lying. So less big mouth and more lying. Sounds like a plan.”
“Do you want to come back inside? Farah ordered your meat pizza.”
Bailey stood up and stretched. “I have shitty friends. They always run away or just laugh like everything I say is great. I want someone who can be honest, but likes me. Can you be like that?”
“I can try.”
Bailey took my hand. “I can be a good friend. I’m loyal and will hold your hair when you puke.”
“I don’t plan to puke much, but that’s good to know. I’ll hold your hair too.”
When Bailey smiled, she seemed younger than earlier. Her angry bitch wall was down and I just saw the insecure girl underneath. We returned to the kitchen where she fake apologized to Maddy. Jodi laughed through the whole thing while Sawyer threw chips at her older sister. Yet, Bailey fake laughed like she wasn’t irritated by her family.
Farah caught my gaze and I saw pride in her eyes. I wasn’t sure why she was proud of me, but I’d take the compliment. Farah’s love was the only thing I really had to hold onto anymore. Well, now I had Bailey’s friendship.
Chapter Eight
On a Tuesday while I napped through Charmed , Cooper returned home without Farah. I tried to ignore him while I dozed, but he hovered over me and kept talking really loudly to the dogs that were also ignoring him while napping. Finally, Cooper knelt in front of me and sighed loud enough in my face to blow my hair around.
“I’m proposing to Farah this Friday.”
My eyes popped open. “Hot shit.”
“I’ve got the ring,” he said, opening a little box and showing off the big shiny rock my sister would likely piss herself over. “I’m taking her out to dinner and popping the question. She’ll say yes, of course, but I want her to come home and squeal with you.”
Sitting up, I looked at the ring and shivered. “She’s going to lose her mind.”
“Yeah,” Cooper said, grinning. “I need you to keep my secret and deck the place out with rose petals. Oh, and light candles. You know, really romance the place up while we’re gone. Can you do that?”
“Hell yeah.”
“Hell yeah indeed.”
Imagining Farah’s reaction, we shared a conspiratorial smile. Three days later, everything was in place for her surprise. It had taken all of my self-control not to say anything. I did tell the dogs at one point, just so I could tell someone.
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