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“Urgh, this is fucked.” Skyler cries, jumping to his feet and tossing his game controller onto the sofa, a frustrated scowl crossing his face. “Why are you two ganging up on me?”
I smirk at him. “Because it’s fun to beat you at something for a change.” Skyler’s one of those people that just has a knack for things, and his ultra-competitive nature means that no one else even gets a look in. Unless, of course, they can level the field by playing two against one like we’ve been doing tonight. Three games in and Jackson and I are starting down the barrel of an unprecedented clean sweep.
“Jackson,”Skyler pouts, stamping his foot like a toddler. I swear, sometimes I can’t help thinking that’s exactly what he is. A sex-crazed, twenty-seven-year-old toddler…who’s only months away from earning a law degree, with a job at one of the best firms in the city waiting for him once he passes the Bar.
But despite being totally wrapped around Skyler’s little finger, it’s actually pretty rare for Jax to indulge this kind of bratty behavior, so I’m not too surprised when he just smiles and shrugs. “Call it a lesson in humility.”
Skyler’s scowl grows darker, and I can’t help letting out a soft chuckle. “Are you going to throw tantrums like this when you lose in court?”
He waves me away. “Don’t be ridiculous, I’m not going to lose in court. Look at this beautiful face—” He gestures through the air around his face, which I’ll admit is a very pretty one even if he’s not at all my type. “No jury is going to vote against a face this gorgeous and a body this hot,” he says with absolute confidence, moving his hand down to wave over his entire body.
I exchange a look with Jackson. “I’m a little worried about the law program at Columbia if that’s what you’re walking away with after three years.”
Skyler just rolls his eyes and flops down onto the sofa with a huff. “Where the hell’s Drew anyway? He’s been a total ghost lately, He didn’t even reply to myModern FamilyGIF yesterday. No “ha ha” or anything. Just dead air.”
God forbid.In Skyler’s world, if you don’t reply to a test, especially a funny one, there must be something seriously wrong.
“I guess he’s just busy,” Jackson says with a shrug. “Cool of him to come on Saturday, though.”
Saturday was our rugby tournament, which we actually won, much to everyone’s delight and—dare I say—surprise. We worked incredibly hard for it, but there were a ton of teams competing so winning the whole thing was huge. Spencer’s main goal each year is always to get further in the tournament than a team which has been our “enemy” since before I ever came on board. Coincidentally, Spencer’s boyfriend, Will, is best friends with the guy who’s dating the captain of that other team; I’m not sure how much that’s done to thaw tensions, however. Not if Saturday was anything to go by.
“Yeah, that was kind of weird,” Sky mumbles. “He hates hanging out with the team.”
“Drew and Sully are fucking,” I blurt out. My eyes widen as I realize what I’ve just done. This isn’t something I should be telling my buddies like it’s a piece of interesting gossip; because a) I don’t a hundred per cent know how far it’s gotten yet; and b) I do know Drew’s struggling with how to identify and even if he weren’t it’s insanely uncool to out someone, regardless of whether the people I’m telling are two of his best friends or not. I run a hand through my hair, my face tight with regret. “Shit, forget I said that.”
“How the hell are we supposed to forget you said that?” Skyler demands.
“You mean just…like, the whole fake thing, right?” Jackson asks, clearly baffled.
Skyler lets out a snort. “Fakefucking, Jax? How do you fake fuck someone? Unless you’re an actor doing a full-on sex scene with the whole cock sock thing. I swear that must be the most awkward thing ever, with everyone watching, and the director telling you exactly what to do every five seconds. I think I’d just rather stick it in and tell them to roll camera.”
“Pretty sure that’s called porn,” Jax says dryly.
I let out a rough sigh and lift my head up. As Tanner would say, the horse has bolted now. I may as well just tell them what I know. I’m hoping it won’t be secret for much longer anyway.
“Alright…I don’t know forsurethat they’re…you know,” I clarify. “The last update I got was on the way home from the wedding. Drew told me they’d done some stuff, but not full on sex.”
“What kind of stuff?” Skyler asks, eager for details.
“I didn’t ask for specifics,” I grumble. Between my traumatizing conversation with Blair, the frequent comments people kept making to Willow about the wedding night, and then this thing with Drew and Sully I was well and truly done with hearing about my siblings’ sex lives. Thank god Summer is still a virgin. Despite the barb Blair threw out there, that’s something I’m sure of. A thirty-two-year-old virgin. Definitely.
“They were together at the wedding?” Jackson asks incredulously. “Over a week ago?”
I shrug. “I guess so.” I still feel like a total dumbass for thinking Drew’s odd behavior outside his room after the rehearsal dinner was because he didn’t want to sleep in the same room as my brother. In my eagerness to get to bed and share some texts with Tanner, all I saw was him hesitating in the hallway; it wasn’t until breakfast the next morning when I saw Drew blush bright red and shift around nervously when Sully kissed him on the cheek that I remembered him doing the exact same thing the night before.
And then there was the staring during the ceremony, and the slow-dancing at the reception. Needless to say, by the time we all left Long Island, no one had any doubts that Drew and my brother were madly in love.
“And now…?” Skyler presses.
I sigh. “I don’t know. I haven’t exactly been home much…”
Skyler smirks and Jackson rolls his eyes. They both know exactly why I’ve barely slept in my own bed since the wedding weekend. With Tanner’s free time so limited and sporadic, it’s been simpler for me to just hang out here at the penthouse in the evening rather than try to schedule times to meet up. Sometimes he comes by straight after work and we have dinner together and hang out for a bit before he goes home, and other times he doesn’t get here until ten or eleven, but can stay until early morning.
It’s not the ideal situation, obviously, but it’s working okay for now. I’d still love to have more intimacy sex-wise, but I said I’d give him some time and I meant it. And I guess at least this way we’ve been able to spend time together both in and out of bed without it feeling forced, or like a booty call.
The fact that Tanner completely cool with me having my friends over is a bonus. And Skyler and Jax have been very appreciative of the giant TV, four-player PS5, and well-stocked fridge.
I haven’t actually slept here overnight yet; even on the nights where Tanner can stay, I always leave once the sex is over so he can get some sleep. It’s not as though we can cuddle anyway, so what would be the point of staying?
