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Colston stops halfway to the freezer and looks back at me. “Even better.”

“I’m not going to need it.”

He grins at me because he knows I’m full of shit.

“You’re being so helpful,” I drawl.

“I know. It’s because I’m awesome.” He takes out his phone and starts tapping. “I’ll make sure Trace’s in the loop, too, because as second best friend we might need him on standby.”

I roll my eyes, pushing to my feet, but before I can take a step, Goldie catches my hand. “I mean it. I need you to come back. I can’t have a baby daddy in jail. What would my friends think?”

Ellie snorts, and I know Goldie’s going for lighthearted, trying to make a joke, but her fingers tighten around mine, and the fear she’s been fighting since I walked through the door is right under the surface of the smile she’s giving me. This isn’t about whether I’m dumb enough to get arrested, which for the record, I’m not.

She needs to know I’m coming back.

I turn my hand and lace our fingers together. “I’ll always come back to you.”

Her eyes stay on mine for another second before she gives me a small nod.

I bend down and kiss her. She slides her free hand around the back of my neck and keeps me there, and I let her, kissing the everloving fuck out of her.

Grant can wait.

By the time I straighten and adjust myself, Colston’s got his phone put away and he and Ellie are doing their best not to look at us.

Colston looks in our direction through parted fingers. “Thank fuck you’re done. That was hot and I really didn’t want to pop wood.”

I laugh and Ellie throws a pillow at him. He catches it and grins at her before he looks back in my direction. He upnods me. “I’ll be hanging here.”

Goldie frowns. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

“Too late. I already have a whole afternoon planned.” He starts counting on his fingers. “Food, something stupid on TV, and if you get cranky, I’m putting you down for a nap.”

Ellie laughs from the other end of the couch. “I’d love to see you try.”

He points at her. “You can help.”

“Nah.” She settles back against the cushions. “I’m more of an eat popcorn while I watch the shitshow kind of friend.”

Goldie looks between them. “You both suck.”

Colston grins at her. “And yet you still love me. I have the texts to prove it.”

She rolls her eyes. “You really want to bring our texts out into the light of day like this? Because I’ll show Sumner what you said about his⁠—”

He gasps and then glares at her. “You wouldn’t.”

“I hate all three of you,” I mutter.

Goldie laughs, and after the way she looked when I came through the door, I’ll take it.

Colston stretches his long legs out in front of him. “You can hate me all you want. You’re about to drive off in my ride home, so unless somebody wants to spend the rest of the afternoon hauling me back to Tampa, I live here now.”

“God help us,” Ellie says.

“Uber’s a thing,” Goldie adds.

I look at the two of them. Ellie’s settled into the couch like she isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and Colston has already made himself at home.