Blake
When I wake up, I try my hardest not to yawn too loud. Briar’s still sleeping, and I don’t want to wake her.
I reach my arms up and let out a quiet groan as I stretch out on the twin-size air mattress I’ve been sleeping on.
It’s not as comfortable as my bed, but I sleep like the dead, so it’s no big deal.
I’d rather she have a good night’s sleep after all the stress she’s going through with her apartment falling through and that mess with her ex.
I sit up, noticing how the dim lighting in the room is perfect for a photo. I lie back down and grab my phone, then take a picture of my bare chest. The shadowy lighting makes the lines in my pecs and abs pop out even more.
I post it to my secret account and add a short caption.
Good morning, beauties. How do you like to be woken up?
I grab my T-shirt from the floor and slip it on. I’m about to stand up when I see something under the bed. I stare at the hot pink mound of fabric. What the hell is that? I don’t own anything hot pink.
A second later, it hits me: those are Briar’s panties.
My cock starts to twitch. I immediately look away. It feels wrong to stare at them. She’s my friend. I shouldn’t know what her panties look like.
But as I stand up and quietly step out of the room, they’re all I can think about.
“You’re such a fucking creep,” I mutter to myself as I head to the bathroom.
I walk downstairs and take in the state of the place. Empty beer cans and red Solo cups litter the entire first floor. The TV is paused on a still of some show I don’t recognize, and a couple of our dining chairs are tipped over. The couch cushions are on the floor for some reason.
When I walk into the kitchen, Nick and Travis are standing by the coffee pot, staring at it as it brews.
I grab a glass and fill it at the sink.
“You two are addicted to coffee, and it’s a problem,” I say between gulps of water.
Travis flips me off. I laugh.
Nick just shakes his head and groans. “A cup of black coffee is the only way I’m gonna get rid of this hangover.”
When the coffee finishes brewing, they pour some into a couple of mugs. I grab a green juice from the fridge.
“Thank fuck we don’t have practice today,” Nick says.
“Coach is gonna kick our ass tomorrow on the ice,” Travis says. “He always runs our asses off the first practice of the school year.”
Leo stumbles into the kitchen, his hair standing in every direction and his face puffy.
“Wow. You look like shit,” Nick laughs.
We all watch as Leo pours himself a cup of coffee and downs it, not even bothering to wait for it to cool off.
“Yikes,” I say, waiting for him to wince when the hot coffee burns his tongue, but he doesn’t. “You okay?”
Leo shakes his head. “I feel like I got hit by a train.”
Nick pats his back. “That’s how you know it was a good party, man.”
Leo rolls his eyes.
Nick turns to me. “So how did it go with that pretty brunette who was all over you last night?” he asks.
“She left, and I went to bed.”
He frowns like he’s confused. “Dude. She was climbing you like a tree. You didn’t hit it?”
I grimace at his phrase. “No, I didn’t hit it.”
“Why not?” Leo asks.
I rub the back of my neck, annoyed. “I wasn’t into her.”
“I don’t know what your deal is. She was hot,” Leo says.
“Blakey boy didn’t hit it because he’s into Briar,” Nick says.
I toss my empty plastic green juice bottle at him, but he just laughs.
Leo looks at me. “Still?”
I turn away from them and open up the fridge. “I’m not talking about this.”
“Dude, you said you guys are just friends,” Leo says. “Why are you carrying a torch for her?”
I grit my teeth as I pull out a package of bacon and toss it onto the kitchen counter. “I’m not.”
Nick pats my shoulder. “Sure. Whatever you say, Blakey boy.”
The guys and I give each other shit about all sorts of stuff. It’s just how our friendship is, and it usually doesn’t bother me. But whenever they bring up Briar, it’s a sore spot. I hate that they can tell how much I like her.
I’m done with this conversation. I’m ready to pass the heat onto someone else.
