AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter twenty
Ben
“So you’re actually serious about this girl?” Jamie glances from me to Xavier - a friend of Jamie’s from college - and then Asher, approaching from the bar. The two men who, out of convenience, took the two free slots in my list of top three people to drink with. One of them is getting bumped for Mikaela. When I nod, Jamie actually looks shocked, like me settling down is the same impossible concept it was when we were idiots in college. “Well, it’s settled. We need to meet her then.”
“No.” I hope Jamie can’t hear the hysteria in my laugh. “You’re not meeting her any time soon.” I take a drink. “I like this one. Don’t need any of you scaring her off.”
“So, you’re really not going to tell us anything about her?” Asher places four beer bottles on the table, nudging me with his elbow as he slips back into his seat. He seems to be taking my silence on the matter as a personal insult, choosing to hound me between each round for details on what she looks like, what she sounds like, where I met her. You name it, Asher wants to know it.
“Nope.” I pop the p and finish the end of my last drink. A decision has been made. Asher is being bumped for Mikaela, the nosy shit.
“Come on, Ben.” He turns to me with a wicked glint in his eye that tells me he is fishing for more than just a name and I roll my eyes. “She hot? Like on a scale of one to that old camp councillor I showed you.”
“First of all,” Jamie interrupts, rubbing his temples as if Asher’s voice is piercing straight into his brain, “you’re a pig. Secondly, that camp councillor you spent the best of three years obsessing over thought of you as an irritating kid and nothing more. It’s borderline creepy that you still reference to her, Ash.”
I snort in agreement as Xavier laughs. Xavier Russo is the quiet one of our little group - business focused and way too tightly wound ninety percent of the time. I look over to him, painfully aware that his silence has been exasperated these last few months by his own personal issues, and am met with an easy smile. At least he seems okay tonight.
“Aren’t you the least bit curious?” Ash continues to press and I groan loudly. “I mean, Ben, with all due respect, you haven’t had a girl in what? Five, six years? And when was your last hook up? This development is important.”
“Asher, I’ve dated,” I grunt. “I just haven’t told you,”
“Yeah, we all know you’vedated.” Jamie grins, looking down at his beer. “But Ash is right. Whoever she is, she’s gotta be pretty special to have you wrapped up before any of us even knew she existed.”
Xavier nods thoughtfully.
“You must be relieved?” Xavier turns to Jamie and I freeze.
“Why would he be relieved?” Asher voices a question I know the answer to before Jamie even looks at me.
“Up until two days ago Jamie was sure Ben was trying to bang his sister.” Xavier’s laugh is easy and it makes me feel sick. Almost as sick as Asher’s next sentence.
“Wait. Mik’s back in town? She single?Fuck. What I’d do for a shot at that.” He’s shuffling forwards in his seat.
Jamie glares at him. I do too.
“Shut the fuck up, Asher.”
Was that me? Well, shit.
Jamie is still glaring at Asher, but I watch his jaw clench with my words.
“What?” Asher holds his beer out to Xavier to tap. Xavier just shakes his head.
“Sometimes,” Xav mutters, “you’re a dickhead, Ash.”
“What? Oh come on,” Asher laughs. “Mik is hot in that good girl, knows she’s hot but doesn’t give a shit kind of way.”
“To repeat Ben’s sentiments,” Jamie spits through gritted teeth, “shut the fuck up, Asher.”
“Well.” Xavier huffs out half a laugh and raises his brows at me. “This is all a little awkward now, isn’t it?”
I grunt in response, my mood completely decimated by Asher’s stupid fucking mouth. We all know what Ash is like with women. He needs to stay the fuck away from Mik.
“Ben?” Asher turns to face me and I steady my breath. I cannot hit Asher Jones.I cannot hit Asher Jones.“A bit defensive of Miss Wilcox there, no?”
I open my mouth to speak but Jamie’s voice comes out first. “Ben’s known Mik as long as he’s known me. They might as well be family. So he can be as defensive as he likes when assholes like you are objectifying her.”
There’s a brick where my stomach is supposed to be.
