breath, and nods before pulling away completely so he can head for the door. I’m actually kind of shocked at how Dennis handled this situation; instead of falling apart, like I half expected him to, he handled it like a champ and didn’t question me once. I really hope we’ve turned a corner here.
After I hear the front door close, I let my fury rise back to the surface. I pull out my phone and hit my brother’s contact info. The phone rings three times before he picks up.
“What?” he answers nastily.
“Who the FUCK do you think you are threatening Dennis like that?!” I roar. “You are so fucking lucky that I’m not there right now because I would kick the ever-living shit out of you, you little prick. Some fucking brother you’ve turned out to be. Do me a favor and lose my number because you are dead to me!” I bark and hang up one him.
I rake a shaky hand down my face. A second later my phone beeps with a text message. If this is Rhys, I’m going to smash my phone. I look at the screen to see that’s it’s not Rhys, but Duke. Thank fucking God.
Hey man, you free? I really need a beer and an ear.
Yes! I definitely could use a beer.
I’m free.
Great! Come to my place in 10.
Okay, see you then.
Twenty minutes later, we’re sitting in the bar across from Duke’s apartment drinking beer. We haven’t said more than two words to each other since I got to his place. Duke seems oddly distracted, which is not like him at all. Now that he’s back to work, too, I haven’t seen him much, so it’s nice to finally get to spend some time with him.
“So what’s crawled up your ass and died?” I ask him, glancing at him as I take a sip of my beer.
Duke takes another pull from his bottle before he sets it on the bar top and sighs heavily.
“I slept with Arianna.”
My eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “When did this happen?”
“A few days ago,” Duke answers.
“Okay? Why do you make it sound like it’s a bad thing? She’s single, you’re single,” I say in confusion.
Keith had actually been the one to tell me about Kyle. He was fucking fuming and called me up to vent before he went ballistic on the guy. Then when I had talked to Duke about it, he confirmed that Arianna had hired him to find out the truth, which he had.
“We danced in the fucking snow!” Duke exclaims like that’s supposed to explain everything.
I frown at him, a bit concerned for his mental state at the moment. “Are you okay? Feeling alright there, buddy?”
“I ate chocolate icing off her nipples, for shit’s sake!” he practically shouts.
My eyes widen slightly as I glance around us to see if anyone overheard the dumbass sitting next to me. “Dude, keep your voice down, we’re in public,” I hiss. No one needs to know that he’s been licking icing off a hot chick’s nipples.
Duke groans and drops his forehead to the bar top with a thud. I wince. That had to hurt.
“I don’t understand the problem here, Duke. It sounds like you had a really nice time with her,” I say.
His head shoots up and he glares at me with his hazel eyes. “That IS the problem! I like her! Way more than I should! I can’t stop thinking about her!” he cries in annoyance.
My lips twitch as I try to fight back the smile that wants out. This guy, he kills me. Once I get myself under control, I say, “It’s okay to like someone, you know,” then give him a pat on the shoulder.
“No, it’s not. Because you know what I see happening with her?” Duke asks me.
I roll my lips in and shake my head. “No, what?”
“L.O.V.E.,” he replies in an exaggerated whisper.
That’s it, I can’t…I burst out laughing, much to Duke’s chagrin.
“It’s not funny!” he hisses, giving my shoulder a shove. “I can’t do it again, man. I just can’t,” he murmurs dejectedly.
I get a pang in my chest. I hate that he’s struggling like this. My laughter fades and I look over at my friend sympathetically.
“You know, the
After I hear the front door close, I let my fury rise back to the surface. I pull out my phone and hit my brother’s contact info. The phone rings three times before he picks up.
“What?” he answers nastily.
“Who the FUCK do you think you are threatening Dennis like that?!” I roar. “You are so fucking lucky that I’m not there right now because I would kick the ever-living shit out of you, you little prick. Some fucking brother you’ve turned out to be. Do me a favor and lose my number because you are dead to me!” I bark and hang up one him.
I rake a shaky hand down my face. A second later my phone beeps with a text message. If this is Rhys, I’m going to smash my phone. I look at the screen to see that’s it’s not Rhys, but Duke. Thank fucking God.
Hey man, you free? I really need a beer and an ear.
Yes! I definitely could use a beer.
I’m free.
Great! Come to my place in 10.
Okay, see you then.
Twenty minutes later, we’re sitting in the bar across from Duke’s apartment drinking beer. We haven’t said more than two words to each other since I got to his place. Duke seems oddly distracted, which is not like him at all. Now that he’s back to work, too, I haven’t seen him much, so it’s nice to finally get to spend some time with him.
“So what’s crawled up your ass and died?” I ask him, glancing at him as I take a sip of my beer.
Duke takes another pull from his bottle before he sets it on the bar top and sighs heavily.
“I slept with Arianna.”
My eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “When did this happen?”
“A few days ago,” Duke answers.
“Okay? Why do you make it sound like it’s a bad thing? She’s single, you’re single,” I say in confusion.
Keith had actually been the one to tell me about Kyle. He was fucking fuming and called me up to vent before he went ballistic on the guy. Then when I had talked to Duke about it, he confirmed that Arianna had hired him to find out the truth, which he had.
“We danced in the fucking snow!” Duke exclaims like that’s supposed to explain everything.
I frown at him, a bit concerned for his mental state at the moment. “Are you okay? Feeling alright there, buddy?”
“I ate chocolate icing off her nipples, for shit’s sake!” he practically shouts.
My eyes widen slightly as I glance around us to see if anyone overheard the dumbass sitting next to me. “Dude, keep your voice down, we’re in public,” I hiss. No one needs to know that he’s been licking icing off a hot chick’s nipples.
Duke groans and drops his forehead to the bar top with a thud. I wince. That had to hurt.
“I don’t understand the problem here, Duke. It sounds like you had a really nice time with her,” I say.
His head shoots up and he glares at me with his hazel eyes. “That IS the problem! I like her! Way more than I should! I can’t stop thinking about her!” he cries in annoyance.
My lips twitch as I try to fight back the smile that wants out. This guy, he kills me. Once I get myself under control, I say, “It’s okay to like someone, you know,” then give him a pat on the shoulder.
“No, it’s not. Because you know what I see happening with her?” Duke asks me.
I roll my lips in and shake my head. “No, what?”
“L.O.V.E.,” he replies in an exaggerated whisper.
That’s it, I can’t…I burst out laughing, much to Duke’s chagrin.
“It’s not funny!” he hisses, giving my shoulder a shove. “I can’t do it again, man. I just can’t,” he murmurs dejectedly.
I get a pang in my chest. I hate that he’s struggling like this. My laughter fades and I look over at my friend sympathetically.
“You know, the
Similar Books
