It actually wasn’t. And I’m simply pointing out how embarrassing it is for Kristen to have to listen to you shouting ridiculous accusations without any legitimate basis.

After the game, I asked Kris and she agreed with me that her opponent hadn’t been playing fair. Vlad was unnecessarily being an ass.

That wasn’t the first time he had acted like a smart-ass either. He always provoked me like that. He started with something condescending that triggered my anger and then would somehow manage to make me look like a brat for arguing without knowing when to stop.

I hated him so much.

Holding my stance, I looked up. Way up to his thin lips, straight nose, and green eyes that reminded me so much of damp moss after the autumn rain. Had he always been this handsome? He was better looking than I’d remembered. It irked me to realize that I didn’t find his face repulsive.

“Just my luck,” Vlad said flatly.

What. A. Jerk.

“Can you please be less of an asshole and get Kris for me?” I said.

“There’s a gadget called a phone, you know. We’re not living in the Golden Age, Avy. We’ve evolved, technology has evolved. You don’t have four legs and four arms anymore either.”

It seemed that since we had last seen each other he had perfected his irritating tone and saved it just for me. And to make it worse, he had used the nickname that I severely hated. It sounded so much like gravy—which was perhaps where he had derived it from. What was so difficult about saying Avery or Ave?

“I’ve called her a hundred times, but she isn’t picking up. Is she home?”

“Have you ever considered that maybe there is a reason why she didn’t answer any of your bajillion phone calls?” he said. “Maybe she needs some time away from you.”

Completely fed up, I pushed past him to go see for myself whether Kris was home or not. Stomping through the door, I not-so-accidentally tromped on his left foot as I made my way into the warmth of the house. He groaned, but I couldn’t have cared less.

A sparkling chandelier hung in the grandiose hallway and I could see the spacious living room where social gatherings were usually held. Kris’s mom had an eye for interior design, and everything in their home was meticulously placed. I headed up the spiral staircase on my left, making my way to Kris’s bedroom on the second floor, where she was stuffing clothes into her suitcase. I immediately crouched down to help.

“Geez, Zeus, how come your charming family has such an asshat of a son? I mean, come on, apart from him, all of you are practically saints!” I didn’t bother lowering my voice. If he heard me, perhaps he would fix his manners.