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Dean takes a breath and shifts his gaze to Lexy. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Lexy. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“Yeah, you too.” I can tell she’s uncomfortable. Her eyes shift toward the direction Mack went like she feels guilty for even talking to Dean.
“So… you and Troy. Does that mean Maci is finally going to get her wish and you’ll move here?”
She looks at me, letting herself be distracted from the situation. “We’ll see.” She smiles softly, but not at Dean. She’s still looking at me. I kiss the top of her head and pull her into me. God, I love this girl.
“I’m going to check on Mack.” She whispers it even though we both know Dean can hear her. “I’m sorry, Dean. It really was good to finally meet you.”
She kisses me on the lips before she leaves. It’s not a short kiss either. It’s one that says she doesn’t want to leave. Fuck, it does all sorts of things to me. Ever since I told her I loved her it’s like the last little bit of doubt she had was washed away. I fucking love it. “I’ll come find you guys. I love you.” I catch a small cringe from Dean, but I have a feeling it has nothing to do with Lexy or me.
Lexy tries to cut off her smile but isn’t successful. “I love you too.” With that, she walks off to find Mack.
“Shit. That was more uncomfortable than the time you made me wear that damn loincloth on Halloween for losing that bet.” Dean laughs, but it’s uneasy.
“Yeah, sorry, man. I didn’t see any way out of that one.” I squeeze his shoulder. I might be a fan of Mack, but Dean and I have been friends for too long to not be there for him. He’s never done anything to make me question our friendship, and that shit is important to me.
“She’s coming home in two days.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Level with me, do I have a shot?”
“I think you’d know better than I would. The few times it’s come up, it hasn’t been a productive conversation. Mack is Lexy’s best friend. Of course she’s going to want them to end up together, so she’s biased, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. She also really wants Maci to be happy.”
Dean looks devastated, the same look I saw in the mirror after I found out about Emily kind of broken. I can empathize.
“Does she know that you love her?”
He shakes his head no but says yes. I’m confused.
“She knows, but I haven’t told her. Not directly, anyway. I screwed up.” That’s what that cringe was about.
“Well you should tell her. If she’s the right girl for you it’s going to work out.”
“Yeah. I’m just worried that maybe I’m not the right guy for her.” He runs his hands through his hair. “He fits her life better, ya know? With Avery and Lexy.”
“And I could be going into business with Marcus,” I counter. “We’re all connected here, Dean. None of it matters because we aren’t the ones in the relationship. He could be the logical choice, doesn’t mean he’s the right one.”
He changes the subject. “I’m happy for you, by the way. You deserve this, especially after all the shit with Emily.”
“Thanks, man. Now let’s get you a beer.”
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
LEXY
IfindMack–notatthe bar, thank God. He’s sitting on the curb outside with his arms propped up on his knees, one hand grabbing his other arm, where his baseball shirt sleeve cuts off. He’s staring into the dark street.
When I sit next to him, I’m so close our thighs touch, but he doesn’t look over. Somehow I can feel his pain radiating off him, and I hurt for him. I may not love him the way I love Troy, but Mack is my person, and I hate that he’s suffering. I also feel a little guilty that he’s the one who convinced me to give this love stuff a try, and he’s the one struggling with it.
He finally looks at me. He hasn’t been crying, but his eyes are red. Defeat is written all over his face.
“Thatis my competition.”
“It’s not a game, Mack.”
“Isn’t it, though?” His voice sounds beaten. “Someone will win, and someone will lose. Did you see him?”
