I Hate the Way...

Part 13: "You're Such a Pervert."

The group heads back up to the beach house soon after Josie and Hope return from the dock, knowing it's getting late and they should be calling it a night soon.

Not even thinking about Josie's lack of familiarity with Hope's house, Raf asks her to take their beach towels to the laundry room.

When she hesitates, not exactly knowing the layout of the rooms, Jed furrows his eyebrows, "You know where it is, right?"

Josie is quick to make up a reasonable excuse for not knowing where the room is, "Hope and I usually spend our time upstairs in the loft." And to be sure he doesn't question any further, she throws in a suggestive comment to avert their attention, "Downstairs, we haven't exactly made it past the couch."

Hope freezes at the comment, shocked that Josie would suggest anything sexual in nature.

But Kaleb, Jed, Cleo, and even Raf and MG crack up at the comment, a huge relief to Josie as she hands Hope a few of the towels and they head toward the back of the house.

When they're in the laundry room, Hope and Josie set down the towels, and Josie is about to retreat back to the living room when Hope stops her, "Wait, hold on."

"What? What's wrong?" Josie is genuinely concerned as Hope stands in the doorway.

Hope smirks, "What happened on the couch?"

"Oh, shut up," Josie bumps into Hope on the way out the door.

Hope chuckles softly, following behind the brunette, "It was a good lie. You come up with that on the spot?"

"You're such a pervert."

Hope throws her hands up in defense, "You said it, not me."

———

The following day is move in day for Josie and Lizzie.

Since she is on leave before her deployment, Hope didn't have to work, so she was available to help.

Hope does most of the heavy lifting for them, much to Josie's surprise.

What didn't surprise Josie at all was the amount of times Hope would get under her skin, being overly friendly with her sister, making subtle inappropriate remarks to Josie every now and then, being an ass.

Just Hope being Hope, really.

She doesn't have to do much to get on Josie's nerves.

Josie thinks being annoying must come easy to the Tribrid.

Josie's just thankful that they'll only have to share the space in the house with Hope for a few more days, since Hope is getting deployed the day after they are set to get married.

And even still, Hope will primarily stay in the loft anyway, so they shouldn't run into each other all that much.

She's grateful to Hope for offering to accommodate her and Lizzie, but the auburn haired girl doesn't make it easy to coexist in the same space, that's for sure.

Hope, on the other hand, has made a pretty good habit of simply ignoring the condescending comments of the brunette.

The subtle remarks degrading Hope's affiliation with the Marines.

Undermining her intelligence and ability.

Shaming her use of supernatural abilities, instead of suppressing them as she does.

Her indirect digs at Hope's heritage, which Hope doesn't even have the memory to combat.

Perhaps that's what hurts her the most.