Page 41 of The Attraction

“Asshole, that’s not true. Your wife takes that crown.” And Flynn’s words just make Nic laugh even louder.

“True, I can’t even argue with that.” Nic slaps Flynn on the shoulder.

“That’s the problem with this little group now that you all have significant others. Nothing ever stays in this circle, because as soon as one of the girls gets a sniff that you are hiding something, they push each one of you or bribe you, and how that happens I don’t even want to know. But then once it’s in the girls’ circle then everyone knows. So, you all suck, you know that?” I look around our table at the best friends a man could have, but I still feel a little on the outside.

“So, you are hiding something!” Flynn pipes up.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Flynn, let it rest, will you.” Needing to change the subject, I know the perfect thing to deflect him. “By the way, I told Mum that you were fine for dinner this Saturday night. I told her I would arrange for a car to pick them up and bring them to my apartment. You’re cooking, so send me a list of ingredients,” I say, smiling smugly like I have managed to curve around that conversation.

“Ughhh. I’m sure Felisha and I have a thing on then. Sorry, buddy, I have to cancel.”

“Funny that she replied to me this morning saying that she would bring the wine to match your menu. So, you can stop madly texting your fiancée now.”

“You are just as bad as when we were kids, always one step ahead of me. Fine… can’t wait.” He waves his index finger in a circle in the air.

“Oh, I can tell,” I say, holding my beer in the air toward him. “You’re welcome.”

Nic and Rem laugh because it’s always like this between us.

Our conversation then drifts over to the draw for this week’s Premier League games. But the whole time we are talking, my mind is on Harper. It’s like the moment I tell my brain it can switch off from work, it creates space for her.

I wasn’t really listening until Flynn’s voice boomed next to me and had my head snapping up to look at him.

“Oh my God, you’ve slept with her already, haven’t you?”

“What?” I reply, shocked from my daydreaming.

“Sucker, you owe me that hundred pounds. I told you he wouldn’t last a week.” Rem slaps his hand on the table, pointing with his other hand at Flynn, and I glare at them.

“What the hell, you all bet on Harper and me sleeping together? How fucking old are you? Seriously, that’s just pathetic. Or was it just you two?” Feeling the aggravation building, I turn to look at Nic.

He shrugs sheepishly. “Sorry, buddy, but I had you at four weeks. I thought we had warned you enough to stay away from her that you would’ve lasted longer.”

“You’re all fucked, you know that, right?” I snap, putting my glass down on the table.

“Yes, but areyoufucked?” Flynn is already laughing at his answer before he finishes talking.

“I hate you.” I glare at him, and we both know I don’t mean it.

“Fellas, and there we have it. That nonanswer is the answer we are all looking for.”

I decide I’m not sharing what is going on between me and Harper because I’m not entirely sure where we are heading.

“Moving on, I’m not talking about this.” And just as Flynn is about to continue with his barrage of annoyance, Rem looks down at his ringing phone and then holds his finger up as he answers it.

“Ashton,” Rem says into his phone.

One word and I push my beer away, attentive and looking at him to try to work out his body language which will tell me what sort of call this is.

“Damn it,” Rem replies to him, not looking happy.

All the joking at the table is gone, and we sit up, ready to run if we need to. Which sounds ridiculous, because in reality, I know she is safe, but it’s just the feeling running through me right now.

“Yeah, keeping it between us is best for the moment. Appreciate it. Will check in with you tomorrow. Bye.” Rem pulls the phone from his ear and doesn’t even stop to take a breath, turning straight to me and repeating the intel.

“Harper is fine, but there has been a further development overnight in the States. Chester has started searching on how to enter the UK with a criminal record.”

“Fuck,” I hiss, anger running rampant through me.

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