by Eden Finley
“The French restaurant that’s so fancy I feel like I’d have to use my manners and act like a lady? What do you think?”
“I can act like a lady if you can.”
Pip laughed. “I’m underdressed.”
“Not yet, you aren’t,” I mumbled.
“Is this what being in a relationship with you is going to be like?”
“Do you know how many times over the past eight years I’ve bit my tongue from making serious innuendo?”
Her smile dimmed. “I hate you hid that side of you for so long.”
“It wasn’t like I never joked or had fun.”
“True.”
“I just had to make everything as un-sexual as possible. And it was fucking hard.” I waggled my eyebrows. “Get it.”
“This is going to take some getting used to.”
“Sorry. I’ll be a complete gentleman.” I smirked. “Starting with this fancy-ass restaurant.”
15
- PIP -
God, he was trying so hard. The truth was, being busy at work was a good thing, because it meant Gage had to take a step back from me.
He was saying all the right things, everything I’d wanted to hear for so long, but the switch in personality gave me whiplash. The man I’d been secretly in love with for eight years was standoffish and secretive. Affection was given but rare. Not that this new side of him wasn’t welcome, but it was weird.
Maybe his father’s death made him realise he was done pushing people away, but it scared me that the change was so sudden. I kept waiting for him to burn out. I was no psychologist, but throwing himself into a relationship and not dealing with his grief couldn’t have been healthy.
Sitting across from him in a restaurant that so wasn’t us, it was if he had to prove something that neither of us quite believed.
“I really wouldn’t have minded takeout on my couch,” I said after the pompous waiter took our order.
The light was dim, and the whole restaurant was quiet—like we were eating in a library. Considering it was a full room, the silence was unnerving. Did rich people not talk during dinner?
“Honestly, I think if I were to sit on your couch right now, I’d pass out for three days.” Gage leant back in his chair.
“Are you sleeping better than you have been?”
“I’ve had no choice in the matter. Exhaustion is the cure for insomnia.”
I wanted to tell him he was exhausted when we were in the States, but as long as he was sleeping okay now, that was the main thing. Unless he was lying.
He reached for my hand over the table. “I want to do this right—us. I want to take you on dates and start fresh as if we were a brand-new couple. Which we are.”
“I don’t think you can date your best friend. We’re starting on date fifteen.”
Gage shrugged. “Worked for Reece and Spence. And Garrett and Blair.”
“They’re different. They weren’t …”
“As close as us. I know you have your doubts, but I don’t. It’s always been you.”
I wanted to believe he was in this for me, that he’d always wanted me, but I didn’t understand why it was his dad’s death or my surrogacy plans that made him step up. If these things hadn’t happened, maybe he never would’ve admitted his feelings for me.
I wanted to be loved to the point where the guy I was with had no doubts and didn’t need an outside source to urge him to be with me.
“I’ll always be there for you, Gage.” Even when you realise you’ve made a big mistake …
***
Even though we’d spent every night in the same bed when we were in the States, I still wasn’t used to sleeping next to him. Or waking up with his arms around me. It was as if that was a separate world where we were together for a while, but now we’d gone backwards and started at the beginning.
One thing was for sure—falling for your best friend was hard. From being in a constant state of wanting him to thinking we were better off as friends, I was even more lost than ever before.
“Mmm, I could get used to this.” He pulled me closer against him. “It’s a nice way to wake up.”
“It is.” I wished my body didn’t respond to him. Now we were home, I wanted to go slow. I wanted us to work as a couple before falling deeper into the hole we’d already dug ourselves, but it was impossible when I was pressed against him. I wriggled, and my ass moved against his cock.
“Mean,” he said. “But two can play at that game.” The hand on my stomach moved upwards to cup my breast through my tank top.
“Gage.” I tried to whine, but it came out as a breath.
“You started it.” The offending hand moved over me, trailing down into my sleep shorts. “And I’m going to finish it.” His fingers teased, and my body ached for him.
“What happened to it being our first date?”
His lips landed on my neck and shoulder. “That was yesterday. Lift your knee.”
My leg obeyed him without me telling it to. When his finger entered me, I shuddered and bit my lip to keep from calling out.
“I like you like this,” he whispered.
There was no coming back from that. “Gage, I need you to fuck me.”
“I’m not going to do that.”
Before I could ask him why not, he leant over me and cupped my face, turning my head so he could cover my mouth with his. With expert hands and a bit of wriggling, he stripped me of my shorts and removed his boxers.
He slowly entered me. “This isn’t fucking, Pip. This is so much more than that.”
His words broke me further. And with every kiss, every touch, every thrust, more of me became his.
When he came with my name on his lips, I knew I had to drop my reservations, or this was never going to work out.
With his cock still inside me, our breathing heavy, I didn’t want to move for the rest of the day.
“Come on, up,” Gage said. He pulled out of me, and I missed the connection immediately.
“What? Why?”
“We have a big day. Gonna get another date out of the way.”
I rolled over to face him, and his large arms enveloped me. “It’s not a race.”
