Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 100277 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100277 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Yes.
I cackle-laughed at his one-word response and half marveled, half panicked over the fact that one person could affect my mood so much. The day had started out miserable and yet now I was excited. Scared. But lighter. Freer. All because of Rafferty “Rafe” Whitman.
Chapter Twenty-Three
This night was going better than I could have hoped.
I was taken aback by how nervous I was for my friends to meet Rafe. They’d teased me mercilessly about my obvious agitation as we waited for Rafe to arrive at River’s Bar.
About fifteen minutes into our wait, Jude suddenly blurted, “Holy fuck.”
We’d followed his gaze to find Rafe walking through the crowded bar toward us, head above a lot of people, seeming even taller with those broad, broad shoulders. Women and men turned their heads to watch him stroll by.
“Well, isn’t he something?” Roger had murmured in my ear.
I hadn’t responded. I was too busy nervously grinning from ear to ear because I was so stupidly happy to see Rafe and scared he and my friends would clash. I’d squeezed out of the booth to greet him and Rafe had reached out before he’d even drawn to a stop to take hold of my waist. He’d tugged me to him and I’d practically fallen into the sexy but quick kiss he’d given me.
Roger, Jude, and Kendall had gaped up at us as if we were a fascinating TV show. However, Roger, as always, was the first to pull himself together. He’d warmly shaken Rafe’s hand and while Rafe was stiff and quiet, I could tell he was trying. I’d already warned my friends that he was not the greatest at meeting new people.
With a beer in hand, though, it wasn’t long before he was engaged in conversation with Roger about music production. Rafe seemed genuinely interested, and I could tell by the delighted gleam in Roger’s eyes that my best friend was enamored with him.
It was going great!
Until Jude announced loudly, “You know the three of us are in a relationship, right?”
I tensed.
Rafe stared blankly at Jude, and I knew him well enough now to know that he was weighing his words. “Star told me months ago, yes.”
“Does it bother you?”
“Why would it bother me?”
“You strike me as a traditionalist.”
Rafe shrugged. “If you’re happy, it’s none of my business.”
I’d positioned Rafe between me and Roger, and my side was pressed to Rafe’s, so he knew I was there, I was listening, and I would jump in if needed. Sensing my tension, Rafe, still looking at Jude, slid a hand over my knee and squeezed it in reassurance.
“So if Star came to you and said she wanted to add another person into your relationship, you’d be cool with that?” Jude pressed.
“No,” Rafe replied calmly. “You guys might be happy with your relationship, and that’s great, but that doesn’t mean it works for everyone.”
“You wouldn’t do it for Star?”
“I’d do pretty much anything for her . . . but share her. She already knows that.”
My breath caught at the “I’d do pretty much anything for her” part.
Thankfully, Jude liked that a lot and stopped being a pain in the ass.
However, I guess the tension never quite left my body, because about twenty minutes later, Kendall got up and rounded the booth to approach me. She took hold of my hand and yanked on it. “C’mon, I love this song.”
She wanted me to leave Rafe alone with Roger and Jude? I shook my head.
“Please.” Kendall gave me big eyes.
Rafe nudged me. “Go dance if you want.”
I studied his face, trying to gauge whether he was okay for me to leave him. “Sure?”
His lips twitched as if what I’d said was funny. “Yes.”
Reluctantly, I let Kendall pull me up and lead me over to the dance floor. She tugged me to her as she danced and shouted over the music, “I had to get you out of there. You were helicopter mom-ing him!”
Offended, I spluttered, “N-no, I wasn’t!”
Kendall snorted. “You were practically glued to his side, glaring at Roger and Jude in case they said anything out of turn. I’ve never seen you this off-kilter or protective of a guy before. It’s hilarious!”
She was right. I wanted to look over my shoulder so badly to make sure the guys were still including Rafe in the conversation.
As if she’d read my thoughts, Kendall glanced at our table. “They’re chatting. It’s all good. Now relax. You need to relax, Star!” She leaned in so I could hear her say more quietly, more seriously, “It’ll never work if you don’t trust it to work.”
Her words hit me so hard, I stopped swaying my hips to the beat of the music. Feeling more emotional than I could remember feeling in a long while, I asked her, “Do you think I can do this?”
Kendall leaned in again. “I think I’ve never seen you look at anyone the way you look at him. I think for you, there’s no one but him and so I know you can do this.”