I groan as I reach for my phone that’s still merrily ringing away and see Sean’s name on the screen. That’s quickly followed by a huff of laughter at the photo that accompanies it. Sean despises it with a passion, but it never fails to amuse me. And he can threaten me with whatever he likes, I’m never changing it.
I answer because I just know he’s not going to go away.
His face fills the screen, his smile far too wide and bright for my liking. He’s shirtless, and it takes a moment longer to realise that he’s still in bed, and if I’m not mistaken, that’s Vic’s shoulder I can see next to him.
That would explain the grin.
“What?” I grumble, because as happy as I am that he and Vic sorted their shit out, does he really have to rub my nose in it?
Sean’s grin widens. “Good morning to you too!”
At the sound of his dad’s voice, Sean’s dog,Lucky, barrels into the bedroom and jumps onto the bed. “Oomph!” I grit my teeth as he lands a paw in my lap, narrowly missing my bollocks. Thank fuck my own animals are way too lazy to move until they hear me get out of bed.
“Hey, boy!” Sean coos, and Lucky’s tail swishes frantically back and forth.
When Lucky eventually settles down, I glare at Sean. “I take it you didn’t call me this early just to say hello to your dog?”
“I told him not to bother you,” Vic chimes in, although I still can’t see his face. “But he wouldn’t listen.”
“You’re lucky I don’t have company,” I mutter. The words are automatic, a running joke between us, because the idea of picking anyone up from the Charnwell Inn on New Year’s Eve is laughable. I’ve either been there, done that, or I’m not interested. Unfortunately,thistime is a little different, but it doesn’t register until Sean’s eyebrows rise.
Fuck.
His face does something complicated, like he can’t decide whether to be shocked, amused, or disapproving. “Doyou have company?” he asks finally.
I debate fucking with him, but it’s too much effort. “No.”
He waits for me to elaborate, but I don’t. I stare back at him until he rolls his eyes and sighs.
“You’re going to make me ask, aren’t you?”
He’s talking about Reed.
I know it, and heknowsI know it.
“I’m not making you do anything.” I smirk at his obvious frustration. But honestly, I’m not sure why I’m making this so difficult. Sean’s my best friend—I have no problem telling himeverything going on in my life—but for some reason, this feels different.
I’m defensive, wary. Like I want to keep the details of my night with Reed to myself instead of sharing them.
Maybe I’m just tired and a little hungover.
This isSean.
If anything, Reed is more his friend than he is mine. I only met him last night, for fuck’s sake.
With far more effort than it warrants, I force myself to relax. “What would you like to know?”
“Just if Reed was okay last night?” Guilt flashes in his eyes, andahh. He feels bad for leaving him, which is Sean all over.
But he has no need to feel guilty. I was there, I heard Reed tell him to go, and at no point during the night did he seem like he regretted it.
I raise an eyebrow though, because if he wants to know that, then I’m not the one he needs to talk to. “Shouldn’t you be asking Reed this?”
He sighs. “I did. And he said he had a great night and that he was fine.”
A laugh bubbles out of me, and I shake my head. “Well, there you go.”
“Told you,” Vic mutters from beside him.
