I smirk as I twist the cap off my beer and set it on the counter. “She in charge of keeping you in line now too?” I ask before I take a swig.
Tristan scowls at the both of us. “More like she keeps Shep in line.”
“I’ll have you know that I keep her in line,” Shep says as he enters the kitchen from the other doorway that leads to the living room. He comes up behind his girlfriend and slips his arms around her, his hands resting across her stomach. “She needs a firm hand, let me tell you.”
“Stop,” she mutters, slapping his forearm. But she’s smiling and Shep is kissing her neck so I assume they’re not really angry. And maybe she likes a firm hand. Lucy always seemed to like it when I bossed her around in bed.
Watching them together these last few days since I’ve been home has been difficult. Makes me miss Lucy a lot, which is the craziest thing ever. There is no reason I should miss her. We had a fling. That’s it. That’s what I kept telling myself the entire time I was in Texas. Hell, after a few days of daily texting I started to wean myself off. Put distance between us.
It was easier that way. I could convince myself that it was working, that I wouldn’t miss her as bad. Want her as bad. Funny thing is, I haven’t texted her in a solid two weeks. Haven’t seen her pretty face, kissed those amazing lips or touched that sexy body in a month and I want her so fucking bad I can hardly see straight.
But I refuse to call her. Refuse to text her anymore. I need to let her go. Find some other pretty girl and get laid. That’ll help me move on, I’m sure of it.
“We should go out tonight,” I suggest.
“Oh, no,” Jade starts as Tristan offers a resounding hell yeah in answer.
At least I have someone on my side.
“Come on, Jade,” I say, watching as she turns back and sends a look in Shep’s direction. “You should go out with us tonight. Let Shep here come out to play.”
“Fucker,” Shep says with an easy smile.
“She’ll ruin our game,” Tristan says unapologetically. “Trust me, I’ve done this before. Shep used to be my wingman. Now he brings a cock blocker with him and she ruins everything.”
“Did you just call me a cock blocker?” Jade sticks her tongue out at Tristan. “You are so incredibly mean.”
He shrugs. “Just stating the truth.”
They go at it like this all the time. I’ve come to discover it’s their thing. I’m the nice one, the one Jade likes the most. Besides Shep, that is. That’s our thing.
“You don’t care if I go out with the boys, do you?” Shep asks, his voice low and intimate. He sounds like he’s asking permission—or being respectful of Jade’s feelings.
I can’t quite tell the difference.
“No, go out. Have fun. I’ll stay home and roll around in bed naked, waiting for you.” She slips out of Shep’s arms and turns to face him, kissing him on the cheek. “I need to go. I’ll see you later?”
“You know it. Love you,” Shep murmurs before he swats her on the ass and sends her out of the kitchen.
I shake my head the minute she’s gone. “You are so gone over her.” I hadn’t seen it much in action since I was away all summer but those two seem to have it really bad for each other.
Shep shrugs. “I’m in love with her.”
He says it so matter of fact, like it’s no big deal while I’m standing here trying to wrap my brain around the concept of love. What the hell is love anyway? My parents act like they were forced to be together most of the time. None of my friends have ever admitted to falling in love before. Not until Shep.
Makes me wonder if there’s a chance at love for me.
“The more time I spend with her, the more I know that I want to be with her. Like, all the time. I genuinely like her. I value her opinion, she makes me laugh, she makes me think. And the sex is fucking unbelievable,” Shep explains, a sly grin on his face.
“She sounds like the perfect woman,” I say. His description of Jade reminds me of how I felt about Lucy.
That particular realization makes me miss her more than ever.
So freaking stupid.
“Jade is the perfect woman for me,” Shep say with a nod.
“They’re disgusting together,” Tristan mutters, causing both of us to turn and look at him. He drains his beer before he opens the fridge and grabs another one, twisting the top off so it makes a hissing sound. “All lovey dovey and shit.”
“You’re just jealous,” Shep says, making Tristan scowl at him.
“Not even close. You couldn’t pay me enough money in the world to be tied down to one woman.” Tristan waves his beer bottle in my direction. “And I know Gabe here feels the same.”
“Right,” I say automatically though…I’m envious of what Shep has with Jade. If you’d told me a few months ago I’d feel that way about my friend’s committed relationship, I would’ve laughed in your face.
But now I can’t help but think of what could’ve been for Lucy and me. Could we be as happy as Jade and Shep? We were having a pretty good time together this summer. I had to cut it off because I didn’t want to break her heart.
More like I didn’t want to break my heart either.
“So you can be the real wingman tonight,” Tristan says to Shep. “Gabe and I will be on the hunt and you can lure them in.”