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“No way. I’m not getting involved in this,” Larsen declares. “Bad enough that I’m in the middle of this Gigi and Case thing.”
“She and Case are not a thing,” I reply in a deadly voice.
He chuckles at my ominous face. “No, but they used to be. And she was my friend first, so after that breakup, I suddenly had to navigate the minefield of those two friendships.”
“This is not a breakup,” I growl.
“Just keep apologizing,” Shane says absently. “You’ll wear her down eventually.”
“Make her a playlist where all the songs are about sex,” suggests Beckett. “Get her horny enough to forgive you.”
“You know what? Fuck off. None of you are helpful,” I say.
Beckett looks at me, then blinks and turns to Will. “Let’s do shots. I too am bored of his problems.”
“Same.”
The two assholes go to raid the liquor cabinet, while Shane watches the game, indifferent to my current state.
I don’t know why I’m even bothered by this. Whatever. We were dating and I guess now we’re done. For a stupid fucking reason, mind you. But fine. It’s over.
Okay…that’s not fine.
I don’t want it to be over.
God fucking damn it.
It’s in this moment I wish I had some female friends. There was one foster sister I was close to in high school, but we drifted apart after graduation. Other than that, any time I’ve tried to be friends with a girl, she just wants to fuck me. Probably conceited as hell to say, but it’s true. I realized a long time ago there’s no such thing as platonic. These days, I only allow myself to be friends with my friends’ girlfriends. Very little risk there, although every now and then a girlfriend will totally hit on me.
An idea suddenly brightens my mind. That’s the solution.
I scroll through my contacts until I find Darby’s name. Nick Lattimore’s girlfriend. I have her number from when she was planning Nick’s surprise party last year.
I compose a quick message, keeping it as vague as possible. Only the people in this house know about Gigi and me, or that I’m even dating someone, and I’d like to limit that information as much as possible.
A couple hours later, I get a text that Darby’s on her way. Not long after that, the doorbell rings. I throw open the door.
“Hey,” I say awkwardly.
“I don’t understand this,” she says in lieu of greeting.
I don’t understand it either.
She comes in, smacking a quick kiss on my cheek. She’s wearing combat boots and a tight sweater beneath her winter coat. Darby’s a cool chick. Confident, energetic. Always wondered what she was doing with a serious bastard like Nick.
“Called in the cavalry, I see,” Beckett mocks when we pass the living room. “Hey, Darby.”
“Beck.”
“Let’s go to the kitchen,” I tell her. “You want anything to drink?”
“Tea, please.”
I’m pretty sure nobody in this house drinks that, but I rustle around in the cabinets because Shane’s mom is the one who stocked them. Knowing her, she’d have made sure we had some of everything. Sure enough, I find some herbal tea and get the kettle going.
“I know this is weird,” I tell Darby.
“Literally the weirdest thing ever.”
“But I just needed a chick’s perspective on something.”
She flops down at the kitchen table, eyes alight with curiosity. “On what?”
“It’s, ah, a woman problem.”
“You called me here to talk about your love life?” she shrieks. Then she lets out a calming breath and speaks in a reverent voice. “This. Is the greatest day of my life.”
“It has to stay between us,” I warn.
“Luke Ryder has a girlfriend.”
“Why is that so shocking?”
“Oh my God. You don’t even know how excited I am right now. You’re seeing someone?”
I nod.
“Is it serious?”
“I think so.”
“Oh my God.”
“Stop saying that.”
Darby narrows her eyes at me. “So how did you screw it up?”
“Who says I did?” I grumble.
“Did you?”
I pause. “Yes.”
Grinning, Darby kicks out another chair with her foot.
I carry her tea over and set it in front of her. After a beat of reluctance, I sit down, sigh, and proceed to give her a quick rundown of my fight with Gigi. Leaving out names, locations, and any pertinent details that might be used against me in a court of law.
When I finish by voicing my irritation that my apology supposedly wasn’t sufficient, she starts to laugh.
“What?” I glower at her. “You think she’s right to be mad at me?”
“Do you even know why she’s mad?” Darby counters, echoing Gigi’s sentiments from the phone call.
I swear, do all women belong to some sort of telepathic network where they just know why they’re angry?
“Because I snapped at her.”
“Oh, Ryder. You silly, stupid man.”
She’s still chuckling as she reaches for her tea. The steam rises into her eyes when she takes a sip.
“Okay, let’s recap. Something happened to put you in a crabby mood.”
“Yes.”
“So you went over there in a bad mood.”
