"Sorry. I should have helped you with those."
He laughed. "No worries! I meant the threshold."
She blinked. "Oh. Oops!"
"It's fine," he said. "This isn't the threshold I want, since it's not permanent."
"You're saying you want to carry me across the threshold at our new house?"
"I'd be honored."
The two of them in the same room together made me feel incredibly extra. Their eyes smoldered as they gazed at each other. They continued to walk toward each other, as though drawn together like magnets.
I cleared my throat, reminding them I was still here.
"Oh, hi, Gabe." Bruce took a step back, away from Becca. "Nice to see you."
"Congratulations again to the happily married couple," I said, though I doubted they heard me when their gazes collided again. "So, I guess I'll be going."
"Wait." Bruce's gaze snapped to mine. "I wanted to ask how things are going with Mika."
"Well, I've only known him a month." The last two weekends had been late-night make-out sessions and repeats of their wedding night, but I wouldn't tell them that. "Not much to report."
"Yeah, I get that." He grinned like he already knew what we'd done, or maybe he could guess. "I wanted to make sure you won't let a good thing pass you by just because your dad has different ideas about what an alpha should be."
"Oh, I know," I said. "I haven't let Dad make my decisions for me for years."
"Good," Bruce said. "I'd hate for Mika to miss out on such a great guy due to stereotypes."
"Are you saying I'm a great guy?" I teased. Hey, fishing for compliments was my only sport.
"Well, of course," he said. "You think I'd still let you hang around Becca if you were an asshole?"
"Excuse me," Becca said. "You don't get to tell me who to hang out with."
"I know, I know." He raised his hands in defeat. "But hear me out. If he was a total douchebag, like Kelvin?—"
"Oh gods, Kelvin," she said. "Don't even mention his name."
"You were close for a minute," he teased.
"He wanted to get a lot closer, but I wasn't having it. Right, Gabe?"
"Right," I answered. The guy had tried to step in once Bruce left for North Carolina. Before the end of September, his intentions had become gross and transparent. "It took both of us, but we kicked him to the curb."
"That's why I like you," Bruce said. "You've always had her back when I couldn't be with her. I spent the early years resenting your friendship, but that was selfish and unfair."
A hot flush of pride rose from my chest, shoving all responses from my head.
Becca responded for me with a smacking kiss on his cheek. "That's so sweet. I'm glad you like each other."
"We like you more, though," Bruce said, never raising his gaze from hers. "Right, Gabe?"
"Right. I'll see myself out."
They paid no attention as I strode past their forgotten bags, through the entryway, and onto the outdoor terrace outside their apartment. I pulled up my rideshare app as I walked down the concrete steps. Once they were on their way, I meandered to the lone picnic table on a grassy hill overlooking the parking lot. It was a beautiful Thursday in late spring, and my friends were back from their vacation. Why did I suddenly feel completely and utterly alone?
I canceled my ride and called another, this time with a different destination in mind, somewhere I wouldn't be alone.