“There are two reasons I didn’t hook up with that girl. One, Briar was sleeping in my bed, and I didn’t want to be an asshole and make her leave so I could have sex,” I lie. “And two is because of Travis.”
He frowns at me. “Huh?”
“You and Anna were really loud last night,” I say. “It killed the mood for me.”
Travis glares at me at the same moment that Nick drops that cocky grin from his face.
He turns to Travis. “Dude. We have a rule. When my sister stays the night with you over here, you have to be quiet.”
Travis crosses his arms over his chest and shrugs. “Guess we got a little carried away.”
Nick makes a grossed-out face, and I hold back a laugh. Travis’s girlfriend is Nick’s twin sister, Anna. They’ve been dating for a while, and Nick has been cool with it overall. He just hates it when he can hear them hooking up.
I get it. If I had a sister and I heard one of my friends hooking up with her, I’d be pissed too.
I know I just kicked it off for Nick and Travis to get into it, but I’m tired of the guys giving me shit about my crush on Briar, so I’m glad that they’re focused on something other than me right now.
Amusement flickers in Travis’ eyes. “Consider it payback for all the times you and Poppy get loud in your bedroom,” he says to Nick.
I let out a laugh. Nick smacks my shoulder.
“It’s true,” I say. “You guys are really damn loud.”
Travis starts to laugh. He’s usually so grumpy and serious, so to see him loosen up now that he’s with Anna is nice.
Nick lets out a frustrated groan. “You guys suck,” he says as he walks out of the kitchen.
A second later, Briar walks in.
Her big green eyes are puffy with sleep, and her hair is messy. My heart beats faster in my chest. She looks so fucking cute when she wakes up.
She’s wearing a tank top and these tiny sleeping shorts. My mind immediately thinks of her pink panties rumpled up on my bedroom floor. Is she wearing those right now?
I shove the thought out of my brain. “Sorry, were we being too loud?” I ask.
She shakes her head and smiles. “No, I set my alarm.”
Leo pours her a mug of coffee. She thanks him and takes a long sip. He and Travis walk into the living room a minute later, leaving Briar and me alone.
“Why’d you set your alarm?” I ask. “It’s Saturday. I figured you’d want to sleep in.”
“I wanted to wake up early. I’ve got a lot to do today.”
“Like what?”
“Apartment hunting.” She hops onto the counter to sit and finish her coffee. “I want to move out of here as soon as I can.”
A small pang of disappointment lands in my gut. “Really?”
She nods, her smile shy as she looks at me. “I just feel like I’m putting you out by staying here.”
“Briar, you’re not. At all. I told you, you’re welcome to stay here as long as you need to.”
Her expression warms. “I know. And I love you for that, but I should really prioritize finding my own place. Classes just started, and the more we get into the semester, the busier I’ll be. It’s better if I buckle down and find a place now.”
I try to smile despite the way that disappointed feeling burrows deeper inside of me. Of course she wants her own space. She’s sick of living with the guy she thinks of as her brother. No woman her age wants to share a bedroom with her brother.
“Yeah. I get it. But hey, promise me that you won’t rush into anything, okay? Denver’s a tough rental market with lots of sketchy places,” I say. “I don’t want you signing a lease for the first place you look at. You’ll end up living with a serial killer. Or a hoarder.”
Her head falls back as she laughs. “Don’t worry. I’ll only move after I find a place that’s safe and affordable.”
I nod, slightly relieved. Still though. I don’t like the idea of her moving out. I like hanging out with her all the time. I like living with her.
I know that as soon as she moves out, things will change. She’ll be busy with class and work. I’ll be busy with hockey. We’ll hardly see each other.
I can’t keep her from moving though. I just want to make sure she’s safe.
“Will you at least let me come with you when you look at places?” I ask. “I know you’re capable of doing this on your own, but I’ve lived in Denver longer. I know what neighborhoods are decent and which ones suck. It’ll be better to have help instead of doing this all on your own.”
She flashes that warm smile. “That would be amazing. Thanks, Blake.”