Looking ahead, I spot Jensen down the hallway. He’s stopped and is looking at his own phone, his brow furrowed in apparent confusion.
When we reach him, I ask, “You good, Cap?”
“Yeah,” he mumbles, glancing up at me. “I’ve been ordered to hang out with you tonight so Grace can have a girls’ night, I guess.”
“Same, bro,” Carson says, waving his phone. “I’ve been banned from my own home. Pretty fucked up.”
“Can you say whipped?” I chuckle.
He narrows his eyes at me. “Well, we might as well hang out at the apartment you’re getting kicked out of then.”
I roll my eyes. “Can’t Rylee just stay with you guys so I don’t have to be on the couch? It’s not big enough for me. I woke up with a back ache.”
“Nope,” Carson answers without hesitation. “I plan on ravaging my woman into the early hours of the morning, and I can promise you, we are not going to be quiet about it.”
I let out a bark of laughter.
Turning to Jensen, I ask, “What about you? Can you put up with the blonde and her furry demon?”
“Not a chance,” Jensen answers without hesitation. “Between our busy schedules, Grace and I barely get any time to ourselves and I’m not sacrificing what we do get for anything.”
I groan and shake my head. “Fuck… I hate that couch so much.”
“What about Wilder or Jayce?” Carson asks. “Could you bunk with either of them?”
I flinch at the thought. “Uhh… Wilder doesn’t like people invading his space for extended periods of time, and you know Jayce. He’s weird about showing off too much of his personal life.”
Carson pats me on the shoulder. “Don’t worry, buddy. You’re old pals Jensen and Carson will help you out… by finding another couch for you to surf on, because we aren’t about to let you cockblock us.”
Jensen gives a thumbs up and I shake my head.
So much for bro-code… they’re getting laid and I’m stuck on a too-small couch with a Wildcard and her demon side-kick.
Fuck my life.
“Eat dick, Zander!” Carson exclaims as he has Kitana rips Sub-Zero apart right in front of me.
“Fuck!” I growl asFatalityflashes across the screen, mocking me. “Why do I keep playing this with you? You’re freakishly good atMortal Kombat! Such a basic-ass game.”
Carson cackles in evil glee. We’re sitting together on the couch in my would-be apartment, playing video games while Jensen lounges in an armchair next to us. He laughs, pointing at the TV.
“Your ass got whooped,” he taunts.
“Shut up!” I snap. “You guys suck, kicking a guy when he’s down.”
“Ahhh, feeling bummed that you’re such a loser, pal?” Carson asks with mock sympathy.
“No,” I growl. “I’m frustrated… I still can’t believe I haven’t found any place close enough to stay yet. I thought that list my apartment complex gave me would help. Didn’t realize they’d be all booked up already.”
We spent the first couple of hours of the evening going through that list of hotels and apartments and making calls to see if there were any available, but I guess I was too slow to the punch. Plus, my apartment building is huge… lots of people looking for places to stay.
Which means I’m pretty much fucked.
“Don’t worry,” Carson tries to assure me. “We’ll keep looking. There’s got to be a place… ”
The sound of the front door’s lock clicking cuts him off. We all look to see it opening, and I’m tense and ready to attack a would-be intruder before Grace and Sklyer come stumbling into the apartment. To my surprise, they’re dragging/carrying a barely conscious Rylee.
“Hey, guys,” Grace says, sounding breathless. “Sorry to interrupt. We’re just going to go tuck her into bed, okay?”