Gage peppered kisses along my jawline. “You said last night it’s like starting on date fifteen. So, I figure, the sooner we get them out of the way, the sooner you lose the hesitance in your eyes.”
I should’ve known he could see straight through me.
“Fifteen dates. We’re going to do them.”
“It’s going to take months to accomplish that with how busy work’s been.”
“Nope. We’re doing them all today.”
“What?” I shrieked. “That’s not possible.”
“Better caffeine up … shit. You can’t have coffee, can you?”
“Nope. And as much as I think this is a bad idea considering we have to be back in the office tomorrow, I want to see exactly how you’re going to pull it off. Fifteen dates in one day isn’t possible.”
“Leave that to me. Shower while I go make plans.”
This was going to be interesting.
16
- PIP -
Gage Tanner: the king of loopholes. When I got out of the shower, I was barely dressed when Gage rushed me out the door to go to brunch. After we’d eaten, he ordered us coffee—mine decaf—and then claimed we’d gotten our first two dates out of the way.
“That’s cheating!”
“I prefer to call it loopholing.”
Stand-up paddle boarding plus hanging out at the beach equalled two dates. Theme park with a Ferris wheel ride: two dates. Lunch on a boat: two dates. After that, a dessert bar. Then a neck massage at one of those walk-in places at a shopping centre.
Throughout the dates, his phone kept pinging with a text message, but he refused to tell me who he was texting.
By dusk, we were both knackered, but he didn’t let either of us crash.
I’d lost count how many dates we had left, but he ass
ured me there were five to go.
That was when the ultimate loophole came into play. Picnic dinner at the movies in the park. Dinner. Picnic. Movie. Three dates in one.
I didn’t know if it technically counted when five minutes into the movie, I fell asleep in Gage’s arms.
“Hon, you need to wake up,” he whispered. His hand weaved into my hair, and I cracked open an eye.
“Five more minutes.”
“The movie’s over.”
I sat up. “Huh?”
Everyone around us was picking up their belongings as the credits rolled on the screen in front of us.
“Was it at least any good?” I asked.
Gage laughed. “I dunno. I was too busy enjoying staring at a pretty girl.”
“Who? I’ll cut the bitch.”
“You would, you little attack dog. Come on. Last date for the day awaits.”
I yawned. “I thought we had two left.”
“I’m saving the very last one for tomorrow morning.” He waggled his eyebrows.
“Smooth.”
“I meant breakfast. Duh.” He grinned.
“Sure you did. Okay, so where’s the last date so we can get rushed through it and get home?”
“I’m suddenly regretting the choice of this next date.”
“Why?”
“There’s no way we can rush through it.” He stood and held his hands out to help me up.
He didn’t let go of my hand the whole way to the car, and like a gentleman, he opened my door for me, but before I could climb in, he pulled me close to him. Unlike a gentleman, he kissed me hard. His hand gripped my hair at the root, and he nipped my bottom lip. His tongue darted out, wetting the seam of my lips and asking for permission, but before I could give him access, he pulled back.
“On second thought, I better not start or I won’t be able to stop.”
“Can we blow off the last date? I’m so tired. And it was a good effort.”
“It was a great effort, and no. I’m not giving up now.”
On the drive to wherever we were going, I was tempted to ask again for details, but if I learnt anything from today, it was that Gage could be stubborn when he wanted to be. Although, this wasn’t news—he’d always been that way—but usually I could wear him down by pouting or begging. Not today. Each activity had been a surprise—sometimes even to him, it seemed. But this, he knew exactly what was going on, and he was nervous about it.
When he pulled into Reece and Spencer’s short street and stopped outside their house, I was even more confused than before.
“We haven’t seen your—our friends since we’ve been back,” Gage said. “I figure this could be like … our coming out party.”
Staring up at the extravagant house, I wondered if we were ready for that, but I didn’t get a choice in the matter when Garrett came out to greet us. I assumed everyone already knew we were together, but hearing about it and seeing it were completely different things.
“Who else is here?” I asked as we watched Garrett descend the porch steps.
“Everyone. Like the whole Friday night pub crew, but now with their partners and kids.”
“Crazy.”
“It will be. Coming?” He opened his door but didn’t move to get out. “Or do you want to leave? I can tell Garrett to go tell everyone you didn’t feel well or something. If you don’t think you’re ready—”
“I’m ready.”
Nothing said serious relationship more than telling everyone we were together.
Why is my heart beating so damn fast?
“Are you ready to hear about a million I told you so’s from everyone?” Garrett asked when we got out of the car.
Gage smiled at me. “Should we mess with them and say we’ve been together this whole time?”
I laughed. “If that were true, I’ve cheated on you like a shit ton of times.” I winced. Shit. Should probably not mention cheating around Gage.
But surprisingly, he joked back. “You’re a terrible girlfriend then.”
“So, who knows you two are together?” Garrett asked.
“Everyone, I assume,” Gage said.
Garrett cocked his head. “Why’s that? Blair and I didn’t tell anyone.”
“Pip would’ve told Reece.” Gage turned to me, his expression saying “Right?”
