AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My lackluster response doesn’t satisfy the guys.They keep prodding me.
Ronan’s eyes flash around the room, then they narrow mischievously on the girl behind the bar. “How about Inez? I heard she’s on the market—”
Before he can get his sentence out, his twin brother’s arm swings through the air, smacking him in the back of the skull. It all happens so fast that I don’t even think Nolan realizes what he’s doing until he’s pulling his arm back from Ronan’s head.
And all of the brothers—except for Nolan—burst out laughing.
“Not Inez. Anybody but Inez,” Archer coughs out the side of his mouth.
Nolan’s eyes go as serious as the Grim Reaper. All traces of playfulness are gone. His fiery gaze sweeps around his group of brothers in warning. “I told you assholes—stay away from my bartenders.” Without waiting for a response, he’s stomping back to the bar.
Felix snorts. “Stay away from Nolan’s bartenders,” he fake-chides the guys. “Especially Inez. I mean, it’s not like he’s in love with her or anything.”
As everyone sobers up, Archer brings his eyes back to me. “Seriously, though. I thought you were single,” he says, frowning my way. “Am I wrong about that?”
My eyes move to the screen of my phone when he says that. There’s a notification for a new email. Not surprisingly, it’s from Zara.
Subject: should I come over? i’m coming over. what kind of sandwich do you want?
I hit one button.Move to trash.
I huff, taking another drink of my beer for this conversation. “No, I’m definitely single. But it’s kind of a recent development. I was with this woman from back home for a few years. It was this on and off kind of thing that lasted too long.”
“That sounds…messy.” Darius lifts an eyebrow. “Are you saying you’re not over her?”
“Oh, I’m over her,” I promise them. “Space was what I needed from Zara and all of her crazy antics, and now that I’ve got that, I’m fine.”
The guys don’t look convinced.
Archer’s forehead pinches. “Well, you should take your time getting serious with someone new,” he advises sagely. “You don’t need to carry that bullshit into a new relationship.”
Felix rolls his eyeballs at his oldest brother. “I’m not telling the guy to run off to one of those dirty chapels in Sin Valley and elope. He doesn’t need to find the love of his life next week. Just because he doesn’t want a relationship doesn’t mean he has to be a choir boy like you. He can just have some fun in the meantime.” With an arm slung around my shoulder, Felix leads me toward the bar as Archer growls something inaudible under his breath.
Now, my friend is guiding me in the direction of a blonde who’s had her eyes on me for most of the night. Felix pushes me down on a wobbly stool. I could strangle the guy as he makes this unsolicited introduction to some girl he went to high school with.
She chirps an eager ‘hello’. Next thing I know, Felix has ditched me and the woman is in my face, talking non-stop about her fitness routine and how well her new diet is going.
“I’ve been thinking of adding more cardio to my exercise routine,” she’s telling me now.
Smile and nod, Mason. Smile and nod. “Mm-hmm.”
“My personal trainer says I need to sweat more. If you know what I mean.” She winks.
Oh, god.
I glance around, makinghelp me!eyes at Nolan who’s behind the counter. He’s busy stifling a laugh and trying not to look at me. I sneer at him. So much for thinking that we were becoming friends. The guy clearly doesnothave my back.
Now, I’m stuck trying to figure out how to back away from this conversation respectfully. Then out of nowhere, the woman climbs into my lap and aggressively tries sticking her tongue down my throat.
Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Last straw. This is the last fucking straw for me.
I stumble off my stool. “Thanks for the offer,” I tell the over-friendly woman. “But I’m gonna call it a night.”
“Mason! Come on, bro!” Nolan calls after me, his howling laughter filling the air as I make a dash for the door.
I don’t even turn back. I may be unsure about what I want in my life. But I know with certainty thatthisain’t it.
Back at the house, I cut my engine in the garage and hustle up the dark porch. I unlock the front door and step into the shadowy living room.
