by E. L. Todd
Kayden left my mind immediately. “Whoa…hold on.” That was a ton of information to get in thirty seconds. “So, you’re dating Ryker now?”
“Yes.”
That was my worst nightmare. “No. Rae. No.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“He’s the biggest player I know. He’s worse than me, if you can imagine it. He’s not good enough for you, and he never will be. He’s just going to break your heart. Just trust me on this.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “What did we talk about, Rex?”
“I know. I know.” I raised both of my hands in frustration. “I’m not trying to stick my nose where it doesn’t belong, but I need to warn you. He might be a smooth talker, but he’s just trying to get into your pants.”
“Rex, I’m a big girl, and I can make my own decisions.”
“I’m just trying to save you some time and heartbreak.”
“Ryker asked me out on a date—a real one. This isn’t a fling.”
“That’s what he wants you to think.” Ryker was a good guy, in general. But I didn’t want him with my sister.
“He’s different with me.”
I rolled my eyes. “Every guy is different with you. But then they all end up showing their true colors.”
She stomped her foot. “Rex, I’m not asking for your permission. I’m just telling you what’s going on. Don’t get those two things mixed up.”
“I really, really think this is a bad idea.”
“Well, I don’t care what you think. I really like him, and I want to be with him.”
God, this was terrible.
“So, just let it go.”
I wanted to keep arguing, but would that do me any good? “Don’t expect me to comfort you when he breaks your heart, Rae. Because I won’t.” I saw the ending before it even began. She would fall in love with him, and he would move on with a supermodel. I’d seen it enough times.
“You haven’t seen him in ten years. You don’t even know what he’s like anymore.”
“I know he hasn’t changed.”
“Whatever.” She held up her hand to silence me. “You can bitch and moan all you want, but it’s not going to change anything.”
“Fine. Go waste your time. See if I care.”
“I don’t.” She stomped her foot again.
The doorbell rang.
My eyes immediately went to it, and the rage kicked in. “Is it him?” It would be the perfect opportunity to rip his head off.
“It’s Zeke.”
The anger immediately died down. “Zeke?”
“We’re going to dinner tonight.” She opened the door and greeted him. “Hey. Are you as hungry as I am?”
Shit. Today was Saturday.
She was having dinner with Zeke.
And he was going to tell her about his feelings.
Fuck, he was going to get demolished. “Zeke, I need to talk to you for a second.” I wasn’t going to let my friend make an idiot of himself. He would never recover from that.
“No.” Rae grabbed his arm. “We’re already running late, and you two talk forever like a bunch of schoolgirls.”
Zeke chuckled. “She has a point, man.”
“No, this is damn important.” I grabbed his other arm.
“Rex.” Rae pushed me off. “Not now. I already know what you’re going to say, and I don’t have time for it.” When she grabbed Zeke, he immediately let her pull him along because he was whipped like a damn pussy.
“Zeke.” I followed him out the door then I made a gesture with my hand that said, “Don’t tell her.”
He tilted his head to the side. “What?”
“Rex, what are you doing?” Rae asked.
I ignored her. “Dude, don’t do the thing you were gonna do. You know what I’m talking about?”
Zeke still looked confused. “Uh…”
“Just don’t do the thing you were going to do,” I said firmly. “Abort it.” I hoped he would understand I was telling him this for a reason, not just because I didn’t particularly like it.
“What thing?” Rae asked. “Rex, what are you talking about?”
“Trust me,” I said to Zeke. “Don’t. Do. It.”
“Zeke, what’s he talking about?” Rae asked.
Zeke’s eyebrows furrowed. “I’m not sure…”
“Well, let’s go.” Rae started to walk away. “I’m starving.”
Zeke gave me a confused look before he walked away.
I had a feeling this was going to be a disaster. I pulled out my phone and sent him a text message. He would probably check it sometime before they had dinner. Dude, don’t tell her how you feel. She just told me she’s dating Ryker and she’s really into him. I’m sorry, man.
Poor guy.
Chapter Ten
Rae
“Would you judge me if I got the ribs?”
Zeke looked at me from across the table, the corner of his lip upturned in a smile. “Do I ever judge you for anything?”
“True. That’s why we’re friends.” I closed the menu because I knew exactly what I wanted.
“I’m sure there’s more to it.” He set his menu down.
After the waiter brought our drinks and took our order, we were alone again. I couldn’t stop thinking about that conversation Rex just had with Zeke. “So, what was that weird thing back at the apartment?”
“With Rex?”
“Yeah.”
He shrugged. “You know Rex. Scientists have been studying him for years, and they still don’t understand him.”
I laughed. “Yeah, I guess that’s true.”
“How’s work?”
“Good. I’m working on that biodegradable packaging project, and I’ve seen good results.”
“That’s awesome,” he said. “If it works out, it could really change the consumers’ habits.”
“I know. I’m just worried it won’t be convenient enough. We live in a world where most people get their nutrition through the drive-thru and microwave dinners. This might be too much for them.”
