Page 36 of Break: Vol. 2

"I appreciate the show of friendly support," I said with a chuckle.

She sniffed and tipped her nose up. "Just doing my duty."

"Yeah, well..." I nudged her shoulder with mine as we took a seat on one of the many rows of plastic chairs set around Julio's Boxing Gym, "you do it well."

She waved that away and turned to look at me. "So, you're nervous about meeting all of their families and coming clean," she concluded.

I nodded.

"Damn girl, that just sucks to suck, doesn't it?"

I gaped at her. "You bitch! You're supposed to console me or give me advice or something!"

She laughed, a full bodied, hand on her stomach, head thrown back laugh. Tears of amusement filled her eyes as she peeked them open and looked at me only to have her laughing hysteria overtake her once more. "Babe," she finally said as she calmed, "what do you want me to say? I'm not the one in a relationship with multiple guys."

I pouted. "No, but you want to be."

She stiffened and then rolled her eyes. "That's beside the point."

"Oh really? How's being Oliver and Bastian's roommate? Their completelyplatonicroommate?"

She glared at me. "Now you're just being mean."

"Payback is a bitch, ain't it?"

She swatted my arm. "Oh shut it," she said. "Come on, let's get a shower and if you're nice, I'll take you to this new coffee shop I found down the street. We can talk more about your impending doom and maybe even figure out a way to stop World War III from happening."

I grimaced as I got up, stretching the sore muscles we'd worked out today. "You don't really think it'll be that bad, do you?" I wondered aloud as I followed her.

She shrugged. "Who knows? Come on, hurry it up!"

I sighed and followed after her, hurrying into the women's locker room where we rushed through a shower and dressing. My hair hung in wet strings down my back, soaking into the dark fabric of the extra t-shirt I'd packed for this side trip. I wrung it out as we strode along the sidewalk, avoiding tourists and cars that drove far too close to the sides of the road. The noise level of the city was obnoxious, but there was also a sort of comforting note about it. The lights were always on. Someone was always awake. You were never alone.

"There it is!" Roxi's hand closed around mine, and she dragged me along behind her with such force I had to wonder if she'd been going to the gym more than she'd claimed since she moved here.

Expresso Lane?I looked up at the wooden sign dangling in front of the small coffee shop that Roxi had stopped us in front of and read the intricate wording of the coffee shop's name. "There!" she called out, pointing to a table on the sidewalk at the very end of the patio. "Grab it!" She rushed forward, releasing me from her grip, and slid into a seat, peering around as if she had narrowly managed to snag it when, in fact, there was no one else rushing to get a seat. Several patrons were actually eyeing her with a mixture of confusion and irritation. I sighed and moved forward as my cheeks heated.

"You're ridiculous," I said with a sigh as I plopped into the free seat across from her.

Roxi shrugged, brushing her ponytail behind her as she propped her elbows up on the table and leaned forward. Before she could say anything more, a waiter came out and took down our coffee orders—something I hadn't experienced back home—and then disappeared inside.

"Now," Roxi said, reclaiming my attention, "what's your game plan with the guys and their families?"

"I don't really have one," I said. "I'm meeting them tomorrow night."

She frowned. "That's cutting it close to the ceremony, isn't it?"

I shrugged. "We don't really have time for any other preparations," I replied. "After this, I'm meeting up with them to go apartment hunting again. I think we've found the place we're going to be moving into—at least, that’s what the guys have assured me—but I wanted all of us to go take a look at it before anyone signs a lease. Then I have to pick up my dress tomorrow morning. My parents are flying in after that..." I trailed off. Just thinking about all of the things I would have to do in the next 24-48 hours really had my head spinning.

"Jesus," Roxi stared at me as the waiter came back and delivered our coffees. I sipped mine thoughtfully as Roxi lifted her eyebrows and poured half of the sugar container on the table into her cup along with a considerable amount of milk.

"Are you drinking coffee or milk?" I asked with a quirk of my brow.

She shrugged, swirling her spoon in the mixture. "You really one to judge?" she asked, glancing meaningfully at my vanilla frappuccino. "Can you even consider that coffee?"

I sipped it thoughtfully. "Point taken," I conceded.

"I know you said you wanted advice on what to do about the guys' families," she said, resting her spoon on her napkin and lifting the cup to her lips. She took a long sip and sighed in pleasure as she settled the cup back down. "But I don't know what to tell you, Babe. The guys love you, right?"

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