AllFreeNovel
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“Hey,” I greeted, Alexandria saying the same.
“So, do you play football, Hunter?” Gina asked.
“Yeah, no,” I chuckled. “All my free time is going to be spent working.”
“I hear you,” she replied kindly. “There are only twenty-four hours in a day, so something’s got to give, right?”
“What about you, Alex?” Rico asked. “What do you like to do for fun?”
“Same as Hunter,” she replied. “I’m looking for a job or jobs to get me through the year.”
“So, you’ll have no free time at all?” he asked her, and my tongue peeked out to lick my lower lip. I knew that I had no right to feel possessive or jealous over Alex, but what I knew didn’t change how I felt.
“Not if I’m lucky,” she chuckled.
“You look empty,” Corbin said. “Need another beer?”
“Oh, uhm…sure. Thanks.”
Though my drink was full of the hard stuff, it was still safer than whatever Corbin might be handing Alex. There were no drugs lined in my drink, and despite these people being Baron’s friends, I didn’t know any of them well enough to trust them with one of the most important people in my life. So, when Corbin handed over a beer, I took it, passing Alex the drink that I’d been drinking.
No one said anything at the blatant move, but unless someone was being shady, then no one should object to what I’d just done. Luckily for me, Alexandria didn’t seem to care. She took the drink and helped herself while I cracked open the fresh beer.
“So, are you two dating?” Sage asked, looking at me while she asked that personal question.
“Oh, no,” Alexandria answered, and I had to grit my teeth from correcting her. “We grew up together and were lucky enough to end up her together.”
“Oh, that’s nice,” Gina remarked. “It’s always so refreshing to see a familiar face when you’re surrounded by nothing but strangers.”
“If you guys aren’t dating, then why are you holding her hand?” Corbin asked me, and I could feel my back immediately straighten at the challenge that I thought I heard in his voice.
“Because she’s my responsibility,” I answered, my voice making it clear that our relationship status was irrelevant as far as I was concerned.
“We didn’t just grow up together,” Alexandria explained as my fingers tightened in hers. “We’re actually friends. His best friend is engaged to my cousin.”
“Do they go here, too?” Carrie asked, trying to diffuse the tension.
“No, Talon and Kenzlee go to Stanford.” Alex’s thumb was running back and forth across the back of my hand, and I knew that she was trying to calm me down.
“Talon?” I glanced over at Darrell. “Not Talon Draven?”
Already feeling protective, I asked, “How do you know Talon?”
“Dude, anyone that follows the fighting scene has heard of Talon Draven,” he said, talking like Talon was a celebrity.
“Holy shit,” Rico hooted. “That makes you Hunter Finley.”
Baron looked back at me. “You’re famous?”
“No, I’m not famous,” I drawled out annoyed. “Neither is Talon.”
“The fuck he’s not,” Darrell argued. “Talon Draven’s got a vicious knuckle game, and I’ve seen him fight a few times.” Eyeing me, he added, “I thought you looked familiar.”
“Do you fight, too?” Gina asked.
Staring right at Corbin, I said, “Only when I have to, though I’m not scared to.”
Lying through her teeth, Alex grabbed my arm as she said, “That sounds like a nineties jam.” She looked over at the group. “I’ve got a thing for nineties music.”
