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He grinned. “Orgasms alone have always been great, but orgasms with someone else are fucking awesome.”
I laughed. “I’m gonna head out. I’ll see you at home tonight.”
“I’ll cook dinner.”
“But then it won’t have meat.”
“I can use the tofu…?”
“No. God no. That’s disgusting. I like a lot of what you make, but I’ll never eat tofu again. It nearly killed me.”
Milo rolled his eyes. “And people think I’m dramatic.” He pointed to my feet. “You’re wearing the torture devices again.”
“You are dramatic, and I’m going to the beach.”
“I don’t care. Your poor toes. And those aren’t safe to wear here. Get out!”
I laughed. “I’m going, I’m going.”
I was in my truck heading toward my parents’ house before I realized I was still smiling.
* * *
“What’s new with you?” Kris asked. “You’ve been keeping to yourself a lot lately.” We were sitting in the backyard, which led to Mom and Dad’s private section of the beach. Kris and Meg often ended up at my family get-togethers. Our parents had been close all our lives, which was likely part of how we’d fallen into being best friends. We grew up spending birthdays together and hanging out while our families had. His mom and dad had moved a few years back. They were tired of living on the island and actually headed for the mountains.
“I always kind of keep to myself.” Well, not totally. We got together, went out to a meal or had drinks, but his life was closer to how Orlando lived now—working Monday through Friday, nine to five, and the whole marriage, mortgage, saving-for-retirement thing. I wasn’t there yet. Though I had a feeling Milo already put money back for retirement. It seemed like the kind of thing he would do. He might have his quirks, but he also had his shit together.
“But even more so lately. Meg mentioned you haven’t been by in a while.”
“Yeah, I guess so. I’ve been hanging out with Milo a lot.”
“What’s going on with you two?” I looked over to see Mom talking with Heather and Megan. She reached over and rubbed Heather’s six-month-pregnant belly. Dad and Orlando were by the grill, no doubt talking law and cases and all that shit I had zero interest in but they loved so much. I returned my attention to Kris.
“Nothing, really. We’re just friends—good friends, but that’s it.”
“That was fast. You don’t typically call people good friends that quickly. In fact, until him, I think I was your only good friend.” The two of us laughed. “Do you have much in common? You seem an unlikely pair.”
I shrugged. I wasn’t sure it really mattered what we had in common or how unlikely we were. Sometimes people just fit in your life, and strangely, Milo fit in mine. “I don’t know, Kris. He’s a vegetarian, with an accounting degree, who has no ink and hates it when I wear flip-flops. He makes lists and schedules and puts reminders in his phone. Also, don’t eat all the fruit and not put it on the shopping list, or you’ll have one angry Milo.” I chuckled, having to work to bite back my smile. “But he makes me laugh and makes me look at the world differently. I like spending time with him.” I liked having orgasms with him too, but Kris didn’t need to know that.
In a confusing way I still couldn’t sort through, I felt more comfortable, more like myself sitting around talking with Milo than I did with my own family, and hell, my own brother and my best friend. Relationships were so fucking layered. I loved Kris, and Orlando was the best brother a guy could ask for. We all gave each other shit and had each other’s backs. I knew they would do anything for me and I would for them, but when I was with them, I didn’t feel the… How did I even put it into words? The calmness? Contentment? Happiness? I felt when I was with Milo.
I traced circles on the extra-long picnic table we sat at before looking at Kris when he didn’t respond. “What?” I asked.
“Nothing.”
“Aw, how’s my little bro doing?” Orlando gave me a noogie because apparently we were ten.
I glanced over to see Mom, Dad, Heather, and Meg approaching too. “Why couldn’t I have been an only child?” I asked.
“I’m older, though, so if there was only one, it would be me. I’m the cooler Barlow brother anyway,” Orlando replied.
“I don’t know how I’m going to handle two kids when the baby comes. At least the new one won’t require as much attention as this one.” Heather pointed to Orlando, making everyone laugh.
He wrapped his arms around her. “You love me just the way I am. Don’t pretend you don’t.”
Dad and Mom put plates down on the table. Orlando sat beside me, and Heather next to him. Megan and my parents joined Kris on the other side.
