“Oh yeah, but he calls it ‘allergies.’”
“You two are the worst,” Langston grumbled, coming to lean against the counter beside me. “And it is allergies, you asshat.”
“Allergies that kick in at the end when they finally kiss.”
Grabbing a dish towel off the counter, he gripped both ends and whipped one toward my ass. The popping sound was worse than the sting, but still I yelped, rounding the island totake shelter behind Juno for protection. Her full, genuine laugh echoed through the cabin.
“Save me, Juno,” I fake pleaded.
She scanned the counter, a smirk pulling at her lips upon spotting another dish towel. Swiping it off the top, she twirled it around before snapping one end right toward Langston’s crotch. He sprang back with a high-pitched yelp, barely missing the hit that would’ve decommissioned him for several minutes.
Seeing she had the upper hand, Juno advanced on Langston, chasing after him when he darted around the island, putting it between them. Their smiles were so wide and carefree, it made my heart fucking ache with the swelling joy.
“Is this how it always is around here?” Juno asked, not taking her eyes off Langston as she twirled the towel around and around, preparing for her next attack. “All fun and games?”
“Never,” I said honestly, voice rough with emotion. “Never once until you walked through that door.”
She froze, cutting her eyes my way. “Really?”
I offered a nonchalant shrug in response, not knowing what else to say.
“Don’t make it sound like we’re boring,” Langston grumbled, clearly offended.
“Aren’t we?” I joked. “All we do is work out, work, and go to Anchorage to….” I trailed off, not wanting to finish that thought, but Juno did it for me.
“To meet women,” she said with an arched brow.
I felt my face warm, and Langston avoided eye contact with both of us, finding something interesting on the floor in front of the oven.
She laughed. “Come on, guys. It’s not like it’s a secret around here. Most of the guys do. Well, until they find their lobster. Or lobsters, in this community’s case.”
I raised my hand high in the air, which she questioned but still slapped with hers. “NiceFriendsreference.”
“Thank you.”
“Though not really the case lately,” Langston muttered under his breath.
Juno spun around to face him. “What do you mean by that?”
I cleared my throat, drawing her attention. “He means we haven’t gone to Anchorage for that in a while. Well, I actually know the exact date.” I pointed at her. “Since you arrived.”
“What?” Her voice was high-pitched in utter disbelief. Langdon’s broad shoulders rose and fell. “Why? Why would my coming to Anchor Bay have anything to do with your”—she waved her hand around—“extracurricular activities?” She pointed at Langston. “You’ve hated me since the day I arrived.”
“Considered you a potential threat, not hated,” he corrected.
She swung her finger my way, tapping the center of my chest. “And you never once made it clear or even gave me a hint until the last forty-eight hours that you would want something more with me than just being friends. Honestly, if I didn’t know that you guys were into girls too, I would’ve thought you two were happy together.”
Langston and I exchanged a look and winced.
“That is definitely not the case. West and I sometimes….” He trailed off and looked at me for help.
“You can say the wordfuck, Langston.”
He groaned and adjusted his ball cap while staring at the ceiling.
“Exactly. We’re nottogether, together. I love the asshole like a brother. And sometimes things just happen.”
He looked at me, and I held up both hands in surrender.
