Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 43536 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 218(@200wpm)___ 174(@250wpm)___ 145(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43536 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 218(@200wpm)___ 174(@250wpm)___ 145(@300wpm)
“Nah, he’s thinking of himself and Ashley. Poor guy. She wouldn’t even look at him,” Rafe chimed in. “He had a t-shirt made with her face on it that said ‘I heart Ashley’ on the back. They even put a picture of it in the yearbook. It was so sad.”
Lexi giggled, “Really?”
“No,” I told her. “He’s just trying to dodge the fact that he hasn’t acted that stupid since then. Until now. The amount of time he spends avoiding my questions about you should tell you --”
“Should tell you what a nosy bastard my best friend is. Asks me questions about you all the time. I think he’s obsessed with you,” Rafe said.
“Me? You’re the one obsessed with her. I never met her till tonight.
“We’re not even Facebook friends,” I said.
“I do follow your Instagram. And that’s a lot of selfies at the firehouse, I gotta say,” she said.
“Can I help it if I’m photogenic and the firehouse has a ton of props for background? Brick walls, fire trucks, pole, hoses --”
“Yeah, it’s like you’re auditioning for a Hot Firefighters calendar of your own,” she said.
“I wouldn’t say no to a deal like that,” I said.
“While it’s hilarious to scroll through my feed and see five selfies of you with your shirt off, you could seriously be a model. You don’t look like a real fireman. You look like the kind of firemen they put in those pictures in Cosmo and on romance novel covers. The too-good-to-be-true kind,” she said.
“We were both wrong,” I said to Rafe. “She’s the one who’s obsessed, and she’s obsessed with me.”
“Yeah, who knew you were online stalking my roommate,” Rafe said to her sternly. She laughed.
“I had to check out my competition for your time and attention,” she deadpanned. “I had to know what I was up against. And he was obviously too vain to be a threat.”
I laughed. I also stopped to marvel at how well she fit in with us, like she had always been part of our dynamic. She could trash talk with the note of fondness that let us know she was on our side. We were so comfortable going back and forth. We stayed there for hours just talking and laughing. When it was late enough, we all admitted we had to go home, and it felt strange not taking her home with us. That was the weirdest part of all.
The second weirdest was the fact that I was attracted to her. Even when she teased me or gazed at Rafe a little too long, I still imagined the things I’d like to be doing to her. Looking at her, hearing her laugh, all of it made me want her. I knew she was Rafe’s, and I would never take my best friend’s girl, but I was a flesh and blood man. I’d add her to my spank bank and never say word one about it.
As we were leaving to walk her to her car, I thought of something, a way to spend a little more time with her, the three of us. We meshed well, and it was fun. So I went for it without asking Rafe.
“Hey, want to come spar with us at the gym tomorrow around eleven?” I asked.
“What do you do?”
“We fight. Sometimes we box, kickbox, a little MMA. I don’t do krav maga like Rafe, but I can hold my own.”
“I’d like to see that,” she said, “Thanks. I’ll be there.”
I found myself grinning. When I looked at Rafe, he was smiling, too. I wasn’t the only one who thought we were a good fit. And if she was going to be his girl, I might as well get used to being with both of them.
5
Lexi
Taking Rafe’s classes gave me some confidence, but the biggest change in my life was spending time with the guys. I called them ‘my boys,’ said it jokingly at first, but it felt like they were mine. Like after twenty-seven years of not having a family, I was suddenly part of one. They had a bond like brothers, and nothing could shake that. At first, I envied their closeness, the ease of their back and forth rapport, but then I found I could slip into the conversation and match them burn for burn. I felt fizzy and happy inside, sitting with them in the diner, making them laugh.
From that first class, Rafe had gone out of his way to make me feel safe, protected when he was around. I was drawn to him, his strength and sureness, his kindness. Then Leo came into the picture, invaded our cozy supper, all brash and conceited and hilarious. He was more outgoing where Rafe was sincere and serious. Leo was a joker who knew how good looking he was, but he was also a firefighter, a bona fide hero. I only resented him for about five minutes. Then I realized he was friendly and funny and only wanted to hang out with us both. When I saw he meant to include me, to invite me along to spar at the gym, I warmed up to him even more.