Page 75 of Slow Burn

“Please.” Georgia unbuckled her seat belt. “Don’t walk me up. If you can’t manage to explain why my list is important to you, then you’re not in the right headspace to be my friend.”

He slipped his hand over hers. “I don’t want you to go.”

“It looks like you don’t have a choice.”

Elijah watched her walk away from him, and he hated every second.

Would he get another chance to be with her?

CHAPTER

TWENTY-SIX

ROMAN SAT NEXT to Georgia on the couch. They were hanging at Anna’s house, but it was just the two of them in the living room while Anna and Sophie got snacks together in the kitchen.

“Any reason you’ve been quiet?” Roman asked.

Where did she even start?

Under no circumstances was she sharing with Roman how his lieutenant had broken her heart.

“Chips and salsa,” Sophie shouted as she entered the room, plopping the food on the coffee table before hopping into the recliner.

Anna came in holding a cheeseboard. “And who doesn’t love to pair chips with meats and cheese?” She placed the tray down and sat on the other side of Georgia.

“What were you guys talking about?” Sophie got comfortable in the chair.

Roman leaned back into the couch. “Nothing. Which is unlike Georgia, so I was badgering her about what’s going on.”

Georgia grabbed a piece of provolone from the plate on the table. “Should I tell him?” she asked before stuffing the cheese in her mouth.

Sophie raised her hand. “I can do the CliffsNotes version, and then you can fill in the gaps.”

“Should we leave out names?” Georgia was stressing over Roman learning who snagged her v-card.

Anna waved away the concern. “Roman is like a vault. He won’t say anything. You can trust him.”

“This is getting good.” Roman chuckled, taking a gulp of his drink.

Sophie had a wicked smile. “Our little George came back to Landmere not only a doctor, but a virgin.”

He spit his beer out. “Are you serious?”

“As serious as a type three fire alarm,” Anna confirmed while Georgia groaned at the circus her life was becoming. She handed Roman a napkin to clean up.

“Anyway.” Sophie brought the attention back to her. “George met Elijah, and she was a smitten kitten.”

“Elijah?” Roman questioned as if there was another Elijah they were discussing.

“Elijah Barnett,” Anna said, as he mumbled, “Oh shit.”

Sophie nodded. “Exactly. After much back and forth, they finally had sex.”

“On more than one occasion!” Anna clapped with this extra detail.

“But Elijah is a commitment-phobe and only wants to be friends with George, which is obviously unacceptable.” Sophie summed up Georgia’s love life rather quickly.

“Holy fuck,” was the only response from Roman.