I wouldn’t have it anyotherway.
This doesn’t feel likerevenge.
It feelslikelove.
* * *
Acoupleof blissful weeks drift by of making love, having dirty sex, and outright fucking, not to mention all the fabulous food we’ve inhaled and the running—God, how my feet have missed hitting the pavement, the fresh air in my lungs. We spent the Fourth of July knitted in one another’s arms down at the beach and even managed to squeeze in the requisite selfie with the grand finale photo bomb—but it was that kiss we shared that lit the pictureonfire.
Knox and I drive out to the internship together, worn out from the lack of sleep we’ve received, but completely happy with the results otherwise. Laney and Ryder put an offer in on the house they fell in love with, and our first mission in the real estate field is a burgeoning success. To celebrate, we decide to have dinner at the Black Bear. It just so happens that both Ava and Lucky are there with their respective dudes, so we join them. The 12 Deadly Sins are blaring away on stage, and the entire bar is filled with happy, slightly buzzed bodies all looking to have a good time, and the whole vibe sets my mood in the right zone—that is, until I spot my Greekbigbro.
Instinctually, I scowl at Lawson for ratting out Sylvia’s meager attempt at agoodtime.
“I give.” He holds out his hands. “Can you everforgiveme?”
“Sure”—I chirp as I gift him a quick hug—“but I can’t forget. I’ll be the last person to let either of my besties in on any of my deep, dark secrets.” Both Ava and Lucky open their mouths inprotest.
“How’s Kappa G?” I bite down the smile that’s begging totakeover.
Ava smirks. “Lonely without you. You do realize Gwen thinks you’re visiting your great-aunt. If she finds out you’ve moved, she’ll blow a Birkenstockgasket.”
Lucky bites down hard on a chip. “Then she’ll give your bed away. Speaking of beds, whose are you warming?” Her eyes cut to Knox, and I have no doubt the word is out. Neither Knox nor I are making any secret about it. In fact, this morning I outright tweeted a picture of the two of us snuggled up in bed, complete with rumpled hair and that most treasured afterglow of the great Sylvia and Willreprisal.
It turns out, Sylvia is damn greedy for Will, and lucky for her he’s just as greedyforher.
“Where have you been sleeping?” Lucky demands with a hint of a wicked gleam inhereyes.
“Here and there.” I glance to Knox who’s currently engaged in a conversation of his own with Lawson and Grant. “The couch, the sink, the table, the floor, the truck, the tub, the hall, the closet.” I leave out the toilet, the shower, the cozy backyard lit up with stars and a few stray mosquitos. There was a close call with the oven, and that one time early Thursday morning when we accidentally pulled all the food out of the fridge and had a feeding frenzy with it and each other while the Sub-Zero was left gaping open to watch. It’s safe to say Knox and I are hardly novices around one another’sbodies.
Ava groans as if transposing Knox and me for her and Grant, and she totally should. In one week, Knox and I have gotten more mileage off our bodies than Justin and I did in two whole years. Thankfully. Now that I see what a real man can do, I have no intention in bothering to remind myself of the dead fish action Justindoledout.
“Anyone seen the enemy?” I whisper it low. Since Knox and I have been busy honeymooning, we’ve yet to run into Tweedledee and Tweedledumb—not that getting up close and personal is at all necessary to rubbing our newfound happiness in their faces. I know that Justin and his new gal pal are cyberstalking me because every now and again Jen, with the IQ of an ink pen, will like myposts.
Ava lifts a finger. “In the bookstore. She was reselling her books from last semester. And when the cashier asked how her day was going, she burst intotears.”
“Spectacular.” I offer up a smugsmile.
Lucky cringes. “I saw her too—at the gym.” She leans in. “Let’s just say she was sweating to the oldies—as in she had her hands all over her weight trainer. It looks to me like she’s moved on from your oldboytoy.”
I’m not sure why this annoys me. As much as I don’t want them to last, I need them to be together long enough for Knox and me to drive them properlyinsane.
“She’s probably just cheating on him. It’s second nature to her at this point to have more than one man in her life.” I think about it a moment. “Although, when she was with both Knox and Justin, she only had one man in her life.” I point over to the beefcake to my left. “Case in point, Justin is a girl in comparison. Hey, I bet he qualifies as my experimental phase. And sadly, I was the guy in thatrelationship.”
Lucky snorts so loud then stops abruptly mid-cackle.
“Are you okay?” I glance to Ava. “Did she just inhale a fry or something? Should we be implementing theHeimlich?”
“She’s fine.” Ava’s face turns pink as her gaze falls over my shoulder. “Speaking of public enemy number one—here she comes. Sixo’clock.”
I spin around and find Jen strutting her stuff in a tight pink dress that should be outlawed in all fifty states for all the right reasons. She looks hideous, distracting, and not in a good way. The girl she’s with comes up behind her andIgasp.
Trixie Toberman gives a curl of her fingers in lieu of a wave and offers a smile that reiterates her sentiment,you better watchyourback.
“Evening.” She gifts Knox a swift smack to the back of the head. “Thanks for returning mycalls.”
He scowls up at her a moment. “They were text messages, and life-threatening at that. Besides”—he shoots a quick glance my way—“Iwasbusy.”
Holy hell was he ever busy—busier than I ever thought humanly possible. That boy has redefined the wordbusyin the small sum of a couple of weeks. I can’t imagine what spending a lifetime with him would feel like. Would it ever get old? The fun, the laughter, the good food, and greater sex? Something in me says I doubt it, and that something is very muchSylvia.
