AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Right. You’re totally right. So right, you don’t even have a left.” I’m already shifting around so my head and pillow are on the same level as his. “This is no big deal.”
“None.” He lies back down. “First one to fall asleep wins.”
I appreciate his attempt at levity. But when I feel his body heat creeping through the covers. When I shift my legs and my knee brushes his thigh. When I blink my eyes open and find him watching me, just an arm’s length away, it all feels like a very big deal.
And when I wake up at two in the morning and realize I’m completely tangled up with him—leg draped over his, stomach against his side and face pressed into the crook of his shoulder with his hand spread over my hip, it feels like an alarmingly big deal.
More alarming is I can’t bring myself to move away.
“Let’s make this quick, Nora’s in the shower but she might not be for long,” I say to the laptop screen I’m hunched over at the coffee table. Each of the guys’ faces is represented in his own videoconference square. I texted them a few minutes ago and called an emergency meeting.
“All right, then, let’s get to it,” says Jamal, sitting forward eagerly. “Your hair is too long. Your nose is a little crooked and honestly some plastic surgery would go a long way. And when you walk—”
I mute him and then smile at the screen. “Perks of being the host of the meeting. I get to silence you whenever I want. You’re officially in a talking time-out, jackass.”
Jamal makes an inappropriate gesture at the screen.
Nathan sets aside the protein smoothie he was finishing up. “Not to be that guy, but Bree and I are about to go on a run. So let’s get on with it.”
Lawrence and Price both confirm they’re ready. Jamal pouts with his arms folded.
“All right. Here it is. You all know I accidentally married my agentwho is also my ex-girlfriend who I am still frustratingly in love with.”
“And posted your tongue down her throat on social media and nearly got her fired. Let’s not forget that part,” Price says with a smirk.
“Careful, I’ll mute you too.”
He raises his hand. “Just laying out all the facts for the people.”
Nora starts humming loudly in the shower and it reminds me to hurry this shit up. “Here’s the problem. I think…no, I know that I want to get back together with her. Not only is she hilarious and smart and gorgeous and so good at organizing, but she’s good for me. She’s not afraid to call me on my bullshit and I feel lighter when I’m with her. I…I can’t let her go again.”
I wait for the surprised gasps but they never happen.
Lawrence laughs. “Yeah, man. We know. We’ve known since we met Nora at your place that you’d want her back.”
Nathan smiles. “We’ve been waiting for you to realize it too.”
Jamal is gesturing wildly to the screen, begging me to unmute him so he can gloat.Not a chance.
“The hell? You guys knew this would happen even after I told you I wanted to move on the other night?”
Price laughs and it’s definitely at my expense. “Hard to miss it when your face looks even more annoyingly moony-eyed while talking about Nora than Nathan does talking about Bree.”
“Hey,” me and Nathan say at the same time.
But Nathan is offended for a different reason. “No one loves their woman more than I love Bree.”
We all give Nathan a look and I crash my finger down on that mute button. “That just earned you a minute of talking time-out too. Jamal, you’re on probation.” I unmute him.
Jamal gasps for air like he’s been choking for twenty years. “Derek, I hate you so much it somehow dips all the way into love, and that’s why I’m going to skip the I-freaking-told-you-so speech and jump right to telling you that Nora seems worlds out of your league and you should absolutely use this time you have with her to win her back. Fight for her. Who agrees with me?”
Lawrence raises his hand. “I agree…but with a caveat. I don’t believe in chasing a woman who doesn’t want to be chased. Has she put out any vibes that she’s into you again? Or does she seem closed off and reluctant?”
“Of course she’s reluctant,” says Jamal, while gesturing most likely toward my picture on the screen. “Look at his face. Would you want to look at that every day of your—”
I mute him again and unmute Nathan. “We spent a long time just talking last night. And then we shared a bed, and when I woke up this morning, she was sleeping pretty much on top of me.” Everyone makes a similar eyebrows-raised hopeful face. “But that could be because I’m twice her size and the mattress just dipped so much that she rolled onto me.”
Their brows lower back to puzzled.
