Page 124 of The Path to Loving Him
“At least you don’t have to spend the night with them. Bower is going to go on and on about this all night. I’m not going to get any sleep. She’s going to repeatedly tell me how stupid she thinks I am and how I’m making a bad choice by doing the friends-with-no-benefits thing.”
“Yeah, join the club,” I say while smoothing my hand over my jaw.
“Are we being stupid?” she asks softly.
“Maybe,” I say. “But next week will prove that we’re right. When we start working with the boys in strength and conditioning and basic drills. It will be different, and we’ll be happy for the separation.”
“That’s what I keep saying to myself. But seriously, I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I’m pretty sick of discussing it.It’s like we’re living in some reality show, and the main plot everyone is following is our sex life.”
“For real,” I say as I lean back in my chair. “I think our friends and family need to get a life.”
“I could not agree more. Maybe we should start meddling with them.”
“Ooo, that’s a good idea. I already have some intel.”
“You do?” she asks, looking excited. “Do tell.”
“Well, when I was over there with Hayes and Abel, Abel asked me if Bower was single.”
“Shut up,” Gabby says, sitting up on a wince.
“Hey, careful.” I hold out my hand to help her up. She takes it and settles in closer to me.
“He wants to know if Bower’s single?”
“Yeah, he was curious. I told him she’s not for him, but now I think we could have some fun since they seem to be torturing us.”
“Hold on, why don’t you think she’s right for him?”
“Because I don’t think he could handle her. From what I’ve seen, she’s out of his league, and he’d have a hard time keeping up.”
“I don’t know,” Gabby says, looking over at Abel and Bower, who are talking with Hayes, Hattie, and Aubree. Or at least they’re pretending to. “I think he might be able to tame her.”
“You think Abel could tame her?” I shake my head. “Abel is . . . how do I put this? He’s not the kind of guy who I think would put himself out there to be changed. I don’t know if that makes any sense, but he’s pretty quiet about his personal life, so I was surprised when he asked about Bower. Then he mentioned that maybe getting a dog was better.”
That makes Gabby turn up her nose. “Bower is way better than a dog.”
“But Bower is not the person he’s hung up on.”
“Who’s he hung up on?” she asks. Honestly, I don’t know why I brought it up, because now I have to answer her.
“Uh . . . well, he sort of had deep feelings for my sister Cassidy.”
Gabby presses her hand to her chest. “Oh God, that’s so awful.”
“Yeah, I didn’t know about it until later, and let’s just say I don’t think he will ever get over those feelings.”
“Yeah, so maybe we don’t play with them.”
“Maybe,” I say, irritated.
“Have any other ideas?”
“Yeah, but I can’t tell you because I was sworn to secrecy, and my neck is on the line if the news is spread. I’m one of two who know.”
“Hmm, are you saying you don’t trust me?”
“I don’t trust my luck,” I say. “And now that we run in the same-ish circle, I can’t chance it.”
