Page 68 of When the Time Is Right
His jaw fell slack, and his eyes bulged. “Liar.”
“It’s true. Beep. Boop. And your hot sister. Happy now? Come to think of it, I don’t remember her complaining about feeling sick or talking about leaving the country when she was screaming my name.”
“Ahhh!” he shouted, covering his ears. “Lalalalalalalala. Stop. Make it stop.”
Okay, maybe this was fun.
He fell over onto the thick cushion and stomped his sandal-clad feet on the cement. “I’m the one going to be sick now. That joke isn’t funny. Leave Lex out of your twisted games.”
I didn’t reply and waited for him to settle down. After all, she was his little sister and I really wasn’t trying to be a dick.
Also, he’d asked for it. Begged for it, really.
After he finished gagging, he sat up and asked seriously, “Okay, for real though, who is it? Anyone we know?”
“Dude, I told you. It’s Lex.”
It took a minute, and I gave him time to go through the motions of it sinking in. The gamut of expressions that morphed across his face was almost comical. As soon as I saw him take a deep breath and stretch his neck, I knew he was coming back around.
“Are you two like… Like, what are you… Hudson, what’s going on? Are you two just…” He couldn’t say it and I didn’t blame him. Not often were we serious with one another, but when we needed to talk, we didn’t mince words.
Putting him out of his misery, I told him what I’d want to hear if I were in his shoes. “It’s not like that. I want to be with her.”
He sat forward and propped his elbows on his long, hairy legs. “And does Lex want that?”
I nodded. “But you know her as well as I do. She’s not one for talking about stuff.” In my past, I hadn’t been, either, but having a kid changed all that. There was no room for avoiding conversations just because they were sometimes uncomfortable. Still, I was giving her time to come to terms.
He wiped his palms over his face. “Who knows?”
“Just you and Lauren, so don’t go telling your parents. Lex is probably going to kick my ass for telling you as it is.” Now, I wanted to get down to the meat and potatoes so I could wrap this up and get to her place. I hadn’t planned on spending the afternoon with Dr. Nosy. “Are you pissed?”
His brow bunched. “No. Actually—even though I was joking when I agreed to it—I think I won a hundred bucks from Lauren. Besides, why would I be pissed?”
“I don’t know. You’re my best friend and her brother. It’s not going to be messed up for you to get used to?”
“Man, if you’re for real about her, it shouldn’t matter who gives a fuck, me included. Nobody loves Vanessa, but I don’t give a shit. She may not be anyone’s favorite except mine, but I love her and she loves me. So to hell with all of you.” And that was why he’d been my best friend for almost two decades. Calvin was a damn good guy.
“Good. Thanks.”
“No need to thank me. Thank you. Now, I don’t have to worry about her getting with some prick anymore.”
“So we’re cool?”
“Baby, we’re ice cold.”
We both stood and he gestured like he was coming in for a hug and then waited for my approval. When I shrugged, he pulled me in and slapped me hard, really hard, on the back.
Then he said, “And just so we’re clear, I never—ever—want to talk about you getting laid again. That part of our friendship is over now. We had a good run. Now, get the fuck out of here before I change my mind and drown you in this cursed money pit you built me.”
“Deal.” I knew when to press my luck and when to fold, and I had somewhere else I’d rather be anyway.
As I drove away from his house, I was feeling pretty damn high. I was two-and-oh on people taking the news well and couldn’t wait until Lex and I were out in the open with everyone in our lives.
Maybe then it wouldn’t feel like a dream.
Maybe then it would be without-a-doubt real.I missed a call from Lauren when I was in the shower, but she didn’t leave a voicemail, so I decided I’d just call her back some other time. A different time when I wasn’t scrubbing and buffing every square inch of my body for her son’s father’s benefit.
To say things were a bit complicated was an understatement. Hell, I was still letting my mind wrap around it.
I smiled at my reflection in the foggy mirror. We’d officially made it to Friday and Lauren would have Jack for the next few days.
And I’d have Hudson.
It wasn’t until my phone buzzed again that I got suspicious—and then immediately livid.
