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 spent a lot of time on that,” I mocked him playfully.
“The two of you are like a couple of kids together.” Griffin set my beer in front of me.
“This is news to you?” Just like that, everything was normal again between all of us. I’d been nervous, I realized—it was why I’d come late—but I didn’t need to be. They were my family in ways my real one wasn’t.
We all laughed and chatted for a while after that. Callum talked about studying with Logan for the math-a-thon Logan had signed up for, and Knox added, “It’s great. It’s not something he would have had the courage to do before, even if he’d wanted to. Cal is a whiz with that shit. It really built up Logan’s confidence.”
Callum rolled his eyes, but I could see he was really preening under the praise. “I didn’t do anything other than help him learn some equations. He’s growing and gaining more confidence because he knows he has love and support from his father.” Knox leaned over and rubbed his cheek against Callum’s, and I swear to Christ, Cal trembled. A foreign ache landed in my chest, spread out, took hold of me.
Fuck…I wanted that. What all of them had. I wanted it, didn’t I?
To distract myself, I said, “Nat, Kell, Callum, get your asses to the pool table with me.” The four of us played teams a lot—Kell and me against Natalie and Callum.
“Yes, sir!” Kellan mock-saluted me, but still, the three of them got up and followed me over. Luckily, there was an open table, which we grabbed.
Kellan and Natalie’s gazes kept darting back and forth to each other, and I could tell they both wanted to talk to me about Griffin but weren’t sure if they should in front of Callum.
“Just do it before you drive me crazy.” I knew if I didn’t let them go for it, the two of them wouldn’t give me a moment of peace, even if it was just them eyeballing me to death. At least this way we could get it over with.
“I can’t believe you’re having sex with my brother,” Kellan spoke first, but softly enough not to alert the whole bar.
Natalie added, “Isn’t it crazy that there was a time when Griff was saying that same thing to Chase? And now Kellan is saying it to Josh?”
“That was different,” Kellan countered, but without heat. He wasn’t really angry, just working through it the way Griff had done.
“Wait. Are you really surprised, though?” Callum asked. “I knew that shit would happen by my second trip to the bar.”
“Really?” Kellan asked.
“I started to wonder, but it was more recently,” Natalie said.
“Do you guys need me for this conversation at all, or are you good?” I finished racking the balls.
“I think we’re good,” Kell replied, and I gave him the bird. “I hope they fall in love.”
The back of my neck began to tingle. “Babe…we’re not serious. We talked about this. We’re just friends with benefits.” The words tasted wrong, felt like I had to shove them out of my mouth.
“Oh yeah? Like the way Chase and I were?”
“Kell…”
“Don’t kill my imagination, Josh. It’s how I’m making it through this—ew, not that I’m imagining you being friends with benefits with my brother, because gross. But I’m imagining the two of you living happily ever after. Also, I still can’t believe I’m in a place where I say those words—you having sex with my brother. We used to talk about sex and now…yeah, never again.”
“Are we going to play billiards or talk about sex because, you guys, my lumberjack does this thing where—”
“Can you guys stop gossiping so I can concentrate enough to break?” Nat asked, and I silently thanked her. Then she added, “Also, isn’t that stuffed animal on the shelf the one that was in your living room?” Now I wanted to kill her.
“Aww,” Callum and Kellan said in unison.
“Friends with benefits,” I insisted.
Nat hit in a stripe, so Kellan and I were solids. She missed her second shot, and Kellan went, followed by Callum.
Just as I bent over the table to shoot, I felt someone lean over my back. “Hey, gorgeous.” Breath whispered across my ear, and I stiffened, not the erection-and-I-want-to-fuck kind of stiffen, but my whole body going rigid.
“I, um…hey…” I stood and moved away from Kade. He was a guy who lived in Charlottesville but had family in Havenwood, so he was in town every once in a while. We’d hooked up more than once.
“How you doing? It’s been a while.”
“Good.” I took another step away. “You?”
My gaze immediately dashed in Griffin’s direction. He was standing by the bar, Grumpy G wrinkles on his forehead, wearing a frown as he stared our way. Call me crazy, but it felt like Grumpy Bear was giving me the evil eye too. As soon as Griff noticed me looking at him, he turned and started to make a drink.