“Jerry...” he starts, nudging me hard with his elbow.
I grunt. “What?”
He points his beer bottle in Reed’s direction. “You and Reed?”
Thankfully Reed has his back to us, deep in conversation with Hailey, so he doesn’t notice us watching him. I turn to Sean, blocking his view anyway. “What about us?”
“I was surprised when Reed chose to stay with you instead of me and Vic.”
I laugh. Can’t help it. “Really? You can’t keep your hands to yourselves in a room full of people. I don’t think poor Reed needs to be subjected to whatever happens when everyone leaves.”
Sean huffs, put out. “We’re not that bad.”
I stare at him pointedly, waiting for him to take that back, because they are exactly that bad. Not that I blame them. They’ve got some catching up to do.
“Fine,” Sean mutters. “I see your point.” He takes a drink of beer, then narrows his eyes at me. “You two still talk all the time?”
“Yep.”
“And there’s nothing going on?” He sounds far too sober all of a sudden and I shift uncomfortably. I don’t want to lie, but I don’t want to tell him about our kiss last night because for one, he’ll get the wrong idea, and two, I’m not sure Reed wants anyone to know.
Well, I have no idea whether that’s true or not, but I don’t want to go sharing our business before I’ve talked to him about it. Even with Sean.
“He told me about the job offer earlier,” Sean says before I can answer. I jump on that like a lifeline because this is something I can talk about.
“Yeah, he told me last night.” I smile at Reed when he glances our way. “I think it’d be a good move for him.”
“Hmm.”
I look back at Sean to find him watching me again.
He waits until I’ve taken a swig of beer to say, “He also told me you asked him to live with you.”
That makes me choke on the mouthful I’ve just taken and Sean sniggers as he pats me on the back. “Arsehole,” I mutter, glaring at him. I want to ask Sean what else Reed said, whether or not he’s made a decision, but I manage to keep the words in. That’s between the two of them. “I offered him my spare room,” I say instead. “I thought it’d be better than him staying somewhere strange on his own as well as starting a new job.” I shrug like it’s nothing, but Sean knows me better than anyone.
“You like him,” he says quietly.
I sigh. “Yeah.”
Sean bites his lip, clearly gearing up to say something he doesn’t want to but thinks I need to hear, but I’m way ahead of him.
“Before you tell me that it could get complicated, we’ve already had that conversation. If he comes to live with me, it’ll be as friends, nothing more.”
He hums again.
“What?”
“If he does move in with you, he’ll most likely be living with you over the Christmas period.”
“And?”
“You know how you get.”
“Nope.” I have no idea what he’s on about. Not. A. Clue.
Sean snorts. “Right. So it’s a different Jerry that decorates his house worthy of a Christmas card and makes everyone at the vets mince pies and cookies.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
