Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 129881 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 649(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129881 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 649(@200wpm)___ 520(@250wpm)___ 433(@300wpm)
“Why don’t you ask him,” Dean says at full fucking volume.
My face catches fire. “God. Would you read the room please? I’m obviously whispering for a reason.”
Dean rubs at his eyes. He suddenly looks exhausted.
“The talk went fine. I still don’t think it’s a good idea, especially now, but you already knew that. And your boyfriend takes my advice as well as you do. You two are perfect for each other.”
“Thank you. That’s what I’ve been saying.”
“I was being—you know what? Never mind. How are you feeling now?”
“Fine, I guess.” I stretch my neck from side to side. “Just tired. Like, I could probably take a nap for three days straight.”
“You’re not shaking anymore, are you?”
“No. Thank fuck.” I show him my steady hand. “I really hate that. I don’t know how people can love uppers so much.”
“Probably not a bad thing for you to feel that way.”
I shrug. “Whatever. I still took them.”
Dean squeezes my shoulder.
Jake walks up then, his eyes lingering on Dean’s hand until it falls away. “What’s going on?”
“Felix is tired.”
Jake looks at me. “Do you want to go lay down?”
My brows lift. “What. Here?”
Dean cuts in before Jake can respond. “I need to open up the shop sometime today. I can drop you off at my house on the way if you want.”
“Why?” Jake almost sounds offended. “He can just stay here. What’s the big deal?”
“It’s not a big deal. I just gotta come back and get him after I close tonight. He’s sleeping at my place until we can get him a new mattress and fix his door.”
“Or he can stay here until that happens.” Jake looks over at me. “What do you want to do?”
“I didn’t realize I had options. Did you just invite me to spend the night?”
“Yeah.”
“Like, until I get a new mattress and shit?”
“Sure. Why not?”
“Am I allowed to do that?”
“Why the fuck wouldn’t you be allowed?”
“I don’t know. It’s not your house…”
“I’m fine with it!” Riley hollers, and I quickly glance back to catch her waving at me before she slips down the hallway. “I totally ship you guys by the way!”
“Oh. Thank you!” I turn back to Dean. “She ships us. You hear that?”
“I hate that I know what that means.”
“I don’t.” My grin right now. Wow. “Anyway. I’ll just stay here.”
I’m expecting a little push back, or at least the look Dean gives me when he claims I’m responsible for his headache, but maybe he realizes it’s pointless to try and talk me out of this now that Jake and I have decided to fuck the rules and each other.
God, I cannot wait to get to that second part.
“Check in with me later, all right?”
Dean puts his hand on the back of my neck and squeezes, and because it feels so nice, I absolutely count this as our second hug.
“Thanks for everything today,” I tell him.
“Anytime. You know that.” He extends his hand to Jake. “Remember what I said.”
“You too.”
I watch them smirk at each other as silent words are exchanged, and maybe I’m still a little fucked up and seeing things that aren’t really transpiring right now, but I don’t think I am, because the jealousy I’m feeling is warranted.
I know exactly what’s happening here.
“So what, you two are like best friends or some shit now?” I pass my glare between them. “Already have little inside jokes, do we? That’s fucked. And honestly, a little hurtful.”
“Someone’s jealous,” Jake has the audacity to say.
I get right in his face. “Get your own best friend. Dean’s mine. Got it?”
Ignoring whatever mumbled, smartass response Jake gives me, I spin around and square up with Dean.
“Same goes for you. Jake may be my boyfriend, but he’s also well on his way to best friend status, and I want to be his. You can be friends only. No besties.”
Dean rolls his eyes and turns away. “Goodbye, Felix.”
“I mean it! I want in on all inside jokes!”
The door closes behind him.
I huff and watch Jake move closer to me with the most satisfying grin on his face, and I try not to react to that or the way he grabs hold of my waist and presses his forehead against mine, because I want to make sure he knows how serious I am about being his number one person.
“I meant what I said,” I grumble, melting into him no matter how hard I try not to. “I like you and Dean being close, I just want me and you to be closer. You know?”
“Well, I don’t want to fuck him, so you’ve got him beat there.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
“I’ve never had a best friend before, or been someone else’s best friend, and I know I’ll never be Dean’s because he’s married and his wife holds that spot, but I could be yours one day, Jake, and I know this sounds silly and you probably don’t get why this is a big deal for me, but I’ve really never had that before, not even when I was little, and I want that so bad. I want to be that person for you.”