Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83085 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83085 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 415(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
“Jesus Christ. I’m not screwing Griff. We’re like oil and water when it comes to that. He hates the way I hook up, and I don’t see my lifestyle changing.” And yet since coming home, I’d turned down two guys who were regulars for me. It was actually pissing me off a bit. Fucking Griff was all up in my head.
“Wait. But would you want to? If Griff wasn’t…Griff. Josh, seriously, I—”
When I held up my hand, Kellan stopped talking. “I’m not stupid. I don’t even know how we got on this conversation. I’m not having sex with your brother.” Truth. “I’m not going to have sex with your brother.” Unfortunately, that was true too. “And we all know Griffin well enough to admit he would really hate us sitting around and talking about him this way, so can we stop? I don’t even know what makes you think Griff would want to sleep with me.” Which was also kind of true. Well, the first part of my reply was all the way true, and the second part was half true. I was still shocked that Griff was likely demi and seemed to want me.
“I’m not trying to be a dick. You know I love you, but he’s my brother.”
“The same way you’re his brother but hooked up with Chase?” I couldn’t stop myself from saying.
“That’s different. I was in love with Chase. You’re one of the most important people in my life, but Griff is… I’m protective of him. I couldn’t handle it if you somehow hurt him, even though I know you would never do it on purpose. I mean, God, I’m supportive if you were serious—dude, that would be awesome if you were serious—but other than that, no. I can’t handle the thought. You and Griff would—”
“Can we stop pretending there’s a me and Griff? How in the hell did this conversation even happen?” Guilt was rattling around inside me, growing with each second.
“I had sex with Miguel!” Natalie blurted.
“What? Girl, he’s hot,” Callum replied.
“I know, right? It just sort of happened. I was at the bar while Griff and Josh were gone, and I stayed late, and…I mean, it’s been a while. Everyone here keeps getting with other men. It’s a little unfair to me,” she teased. “But then he invited me over and…you guys don’t even know. I’m still feeling it.”
Callum and Kellan started rambling on about Miguel and Natalie after that. I looked at her over Kellan’s head, and she gave me a supportive smile. Yeah, Nat would definitely be hitting me up for info later, and I sure as shit didn’t know what I would say to her. In some ways, I wanted to talk to her, to someone. It sure couldn’t be Kellan, but I didn’t want to betray Griffin’s trust or make this situation any weirder than it already was.
We finished our cardio, then did weight training. Afterward we said a sweaty goodbye before heading our separate ways. We’d be meeting up at Griff’s that night. It was the first time in a while that all of us would be there. Just thinking that was another reminder of how everything around us was changing. Our get-togethers used to be multiple times a week. Now Knox and Callum had Logan, and they were busy being dads. Eventually that would be Kellan and Chase too. Remy and Law stayed in more because that was just who they were. I was positive those two would be okay in a world where only the two of them existed. Not that they didn’t love the rest of us, they just loved each other that much.
But not Griff and me. In this, it was the two of us on the outside, looking in at the most important people in our lives.
The cold hand of melancholy wrapped around me. Maybe that was it. Maybe that was why Griff was suddenly interested in me. Maybe it was less me and more out of loneliness. The thought was uncomfortable. It made me bristle, an annoying twitch pulsing at the back of my neck.
Goddamn it. I wanted Griff to want me.
“Get your shit together, Westbrook,” I told myself. Anytime a person started speaking to themselves out loud, there was a problem.
I got home, showered, dressed, and ate. I worked on my newest model car, which, motherfucker—the black Dodge looked suspiciously like Griff’s baby.
I lingered at the house longer than I needed to, making sure to get to the bar a little later than everyone else. I didn’t know why. It was a dumb thing to do, but hey, I figured it was excusable in this situation.
As I knew they would be, the whole crew was sitting at the bar, in the back corner. Knox, then Callum, Remy, Law, Chase, Kellan, and Natalie. Griffin and Miguel were behind the bar. I was proud as hell of Griff for hiring someone and taking a little more time to himself than he used to.