Chapter 34
34
DYLAN
The air in the gym is saturated with the mingling scents of sweat, disinfectant, and rubbery linoleum. My shirt sticks to my back as I hover in a lazy defensive stance, not really focused on the one-on-one basketball game I’m playing with Tristan. He fakes right, sneakers squeaking, and I’m too slow to pivot. The ball arcs uncontested toward the hoop, and swish —another point for him.
Tristan snags the ball, eyeing me. “Dude, why’d you even invite me to play if you’re gonna half-ass it and space out?”
I ignore his jab, blurting out the question that’s been bouncing around my head. “How did you know with my sister that it was more than just physical attraction?”
His brows shoot up. “Way to pivot, Thirty-Three.” He hurls the ball at me hard.
It thuds against my chest, forcing out a sharp exhale as I catch it with an “Oof.” I lob it right back. “C’mon, be serious. I need your help.”
Tristan tucks the ball under his arm against his side. “Are we talking hypotheticals or someone specific?”
“Someone specific.” I avoid providing a name.
He cocks his head. “Does she happen to live with you?”
I stare at him in shock—have I been that obvious?—and manage a curt nod.
Bouncing the ball once, Tristan returns it to the rack in the corner. “This conversation requires a beer, man. And I’ve got a small confession to make…” He trails off, heading for the door.
I swipe at the sweat trickling down my temple. “What confession?”
Tristan glances back, catching my gesture. “Shower first, then we’ll talk.” He disappears into the locker room.
I blow the hair away from my forehead and follow him. I’m not sure I’m ready to voice what’s been on my mind, but I need some perspective. Tristan figured out his feelings for my sister; he could help me untangle the confusing web of emotions Hunter stirs up in me.
* * *
“You did what ?” I yell, almost spraying beer all over Tristan. A few heads turn our way, but I ignore them, focusing on my best friend with wide eyes.
The evening still clings to the day’s heat as we sit at an outdoor table at our favorite pub. Tristan winces dismissively. “Oh, come on.”
“Come on ? Are you being serious right now?” I’m not sure if I’m more outraged or flattered by the discovery. Flattered, definitely.
Tristan leans back on the chair, his face a picture of nonchalance. “Dude, the poor woman has been in love with you for years. So I gave Hunter a few tips on how to… you know, poke the bear a little. Where’s the harm in that?”
His words cut me off at the knees, leaving me unsteady. But underneath the shock, hope is blooming in my chest, warm and giddy.
I rub my temples, to process. “Back up. Did you say Hunter is in love with me?”
Tristan nods, a smirk playing on his lips. “She’s been carrying a torch for you from the moment she saw you, basking by the pool like the star of a sunscreen commercial, my golden boy.”
I’m reeling. Shocked, but more than that… elated. The secret attraction I’ve been harboring for Hunter and forced myself to ignore, to push down—she feels the same way? More? How do I even feel? Am I in love?
“H-how long have you known this?” I ask.
Tristan shrugs. “Only a few days. The instant I told Nina at breakfast on Sunday that you’d broken up with Olivia, she said Hunter needed a plan to seduce you.”
“She’s trying to seduce me?”
“Yep,” Tristan continues, “Nina is beyond happy, in case you’ve been wondering if she’s going to go apeshit crazy on you like you did with us. She told me she’s suspected Hunter’s crush for years.”
“And you discussed all this at breakfast in front of everyone?”
“No, this part came later.”
I scowl, the pieces clicking into place. “So when you gave Hunter the playbook on how to seduce me, you didn’t know she was in love with me.”
Tristan shrugs with a smirk. “Puh-TAY-toh, puh-TAH-toh.” A breeze coming in from the Hudson ruffles his dark hair.
The patio is alive with chatter and the sizzle of grilled meat, but I’m barely registering any of it.
“Hey, you shouldn’t complain.” Tristan gestures at me with his beer bottle. “If because of my actions, you’ve been seeing lots of Hunter’s legs and bare shoulders and long necklines unencumbered by hair…”
A smile tugs at my lips as my mind puts on a slideshow of all the cute, sexy outfits Hunter’s been wearing around the house. And the way she pulls her hair up in those messy buns I’m dying to pull loose…
It all started Sunday night. Makes sense now.
“And the socks.” I groan at another memory. This time, I do bite down on my fist, then grab a chip from the basket and toss it at Tristan. “You told her everything, didn’t you? Even about my thing for crew socks?”
Tristan dodges the projectile, grinning. “I guess the plan worked, then. You, my friend, are seduced.”
He’s not wrong.
Tristan leans forward. “Did it start last Sunday? Or before?”
