“You guys are something else,” I mutter, and he laughs. Just like that, the tension is gone.
I pull into their driveway, and he claps me on the shoulder before opening the door. “Good talk.”
Yeah, good’s one word for it. But something in my chest swells. Shane deserves to have people in his corner.
We walk up to the front door, and the moment Nebs opens it, I’m smacked in the face with the delicious aroma of cumin and garlic. We step into the entry—and stop dead in our tracks.
Off-key humming mixes with the clank of dishes as Shane bops around the kitchen. He’s a mix of wild butt-wiggles and enthusiastic hip thrusts as he puts the dishes he must have just washed away. His hair is half-up in a topknot, earbuds in, and he’s wearing a loose beachy tank the color of sunset that has palm trees on it. His gray sweats are bunched up below the knee where they meet his bright pink socks—socks that match the exact shade of pink on his sunset shirt. He looks ridiculous.
Ridiculously cute.
He hums louder and breaks into song. “These bros can’t suck like me.”Thrust. “These bros can’t suck like me.”Ass-wiggle. “These bros can’t suck like me.”Double-thrust. “Mmm-mmm. I’m the sucking queen.”
“What the literal fuck?” Nebiolo says.
Shane turns and catches sight of us. His face splits into a smile. “You’re here!”
I wince. His yell is so loud, it’s an assault on the ears.
He chuckles and taps his earbuds, then quickly pockets them. “Sorry. That song is my fuckingjam. Kim Petras’s ‘Slut Pop Reprise’. I just discovered it, and I’m obsessed.”
“I have so many questions,” I murmur.
“Me too,” Nebs says to me from the corner of his mouth. “But I don’t know if I want to know the answers.” He turns a smile on Shane and heads into the kitchen. “Glad you’re vibing, man. It smells fucking delicious in here. Thanks for cooking. I can help put the rest of this away.”
“Don’t you want to drop your bag in your room first?” Shane says and gives Nebs an exaggerated wink.
Nebs freezes. “Shane…”
“There’s a surprise for you upstairs,” Shane sings.
Oh shit. I forgot about that. I wonder what—I blink. Because Nebs is already stampeding up the stairs, and I’m pretty sure if he moved any faster, he would have left dust clouds in his tracks.
“I swear to fucking God, Shane,” his voice carries downstairs. “If it’s not what you just made me think it is—Shelby!”
A door slams, cutting off the rest of Nebiolo’s exclamation. Shane grins at me. He puts his hands on his heart and lets out a wistful sigh. “Oh, to be young and in love.”
I bite my lip against a foolish grin. “You’re ridiculous, you know that?”
His blue eyes glimmer playfully at me. “I think you like it.”
Yeah, I really fucking do.
“So, Neb’s surprise…?”
“His girlfriend. Shelbs and Maddy drove up to surprise Paulie and East. They live in Connecticut. Kind of a boon being on the Clippers, them being so close.”
He glances from side to side and leans forward. “AndI know something Paulie doesn’t know.” Those tempting pink lips spread into a mischievous grin. He’s so damn excited about it my heart can barely take it. “Shelbs is here for an entireweek. Maddy for longer because the semester is done, and Madz is doing a clinical rotation here in Providence for the summer.” He sighs. “Poor Paulie. Bad day to get stuck late at the clubhouse. Easton already had his fun celebrating his surprise. The whole apartment could hear his…cheering.”
I grin. “Good for him. That’s awesome that the guys will have their girls with them for a while. I can’t imagine how tough the distance must be.”
Shane lets out a strangled, high-pitched laugh. “Yeah. Girls. Yeah.” He fidgets with his topknot. “Distance. Hard. Girls.”
Okay…that was very weird.
I open my mouth to ask what’s wrong when a shirtless man comes striding into the kitchen, beelining for the fridge. He’s flushed, the kitchen lighting reflecting off the sheen on his skin. This must be Neb’s brother. Doesn’t look too much like him. He has fairer skin and sharper features. He takes a swig of one of the two water bottles he nabbed from the fridge, and his green stare catches on me.
He cocks his head as he lowers his drink. “Jed Stone Junior. In the flesh.”