I glanced away. “Uh, I haven’t really had the chance.”
“I told her about our dates today. She organised most of them.”
Ah, that explains all the texts he was getting.
“She probably thinks you’re trying to make it up to me after the last six months. I haven’t said anything.”
“They know nothing?” Gage asked. “I’m gonna have to tell them the whole story? I was hoping the group rumour mill would do it for me.”
“Well, you did say you wanted this to be a coming out party of sorts.” I tried to hide my smile.
“Wait, that’s a thing?” Garrett asked. “Ripped off.”
“You came out to a packed bar,” I said. “Then we all got drunk. There’s your coming out party.”
“Umm, maybe this wasn’t a great idea then,” Gage said and paled a little.
I grabbed his hand. “You don’t need to explain everything.”
“No. I want to do this right. I need to prove to you that I’m all in, and they deserve to know why I haven’t been a great friend over the years.”
I shrugged. “Your call.”
He pulled me against him. “I’m all in.”
“Well, this should be fun,” Garrett said.
Everyone liked hearing stories of cheating ex-girlfriends, an entire town full of judgement, and asshole best friends, right?
17
- GAGE -
Pip and I walked hand in hand out to Spencer and Reece’s backyard, which was lit with warmth. Fairy lights hung from their giant mango tree and blinked in rhythm with my thumping heart.
Reece’s son ran around like crazy, followed by his little brother who was toddling. Hunter and Sara’s twins were crawling about the place, putting grass in their mouths and crying whenever someone stopped them.
Everyone was here for this, and as I stared and watched everyone laughing and smiling, I realised that even though I’d pushed these guys away for as long as I knew them, they were my family. Growing up with my dads, I never went to any type of gatherings like this. They didn’t have any close friends. I never had a big, extended family where we caught up regularly and were sickeningly supportive and there for each other. I thought I had that once—with Lucy and Jason, and that turned to shit real fast.
It wasn’t my intention to come here and make friends, but somehow along the way, I did.
When we reached the grass, each and every one of them came to hug me and give me their condolences over my father. All the while, I didn’t let go of Pip’s hand.
It wasn’t unusual for Pip and me to show affection towards one another in the form of a casual hug or a playful shove, but we never held hands or did couple-y things, so nearly everyone glanced at our hands, then at our faces, and then back at our hands again.
I tried to go over the words I needed to get out in my head before saying them out loud, but in the end, I knew it was pointless and too hard to do a long explanation. Instead, it came out in a jumbled rush. “So, long story … Rape allegations, an abortion behind my back, a cheating fiancée, a shitty best friend, and being screwed over by an entire town. Who’s up for a nice bedtime story? Please save all questions until the end of class.”
There were a few awkward laughs, but that all died as I rambled off my entire life. I didn’t think to take a breath and kept going. By the time I was done, I was wrecked.
“I’m over it now, and okay, let’s drink, because that was surprisingly harder than I thought.” I breathed deep and held onto my knees as I bent at the waist. Pip rubbed my back.
There wasn’t a response for a while—just enough time for me to catch my breath.
“Wh
y are you telling us now?” Spencer asked.
That was easy to answer. “Because I’m in love with Pip, and I’m done pushing her and you guys away. You’re stuck with me. And so is she.”
I could’ve sworn every girl in the backyard squealed—minus Pip who was too busy laughing at everyone’s shocked expressions.
“Fucking finally,” Spencer called out.
“Language,” Sara said and picked up one of the twins and covered his ears. “The twins are starting to ramble as if they’re gonna talk soon. I don’t what their first word to be f—firetruck.”
“I told you it was a bad breakup,” Hunter said. “Took me eight years to find out the truth, but I was right.”
Garrett took Hunter into a headlock. “Yeah, yeah, we all know how important it is to always be right, little brother.”
“Don’t mess the hair, asswipe.” Hunter pushed Garrett off him and then picked up the other twin to use as a body shield.
The Erickson brothers and their hair. Some things never changed.
“I guess we should celebrate,” Reece said, appearing with an ice bucket full of beers. We all took one, except for Cole, the recovering alcoholic, and Pip for obvious reasons.
Garrett held up his bottle to toast. “To Pip and Gage, for finally getting their shit together.”
As if rehearsed, everyone said, “Finally” and clinked bottles.
“Let’s get drunk!” Reece said.
The group broke out into groans.
“Hangovers and the twins don’t mix,” Hunter said.
“Soberness and the twins don’t mix either,” Sara said. Proving her point, the boy she held—I had no idea if it was Toby or East—whacked her over the back of her head.
“Babe, when did we get old?” Hunter asked.
“Things you’ll have to look forward to,” Pip said to Garrett and Blair.
Garrett rubbed Pip’s stomach, and I was proud of myself that I didn’t get growly. “I’m just glad there’s only one in there,” Garrett said.
“That you know of,” Pip said. “What if the embryo split?”
Garrett’s eyes widened, but Blair laughed and grabbed his husband’s arm. “Calm down, it’s not possible. It was implanted past that stage. Did you read any of that IVF packet we were given?”
