Page 2 of The Last Thing
“Love is not coming for me,”I say pointedly, looking around the booth at our favorite little bar, McGills Tavern. It’s a safe space, it’s never overcrowded, the drinks are good, and the burgers are amazing.
Unfortunately, I’m surrounded by hopeless romantics.
The game this afternoon was fun. Frannie, who now lives upstate in a tiny little town called Ida, came down for the weekend—though she and Mark went back to their apartment here to bone as soon as dinner was over. I can’t blame them. If I had someone to give me regular phenomenal orgasms, that’s where I’d want to be too.
Though I’m happy for her, I miss her. It sucked when she moved upstate, but at least when she visited, it was our time together. Her, me, and our cousin, Kennedy—who is more like our sister since our moms are sisters and our dads are brothers—the Baker girls.
We grew up together until Kennedy’s family moved to California when she was eleven and I was six. She moved back here after college, but a couple of months ago, she went back toCalifornia for her high school reunion and decided to stay since she and her best friend Devonfinallyadmitted they were in love after denying it for years.
I miss them, but I’m happy for them. They deserve to live their best lives—and love stories.
Just because I don’t want one doesn’t mean I’m not happy for them.
With me tonight are two of Mark’s teammates—wide receiver Ryan Hardison a.k.a. Hardy, and Brian Ackley, a giant lineman with the softest of hearts—and my brother from another mother, Justin Ayers. He met Kennedy and Devon ten years ago at college in Chicago and moved back here with them when college was over.
From the first time I met him, we had big sibling energy, and he’s always acted like my brother, giving me shit and protecting me. He’s moved around a bit, and now lives upstate in a neighboring town to where Frannie lives. With his wife, Jade, who is also here. Because the man got married six weeks ago to someone he’d only known for two weeks because she needed health insurance.
Yet, with the way he looks at her, it’s obvious that has nothing to do with why he married her.
He’s stupidly in love. Just like Frannie and Mark. And Kennedy and Devon. The love bug is chomping its way through our friend group.
But. Not. Me.
I don’t do love.
I love seeing the people I love happy in their relationships. I believe love can last. But I also know it can catastrophically destroy you. And that’s not a risk I’ve ever been willing to take.
But Hardy just pats my hand. “Baby girl, I don’t think you get to choose that.”
“He’s right,” Brian says. His voice is soft, filled with longing, and there’s a deep ache in his eyes.
A look that only increases when Hardy gives him a gentle look and squeezes his arm. “You will find it when the time is right. When the person is right.”
And if the love bug is looking for its next victims, it needs to open its eyes because they’re sitting right there.
I’ve known Brian is bisexual for a while. He told me soon after we met, though I’m not sure he’s told anyone else. We both have an emo-kid side and we bonded over that. He’s never admitted his feelings for Hardy to me, but I see them. I have no idea how Hardy identifies or if he has any feelings for Brian, but with the tenderness in his eyes when he speaks, it’s impossible to believe he doesn’t feelsomething.
So, crossing my fingers those two figure it out, because I hate seeing that hurt and desperation in Brian’s eyes.
But as quickly as all that angst filtered into his eyes, it disappears again.
“Yeah. You’re right. And I don’t need to mope, so let’s go grab another drink.”
I slide out of the booth to let them go to the bar, and as I’m slipping back in, the bell over the door goes off.
Andhello.
Walking in is a deliciously hot man with dark hair and a face full of dark stubble. His jaw is set tightly, and he’s loosening his tie like it’s the most restrictive thing in the world. He’s a little older than me for sure—not hard since I’m only twenty-three—but he looks like exactly my type.
Smiling, I sit down in the booth, watching him as he walks to the bar and orders a drink.
Target acquired.
CHAPTER TWO
WILSON
Getme out of this fucking monkey suit.