My cheeks heat up. “Before,” I admit, my voice low. “As soon as I moved in… even while I was with Olivia.”
Shame twinges in my gut at the confession, but it’s overshadowed by the exhilaration of voicing my feelings.
Tristan nods, understanding in his eyes. “Why haven’t you acted on it yet, now that you’re single?”
I muss the hair at my nape. “It’s too soon after the break-up with Olivia. I don’t want Hunter to think she’s a rebound.”
“What? From five-minute Olivia?”
“It was more like a month than minutes.”
“About that,” Tristan asks me pointedly. “Why did you try so hard with Olivia when it was obvious she wasn’t right for you?”
I glance away, the dim light from the pub’s patio reflecting off my beer bottle, casting a long shadow on the wooden table. I’m not entirely sure. “I think… I was on the rebound. I didn’t want to be alone.”
Tristan arches an eyebrow. “On the rebound? Your last serious relationship was two years ago.”
I stare at my best friend. “I was on the rebound from losing you.”
Tristan’s eyes widen. “What? You haven’t lost me.”
“I know. But…” I trail off, to find the right words. “It’s different now. I used to be your person, and now Nina is your number one. As it should be,” I add quickly, not wanting him to think I still begrudge their relationship. “But with the dynamic shifting and me moving out of the apartment, I guess I felt left out. That’s why I jumped into the thing with Olivia.”
Tristan leans forward on the table and levels me with a stare. His blue eyes are intense and sincere. “Dylan, we’re family. We’ll always be family. Even having this conversation with you, I’m breaking a code. Nina made me promise not to say anything about Hunter to you.”
I blink, surprised. “Why did you, then?”
“Because you’re still my number one, too. Together with Nina. We’re brothers, and that’s never going to change.”
My throat tightens at that. I nod, hoping he can see in my eyes what I can’t put into words. I give him a fist bump and make a joke because that’s what we do. “This is starting to sound too incestuous.”
“Sorry, Thirty-Three.” Tristan sits back, grinning. “I do feel a little guilty about spilling all your secrets to Hunter.”
I groan, burying my face in my hands. “I still can’t believe you told her about the socks.”
“Which brings us back to the original question you asked.” Tristan’s tone turns serious again. “Is it physical attraction for Hunter, or does it run deeper?”
I pause, considering. My mind flashes to all the little moments with Hunter—the way she laughs at my jokes, the warmth in her eyes when she looks at me, the comfort of being around her. It’s more than the allure of her long legs and bare shoulders.
“It runs deeper.” The realization hits me with full force. “Definitely runs deeper.”
Tristan leans forward, his eyes intent on mine. “What makes you say that?”
I take a swig of my beer, collecting my thoughts. “I just… can’t wait to come home every night, knowing she’ll be there. Being around her is easy, comfortable, right. I can be myself.” I hesitate, then admit, “I even told her about my dyslexia. You know I tell no one about that.”
Tristan’s eyebrows shoot up. He knows the significance of that confession. A slow smirk spreads across his face. “Well, then. There’s that.” He pauses, then adds, “And of course… the legs.”
I grin, my mind conjuring up the image of the smooth expanse of Hunter’s toned thighs under those tiny shorts. “And then there are the legs,” I agree, my voice husky.
Tristan chuckles, shaking his head. “What are you still doing here, man? Why don’t you go home and kiss the woman already?”
I mull the question, a wide grin breaking across my face. The beer in my hand is cold, but inside, I’m all warmth, giddy excitement bubbling up at the realization that I’m allowing myself to want this, to pursue it.
“Maybe Hunter needs a bit of harmless seduction back,” I muse, the wheels already turning in my head.
Tristan scoffs. “She seemed pretty cooked to me; she doesn’t need more seducing, buddy.”
“Fair, but she deserves a little payback.” I smile, still incredulous. “You have no idea, Eleven, the torture these last few days have been. The shorts she’s been putting on… becoming shorter and shorter. Maybe she needs a taste of her own medicine. We need to come up with a counter-seduction plan.”
“Not sure I can give you the inside scoop.” Tristan shrugs. “I don’t know Hunter as well as I do you.”
I smirk, an idea forming. “True. But you know who we both know really well? My sister. And those two do everything together; they have most of the same tastes. We can brainstorm and reverse-engineer what makes Hunter tick based on what we know about Nina. And I’ve been living with Hunter for a month. I can fill in the gaps.”
Tristan’s eyes light up, a grin spreading across his face. He nods, lifting his beer in a toast. “Alright, Thirty-Three. Let’s do this.”
I clink my bottle against his, excitement thrumming through my veins. Game on.