He nodded. “I see what you mean. But there’s a large population of people in the U.S. that really care about recycling and protecting the environment. You’ll appeal to them.”
“True.”
“I think it’s great what you’re doing, Rae. It really makes a difference.” He held my gaze without blinking.
He always gave me looks like that, like he was fond of me or proud of me. He was a mix between a best friend and a brother. Sometimes I felt more comfortable telling him things than Jessie and Kayden. Zeke and I clicked the moment we crossed paths. It just felt right with him. “Thanks.”
He sipped his beer but continued to look at me.
“How’s the office?”
“Good. I had a patient with severe cystic acne. It was the worst I’ve ever seen. Over the course of three months, I’ve been treating it with antibiotics, topical cream, and a specific moisturizer. It’s done wonders. When she came in the other day, she started crying because her face had improved so much.”
“Awe…”
Emotion was in his eyes. “Yeah…I love my job.”
“That’s so great for her. Is she young?”
“Sixteen.”
“Oh, so that’s a really big deal.”
“It is,” he said. “She’s a pretty girl, so she’s going to have a lot of self-esteem now.”
“That’s great.”
“Her parents didn’t have good insurance, so they couldn’t afford most of the medications. So I didn’t charge her for my time.”
That didn’t surprise me at all. “You’re so sweet, Zeke. If I were sick, I’d want you to take care of me.”
He smiled. “I would always take care of you, Rae.”
Our conversation was interrupted when the food arrived. My baby back ribs looked messy, and his chicken looked elegant.
Zeke eyed my food. “Should I ask for extra napkins?”
“That would pro
bably be best.”
He waved down the waiter.
Once I had them, I set them right next to me. I’d definitely need them for this meal. “Seeing anybody?” Zeke didn’t usually have girlfriends, at least serious ones. He’d see someone for a few weeks before he moved on to someone else.
“Not right now.”
“Taking a break?” I asked. “Need to recuperate?” He told me about this sex addict he was seeing. It was fun at first until his dick felt sore.
He chuckled. “Yeah, I guess.” He looked down at his food as he ate.
I should tell him about Ryker since he would hear about it from my brother. And I’d rather have Zeke hear the real story of what happened rather than the ridiculous one my brother made up.
“Speaking of seeing people…” He stopped eating altogether and set down his fork. “There’s something I want to talk about, and it’s not exactly easy.” He rubbed the back of his neck and didn’t make eye contact with me for a long time.
Seeing Zeke nervous about anything wasn’t normal. He was always confident and good with words. My phone vibrated on the table and lit up. I felt rude looking at it when Zeke was trying to tell me something important so I ignored it.
Zeke glanced at it. “It’s okay.”
I quickly checked it.
It was a message from Ryker. Just dinner. No touching.
I rolled my eyes and set the phone down again. Ryker wasn’t even my boyfriend, and he was already annoying me.
“Everything okay?” Zeke asked.
“Yeah, it’s nothing. What were you saying?” I took a bite of my mashed potatoes.
He paused again before he started up. “I’ve been feeling this for a long time, and I’ve debated telling you. It could make you uncomfortable, but I hope it doesn’t because it could also lead to great things so I feel like I should tell you. If I don’t say anything, I’ll regret it—”
My phone lit up again.
Goddammit, Ryker.
Zeke halted and stared at it. “It’s okay.” He wasn’t the kind of person to get mad at anything for any reason. He was laid back and mellow.
“I’m sorry. I’ll just turn it off.” I grabbed the phone and read the message. Come over afterward. I want to kiss every inch of you until his presence his gone.
He really was ridiculous.
I turned off the phone and shoved it into my purse.
“May I ask what that’s about?” Zeke asked. “Is it important?”
“No, not important at all.” If Ryker weren’t so damn hot and sweet, I wouldn’t put up with it. “It’s just Ryker, being…Ryker.”
Zeke held my gaze, but his look slightly changed. His seriousness ebbed away and was replaced with intensity. Thoughts ran through his mind. I could see it on the surface of his eyes but couldn’t make out exactly what those thoughts were. “You and Ryker talk a lot?”
“Well…it’s a long story. I’ll tell you when you’re done.”
Zeke didn’t finish his story. He dropped it entirely. “When you say it’s a long story, does that mean you’re seeing him?” He swallowed the lump in his throat, and the usual confidence in his look and frame disappeared.
“Actually, yeah.”
He didn’t react at all. He stared at me blankly, his entire body rigid. Then his eyes slowly started to drift down until he was staring at the surface of the table. He closed his eyes and breathed a deep sigh.
“Don’t tell me you’re against this too,” I said. “I just told Rex at the apartment, and he acted like it was the worst thing in the world.”
Zeke rubbed his temple.
“When we first met in the park, there was obvious chemistry there. When we met again, the sparks flew all over again. We hooked up, and it was really great. But I moved on after that because I knew what kind of guy he was.” I wouldn’t tell any of this to Rex because it was just awkward, but Zeke and I told each other everything. He knew what to filter out when he spoke to my brother. “But then we started working together and spending more time together. He asked me out the other night and I said yes. The rest is history. I don’t know what it is about him, but I really like him. He makes me feel…alive. You know?”
