Rose sat in a chair at the kitchen table and rolled Tyler’s phone in her hands, tempted to snoop. She didn’t know why, but it seemed important she found out why Tyler and Georgiana had argued. But if Tyler discovered her at it, he’d flay her. He’d always been protective of his things, especially his phone, at least with his girls, and usually with a good reason. Although lately, he’d been growing increasingly private with her, too. Rose felt left out, and she couldn’t help but blame Georgiana.

Georgiana, who was sorry for something she’d done. What was it? She contemplated the black screen, trying to make up her mind. To spy or not to spy?

“What are you doing?”

Tyler’s voice put a sharp end to her dilemma. He was standing at the foot of the stairs, wearing only a pair of gray sweatpants.

“Oh, you’re awake, good!” Rose said, faking anger to cover her embarrassment at nearly being caught in the act. “Next time if you leave your phone lying around, do me a favor and put it on silent so it doesn’t wake me up.”

“Rose.” There was an edge to his voice. “Why were you looking into my phone?”

“I wasn’t looking into your phone.” She dropped the phone on the table. “This thing has been ringing nonstop for almost an hour. I couldn’t sleep, and it didn’t seem like you were getting up anytime soon, so I came downstairs to silence it.”

“If you were just putting the phone on silent, why were you sitting on a chair with it in your hands?”

Always the lawyer.

“I was trying to decide if your cuckoo girlfriend had ruined my sleep-in,” Rose said, getting up. Her chair scraped loudly on the kitchen floor. “Or if I could go back to bed.”

Rose stared him down; attack was the best defense. But would he believe her?

Two

Tyler

Rose’s aggressive tone was familiar. It was the one she used when she got caught doing something she shouldn’t and wanted to steer the attention away from herself. She was so busted. Tyler didn’t really care if she’d tried to hack his phone. Try as she might, his password was an alphanumeric nightmare, and he was sure not even the CIA would be able to crack it. One bad experience with an above-average tech-savvy girlfriend had been enough to force Tyler to up his security.

Still, what business did Rose have nosing around his things? Usually, it was hysterical girlfriends who tried to hack him, not his best friend. He kept no secrets with Rose. Well, except maybe his constant arguments about her with Georgiana. Rose had never been BFF with any of his previous girlfriends, but with Georgiana, it had been hate at first sight. On both sides. Had Rose sensed she’d been the reason for their argument? But if she wanted to know, all she had to do was ask.

Tyler was planning a way to make her confess when she stood up, and he saw what she was wearing—or rather how much she wasn’t. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. He was used to seeing his best friend in faded loose T-shirts three or four sizes too big for her. Not in mini shorts. Definitely not in mini shorts.