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“Yes,” he answered shamelessly and began a slow walk in my direction with his phone held in front of him, pointed straight at me.
“Are you fucking recording me right now?”
He grinned. “I promised Benny I wouldn’t let her miss anything.”
“Where is Georgia girl?” I asked when she didn’t jump out of the shadows behind him and tackle me to the ground. “And seriously, stop fucking recording me.”
“Bathroom break,” he replied, completely unfazed by my irritation. Slow as molasses, he continued recording for what felt like an eternity until he finally flipped his camera off and slid his phone back into his pocket.
“Did you get enough evidence to seal my imprisonment should Cassie decide to press charges?”
He chuckled. “At least five minutes’ worth of footage that should be permissible in court.”
In Georgia’s absence, and without the Kleorgie version of paparazzi in my face, I took the opportunity to talk to him one-on-one.
“I’m surprised at you.”
“Why?” he asked calmly, his friendly face shining perfectly in the light. He was always so fucking calm. The only time I’d ever seen him truly lose his cool was when everything wasn’t perfect in Kleorgie land.
“It’s so far out of your normal,” I explained, “you know, mature, adult decisions.”
“This is adult,” he insisted, and I knew immediately—he wasn’t talking about himself. I thought about redirecting him, but in the end, it seemed pointless. This conversation was going to end up being about me one way or another, so I might as well get it over with.
“How the fuck do you figure that?”
“Because you’re thinking about someone other than yourself. Someone whom you happen to love and care about, but also respect enough not to belittle her independence.”
“Dude. I’m stalking her.”
He laughed, the lines at the corners of his eyes crinkling. “Yeah, but not really.” I scoffed. “Sure, she doesn’t know you’re following her, but guaranteed, if it wasn’t an invasion of her independence or about keeping her quote-unquote ‘safe,’ she’d invite you along with her. You’re not stalking some random woman here. She wants your company.”
“Right. And that makes it healthy.”
“No,” he agreed with another laugh. His hands dove into the pockets of his jeans, and his head bent forward before his eyes raised back to mine. “It’s definitely not healthy. But the sentiment behind it is. You’re fucking outrageous, we both agree on that, but it’s also seriously sweet.”
“What? Does Georgia’s pussy have some sort of crazy Kool-Aid? You may need to take it easy on the eating her out if this is the result.”
He shook his head. “I know what you’re doing, trying to distract me by mentioning Georgia’s pussy so I’ll get riled up and forget all about talking about you, but it’s not going to happen.”
“Fuck.” Goddamn him for knowing me so well.
“You’re simultaneously putting her before yourself and doing what you have to do to find some level of comfort. It takes a lot of self-control not to put your issues on someone else, especially when it’s about something as important as the safety of your unborn child.”
“Yeah, that’s what I hear all the time. Stalking someone and self-control in the same breath,” I muttered, but he kept talking and did it with a smile.
“Sometimes, things appear one way from the outside looking in—and completely different from the inside out. In this case, it may seem like the most childish behavior you’ve ever displayed, but to me, someone who really knows you, it looks like you’re really and truly growing up.”
Fuck, this bastard could give one hell of a speech when he wanted to. It was all I could do to stop the tears from flooding my eyes.
“She’s lucky to have you. Psychotic behavior and all.”
“Kline?” Georgia questioned as she stepped out at the other end of the hall.
“Down here, baby,” he answered her immediately, holding out an arm to claim her before she even got within thirty feet of him.
My friend was the happiest he’d ever been in his whole goddamn life. So much so, he was getting his jollies from following me as I stalked Cassie.
Georgia got to us and peeked around the corner.
“Good God,” she breathed. “She’s lying right under one of the guys in a push-up position.”
I smirked, but I didn’t take the bait. I didn’t need to look anymore.
“I think I might want to make a career change,” she teased.