Zeke hadn’t looked at me once. He was still rubbing his temple like he was fighting off a migraine.
“Zeke?”
He sat up straight and dropped his hand. “Yeah, that’s great. Ryker is a bit of a ladies’ man, but I’m sure you know that.”
At least he was being supportive about it, unlike Rex. Rex never thought anyone was good enough for me. “Yeah. I’m not going into this as an ignorant person. I understand the risks, but I think everything will be fine.”
He grabbed his fork and poked at his food. The atmosphere around him was bleak and dark. He slouched at the table, his shoulders coming down and his back arching. He didn’t look like himself at all.
“Zeke?”
“Hmm?” He flicked his chicken around.
“Is there something wrong?”
“No, not at all.”
He never lied, but I got the distinct impression he wasn’t being truthful. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah…” He shook his head as he stared off into the distance. “I just…never mind.”
“What?” I pressed.
“It’s nothing. It’s something that happened at work…not worth mentioning.”
“Okay.” I dropped the subject because it didn’t seem like he wanted to discuss it. “What were you going to say?”
“Oh…yeah.” He set his fork down again. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about Rex’s bowling alley.”
Did he want to pull out of the investment?
“I think I should invest all the money. I already own a house and a business. You should save your money for a house or something.”
That was what he wanted to talk about? He made it seem like something serious was going on. “Zeke, it’s really okay. I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t financially able to handle it.”
“But there’s a chance you could lose all that money.”
“I’m okay with that,” I said. “I really want to make this work for my brother. I’m not sure what else he would do, you know? I can tell he’s always felt a little lost.”
He nodded. “I know what you mean.”
“So, it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”
“Okay.” He kept his head down as he ate.
The conversation was a lot tenser than it was ten minutes ago, and I couldn’t figure out why. The normal atmosphere we had was non-existent. Instead of two close friends having dinner together, it almost felt like two strangers. I wanted to ask if there was something else he wasn’t telling me, but if he didn’t want to talk about it, I wasn’t going to pull it out of him.
So, I just stayed quiet.
***
Rex was in the kitchen when I got home. It was clear he’d been pacing just before I walked inside. His arms were across his chest and he was wearing the same thing as earlier. “How’d it go?” He blurted it out with wide eyes.
“How’d what go?” I took off my jacket and dogged him.
“Dinner. Did Zeke say anything?”
“Of course he did,” I snapped. “You think we just sat there quietly all night?” My brother was being weirder than normal right now.
“Well, what did you guys talk about?”
“Stuff.” Like none of your business.
“What stuff?” he asked. “Work? The bowling alley? Having feelings for each other?”
“What?” Both of my eyebrows rose. “What did you just say?”
“Running into each other,” he corrected. “What did you think I said?”
This conversation was giving me a headache. “I’m just going to change, and I’ll be on my way.”
“Where are you going?”
I threw my clutch at him. “Stop being nosy.”
“Well, I’m leaving too.” He headed to the door.
“Wait, where are you g
oing?” I turned around and faced him.
“Stop being nosy.” He gave me the bird and walked out.
***
I took the elevator to Ryker’s floor. The hum of the machine vibrated in my ears. The floors changed as I ascended. I told him I would come by after dinner with Zeke so he was expecting me.
The elevator came to a slow stop before the doors opened.
Ryker stood there in his gray sweatpants. They hung low on his hips, and his washboard abs looked powerful. His arms hung by his sides. He didn’t seem intimidating at all—with the exception of his eyes.
He stared at me so hard it looked like he was trying to burn me.
I didn’t step out of the elevator because I couldn’t think. My eyes were trained on him, and I thought about the last conversation we had. It was filthy—to say the least.
Before the elevator doors closed, I stepped onto the landing of his apartment. He looked down at me, watching every move I made. Then he came to me, both of his hands immediately digging into my hair like he’d been thinking about it all day. He brushed his lips past mine in a teasing way. “I missed you.”
“I missed you.” My eyes were lidded, and the passion was guiding me forward.
“Ready for our second date?” He hooked his arm around my ass then lifted me against him without exerting any effort.
My legs immediately wrapped around his waist, and my arms hooked around his neck. “It better be romantic.”
“You’ll definitely get romance, sweetheart.” He carried me into the hallway.
“And there better be a meal.”
“I’ll order a pizza later.”
“And there better be some deep conversations.”
“I’ll talk dirty to you.” He entered his bedroom and laid me on the bed. He slipped off my shoes before he moved to my jeans. He unbuttoned them and slowly pulled them down my legs.
I held myself up by the back of my elbows, watching the look in his eyes as he undressed me.
He looked me in the eye as he grabbed the edge of his sweatpants and pulled them off. He didn’t have any boxers underneath. It was all him. And he was definitely happy to see me.
