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)
I said, “You guys can start having fun now. I’m here.”
“Who are you?” Knox asked.
“Be nice, Knoxy.” I tilted up my chin at him.
“You’re late. Were you with someone?” Kellan asked.
Discomfort pricked at my insides. My eyes darted to Griff briefly. He wasn’t looking at me, just pouring a beer, but I knew he’d heard.
“No. I don’t have sex all the time.”
“Only most of the time?” Law teased. Thank you very much for that, Lawson. In his defense, he had no idea what was going on, but still.
“Here you go.” Griff handed me a glass of beer, our eyes not meeting.
“Thanks, Griffy.” I tried to keep my voice light and as natural as it always was when we spoke. “Remy, did he tell you I did the whole meditating thing with him in the mountains?”
“Really? You should go with us sometime. We hike to this secluded spot. It’s really been helping me work through stuff, and I’ve found I’m a lot more creative afterward too.”
“I love it when he gets like that. He’ll write on any and everything because he can’t shut the words off.” Law looked at Remy, and yep, this was one of those moments where there was no one in the world but the two of them.
This foreign, infectious ache of…holy fuck, jealousy throbbed inside me. No, no, no. What was going on with me? Griff had already gotten me all tangled up in feelings I had no business having.
I cleared my throat and took the seat beside Natalie. Her hand came down on my thigh and squeezed. I found myself placing mine on top of it and holding on in support. “Yeah, maybe I’ll do that sometime,” I told Remy. “How’s Logan?” I asked Knox and Callum. Their eyes lit up like someone shoved the sun up their asses. They were crazy about that kid, which was understandable. He was pretty great.
They chatted about Logan for a while, and then Knox talked more about Carol and Charlie’s plans to move here the next summer. From there, the conversation turned to work and life in general, all of us just shooting the shit and giving each other hell the way we always did.
Miguel came over and talked to us some too. Natalie got all giggly and weird in a way she didn’t usually get with guys she was attracted to, which made me wonder if Miguel was different for her.
“So…what are your intentions with our best friend?” Kellan asked, then eyed me, waiting for me to join in.
“I second that question,” I added.
“Oh my God. You guys are ridiculous.” Natalie rolled her eyes.
“I’m hoping to take her out on a date. Then maybe another one and another one after that,” Miguel replied. Oh, he was good.
“Whew.” Kellan fanned himself. “Is it just me, or was that somehow sexy?”
“Wasn’t just you,” I said playfully, and heard Griff clear his throat. My eyes snagged on him, and the strange urge to apologize hit me, which was all sorts of weird. We weren’t together, and my comment was all in good fun.
“Just remember,” Kellan added, “me and my fiancé-slash-future-baby-daddy love Nat like a sister. And, well, she’s gonna be cooking said baby for us, so you need to treat her right.”
“Ignore him,” Natalie told Miguel.
“Yeah, ignore him,” Chase added. “But also treat Natalie right.”
“I plan to.” Miguel grinned at her. “I didn’t know you had your own group of bodyguards. It’s kind of sexy.”
We all laughed, and I squeezed Natalie’s hand. Yeah, Miguel would be a good fit for her.
My phone dinged with a notification. Damn it. I’d meant to put it on silent. I pulled it out of my pocket to do just that when Chase said, “Tell all your admirers you’re hanging out with us tonight.”
The phone went off again, and Kellan looked over at it. “Yep, Grindr.”
Guilt sludged thick and heavy through my veins. I didn’t have a reason to feel that way, not really. I was a single guy. Griff and I decided not to hook up, but I could sense his stare on me. It was eating through my skin, making me shift and feel exposed in a way I never had before. It felt wrong, just the idea of heading out to meet up with someone, even though it wasn’t something I was considering. I probably should, if only to get things back to the way they were supposed to be, but I didn’t check the messages, instead turning my phone off.
“You heading out?” Griff asked without looking at me.
“Nah, I’m staying.” When I pulled my gaze from him, I noticed Remy, Callum, and Nat looking at me like they knew. Fuck, Remy too?
“Wait. You’re passing up sex for us?” Chase teased, oblivious.
“Yeah, you fuckers better make it worth my while,” I teased back, trying to make everything seem natural, like it was the way it had always been, but it wasn’t. It really fucking wasn’t, and I had no clue what to do about it.