Scottie grimaces and shakes her head. “Oh man, we’re in trouble. We’re all ina lotof trouble.”
“No, no,” Finn corrects. “Ace is in trouble. You and I are smart enough to stay right fucking here in the bushes Ace put us in. Julia’s never going to know we were a part of this, and if she ever does find out, I will tell the tale of our hostagehood.”
“I’m not going to go over there.” I hold up both hands in the air. “I’m not.”
Finn lets out a heavy sigh. “Sure.”
“What? You don’t believe me?”
“Not even for one fucking second.”
“Smart,” I finally admit. “Because I definitely have to go over there.”
I lean into the bush as Drew brushes some hair out of Julia’s face, and my stomach clenches.Fuck that guy! Fucking fuck that guy for thinking he is deserving enough to even lay a finger on her!
Scottie reaches up and touches my arm gently, and I do my best not to flip out on a friend who doesn’t deserve it.
“Ace,” she says gently. “I know it’s tough, watching her like this now that you’ve realized. But please, take it from me, you’ll get a lot further being supportive than being annoying. Drew’s just a phase. Just some guy to occupy her time. But if you’re there, steady and compassionate and a good ear when she needs one, she’ll realize that you have all the qualities he doesn’t.”
Shit.Her words hit me square in the chest.
“Thanks, Scottie. Really. I… Just hearing you say that helps. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry I’ve involved you two,” I apologize. “You’re sweet friends, who just thought you were joining me for a party tonight, and here you are, playing super-secret spy from the bushes. So, I’ll just watch here a little longer and then head home. I’m close, you know? But if you two want to go do something else—something more worthwhile, I understand.”
Finn’s eyes narrow as he sighs. It’s thedouble-double bullshit, you’re in troublemeter in his head going off with bells and whistles and alarms. “You’re going over there as soon as we leave, aren’t you?”
“What? Finn? Please. I’m giving you my word.” I know it’s childish, but you can bet your ass my fingers are motherfucking crossed behind my back. “You don’t trust my word?” The real problem is that I’ve trained him to understand me too well—forced him into the recesses of my psyche as a method of trauma bonding the two of us.
“No. Not even as far as I can throw you, and you’re a big motherfucker so I don’t imagine I’d get you that far.”
“Maybe we should stay, Finn,” Scottie hedges, watching me with skepticism.
“No, babe,” my best buddy says gently. “Once Ace’s crazy horse is out of the barn, there’s no containing it. We’re going to go have a late dinner and head home. Ace is going to do what Ace is going to do, even if going over there is the biggest dumb fucking move he could make.”
He’s probably right. Maybe I shouldn’t go over there.
My eyes jump back to Julia and Drew. She laughs, and my chest squeezes.
Or maybe I should. Maybe I need to find a way to stop this before she gets in too deep with this fucker.
I swallow hard against the burning pain in my chest and look back at Scottie and Finn, handing her my phone. “Before you head out, could you check to see if my DoorDash guy is coming?”
Scottie’s jaw drops. “Youordered food here?”
“I was hungry,” I answer with a shrug. I’m not going to crouch in a bush for hours on an empty stomach, you know? I’m not a savage.
Finn blinks. “What did you even order?”
“Just some lobster rolls and a Coke.”
He shakes his head like I’ve personally offended his ancestors. “You’re fuckinggone, man.”
But I can barely hear him over the ringing in my ears as I go back to watching Julia through the bushes. “Are you fucking kidding me?” I hiss, pointing toward the stupid picnic blanket scene. “He’s brushing her hair behind her ear. I swear to God, if he kisses her, I’ll throw this entire bush at him.”
Scottie puts a hand on my shoulder, gently but firmly, before holding my phone out to me over it. “Ace. You’re spiraling. I know you love her. I know this hurts. But you’ve gotta play the long game. Be the guy who’s always there, not the one hiding in shrubbery with shellfish.”
Finn nods. “Yeah. You jump out of these bushes, you’re not the knight in shining armor. You’re the weirdo with leaves in your hair and lobster breath.”
I sigh, my eyes locked on Julia like she’s the sun and I’m a moth with no concept of fire. “I just… I don’t get it. What does she even see in him? I mean, he’sbeige, like if khakis became a person. His biggest personality trait isbeing present.”
