Page 94 of Stir

“You’re a real prick, you know that?” I drop down onto the couch, pick up my coffee, and take a pull. God knows I’m going to need it to get through this visit. “There aren’t any more secrets. I’ve told you all of it.”

West raises a single eyebrow. Callie frowns.

“You’ve now met my boyfriend and my girlfriend.”

“Our girlfriend,” calls Nic from the kitchen.

My face goes nuclear. “Our girlfriend. So unless you’re asking me to start sharing the details, I think I’ve told you everything.” West throws up his hands and Callie puts her fingers in her ears. “Yeah, I thought not.”

Silence reigns for a long beat, and then Callie grins at me. “Boyfriend and girlfriend, huh?”

“Oh, you’re one to talk.”

“Sorry about that,” says Natalie, coming into the living room in a rush. Nic and Lee join us, and Nic hands her a coffee. “Thank you. What did I miss?”

“You’re our girlfriend,” says Nic glibly, taking his usual seat in the chair across from the couch.

Natalie blinks, her mouth opening in a small, perfect O.

“Um, is that the official term?” she asks, staring over my head at the wall like she doesn’t know quite who to ask.

“There are a couple options if you don’t like that one,” says Lee, smiling at the room at large.

The next hour is one of the strangest and best of my life. Natalie and Callie hit it off like old friends, well enough that I have to school myself for feeling jealous. Which makes no sense whatsoever.

Nic and West get into pissing contest territory once or twice, but Lee turns out to be an excellent moderator, walking them back to friendly conversation with no apparent effort. Eventually, they realize they’ve got multiple mutual acquaintances and, before long, are trading stories about the people they know.

I end up standing next to Lee as we finish off yet another pot of coffee.

“Was this little field trip your idea?” I ask him. His lips twitch.

“Plead the Fifth.” He drains his cup and sets it on the end table. “But showing up unannounced was all Callie. I had nothing to do with that part.”

Sounds about right. “I’m glad you did.”

Lee does a double take.

What can I say? Considering where I was a few months ago, where we all were before Alex’s wedding, this is better than I ever dreamed. If Nic’s brother would back the fuck off, life would be damn near perfect.

Well, except the part where I wouldn’t be working with Natalie and Nic anymore. If his brother cleans up his act and stops threatening Nic, they won’t need me hanging around every day.

Which is… not a nice thought.

Fuck it. This is still a good moment, and closing in on a great morning.

Now if only they’d just leave, so we could get back to what we were doing before they got here.

Lee catches on that I’ve checked out of the conversation entirely. He clears his throat. West looks up, catching his eye immediately, which is a pretty fucking neat trick. Not sure I’ll ever get over seeing my old friend like that over another man.

But then I share a glance with Nic and Natalie. Who knows? Stranger things have happened.

30

NIC

“Two words: Knife shoes.”

Natalie rolls her eyes. “I will pretend to care about hockey if you want me to, Finn, but really. It’s okay. You don’t have to convince me.”

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