Chapter Twenty-Four
Anson
I heave another box onto my shoulder, ignoring the sharp twinge in my lower back. I try to hide the wince from Parker. That would be like blood in the water, and he’s been looking for an excuse to bust my balls since we started unloading Audrey’s stuff. Sebastian, Wade, and Lennon are no better—hell, Sebastian might be the worst. Parker and Sebastian feed off each other like a couple of damn circling sharks, enjoying my discomfort.
Unfortunately, I’ve got plenty of discomfort today. I barely slept last night. Not because I didn’t want to—God knows I wanted to—but because Tabby’s bed is about as big as a fucking postage stamp, and I’m a six-foot-two-inch man who doesn’t fold easily.
But I stayed.
I stayed because she was snuggled up against me, her head on my chest, her leg hooked over mine, completely content after we spent half the night tangled together. I stayed because when I did try to shift into a more comfortable position, she made a sleepy little sound of protest and burrowed closer, like she needed me there. And because, for the first time in a long time, I wanted to be needed.
“Damn, man,” Lennon says, dragging me out of my thoughts. “You sound like my grandpa. You pull something?”
I grunt as I drop the box onto the floor. “I’m fine.”
Sebastian smirks as he passes by with a lamp tucked under one arm. “That didn’t sound fine. That sounded like you threw your back out.”
“I didn’t throw my damn back out.”
Parker quirks a brow. “You sure about that? You’re walking like Donnie Dale.”
I roll my shoulders, trying to work out the stiffness. “Donnie Dale? Whatever. I’m walking just fine.”
“Uh-huh,” Sebastian drawls, clearly unconvinced. He sets the lamp down on the kitchen island and folds his arms. “So, what happened? Bad mattress? Sleep wrong?” His gaze sharpens. “Wait. What’s with the dark circles under your eyes? Did you even sleep?”
Wade whistles low, his eyes lighting up with mischief as he walks in, carrying a small end table. “Oh, this just got interesting.”
I sigh, rubbing a hand over my face. “Yak it up, assholes. Nothing’s wrong with me, and I’m not in the mood for your shit.”
Sebastian grins. “ Nothing doesn’t make you walk like you need a cane.”
I mutter a curse under my breath. There’s no way they’re letting this go. Might as well get it over with. “I spent the night at Tabby’s.”
Parker’s brows shoot up. “In the camper?”
Lennon lets out a laugh. “Now, it makes sense.” He shakes his head, smirking. “The mighty Anson, folded up like a damn lawn chair in his girlfriend’s RV.”
Girlfriend?
Parker snickers. “You could’ve just brought her home, you know, or come home after. You do have a perfectly good bed here.”
I level a glare at the lot of them. “It wasn’t planned, and I wasn’t going to just leave her after.”
That shuts them up. For a second at least.
Parker tilts his head, studying me like I’m some rare species he just discovered. “Huh.”
Sebastian crosses his arms.
“What?” I bark as they all stand there, staring at me.
“It’s just that you’ve never had a problem doing it before,” Parker points out.
I exhale, bracing my hands on my hips. I knew this conversation was coming. Hell, I’ve been having it with myself for weeks now. But saying it out loud? That’s a different thing entirely.
“That’s true,” I admit.
Parker and Sebastian exchange a look.
“Damn,” Wade chimes in, shaking his head. “The island’s resident love ’em and leave ’em guy is catching feelings.”
Lennon whistles. “Never thought I’d see the day.”
I glare at both of them, but there’s no heat behind it. Mostly because they’re right.
Tabby isn’t just some fling. She’s not just a fun way to pass the time. She’s Tabby—carefree, wild, paint-streaked, and impossible not to watch when she’s around. She moves like she doesn’t have a care in the world, like life is just one big adventure, and somehow, she makes me want to be a part of it.
“She’s different,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck. “I don’t know how else to explain it.”
Parker nods, his expression thoughtful. “You want to spend more time with her.”
I huff out a dry laugh. “I already spend most of my free time with her.”
Lennon raises a brow. “And that doesn’t scare you?”
I shake my head. “No. That’s the thing. I want to be around her. All the damn time.”
Sebastian grins. “Oh man, you’re a goner.”
I scowl, but he’s not wrong.
Wade leans against the counter, arms crossed. “So, what are you gonna do about it?” he asks.
That’s the question, isn’t it?
I blow out a breath. “I don’t know. Keep seeing her. See where it goes.”
Parker snorts. “You know where it goes,” he says as he shakes the box in his hand, labeled Audrey’s Books .
Yeah, I do.
I shake my head. “She’s the one who said she wanted to just be friends, and there’s a bit of an age difference. She’s only twenty-two. She may not be ready for that. Hell, I don’t know that I’m ready for that.”
Lennon scoffs. “You’re only thirty.”
“A thirty-year-old who acts like a twenty-year-old,” Parker adds.
“Yeah, that’s not quite a decade. Wade’s, like, three decades older than his wife. You can just get Botox like him,” Sebastian says.
Wade cuts his eyes to him. “Sixteen, jackass. And I don’t get Botox.”
“Sixteen decades? Damn,” Sebastian cries.
“Years. Eden is sixteen years younger,” Wade bites out.
“See, eight years is nothing,” Sebastian says, then turns back to Wade. “Seriously, what moisturizer do you use?”
Wade rolls his eyes before stomping out the door.
“Ah, come back. I’m sorry,” Sebastian calls after him before turning to me. “Tabby might have said she only wanted to be friends, and that might have been true at the time, but trust me, that’s changed. Women don’t sleep with their friends—they’re not like guys. Talk to her.”
I know he’s right. Something’s shifted between us.
I’ve spent my whole life keeping things casual. Never getting too close. Never letting anyone in too deep. But with Tabby? That ship has already sailed. I’m in so deep that I’m willing to spend every night folded like a fucking taco shell just so I can wake up with her.
And for the first time, I’m not looking for an exit.
“Now that we’ve talked about our feelings, can we discuss this?” Lennon asks, picking up the girlie lamp. “How the hell did Audrey fit all this shit in that tiny apartment?”
Parker lets out a breath. “Fuck if I know.”
“At least my closing date has been scheduled, so you’ll have my room and an extra closet in a few weeks,” I say.
“Which means we have to do this shit again,” Lennon mumbles.
“All I have is the bed, nightstands, and dresser, plus a handful of clothes. It’ll take two boxes and one trip to move my stuff,” I say. “In fact, I may let you guys keep the furniture and just have a new set delivered. We’re getting too old for this crap.”
Sebastian cuts his eyes to Parker. “I knew it was his old ass. He’s just blaming it on the camper.”
Parker glances at me. “His old ass had better at least take the mattress with him, or I’m dragging it out to the beach and having a bonfire,” he says, faking a full-body shiver.
We all burst into laughter. I grab us each a beer, and Parker orders a pizza before we have to pile back into our trucks for round two.
And I take three ibuprofen.
’Cause my old-ass back hurts like a motherfucker.