Page 25 of Fragile Hearts

Kai just laughs, shaking his head as he says, “So, how’s it going?”

“Good,” I say, shrugging. I know what he’s really asking, but considering the insane amounts of shit I’m always getting from these guys, I figure I’ll make him work for it.

He scoffs now, rolling his eyes at me as he glances at the others before turning back to me. “Yeah okay, dickhead, you know what I mean. How’s it going with Sloane? You two hook up yet?”

“Everything’s good,” I reply, and beside me, Flynn laughs.

Kai rests an elbow on his brother’s shoulder as he grins at me, Miles turning to give him a look before he shrugs the arm off. “Yeah, okay, dude,” Kai starts, that same goofy grin on his face, just like always. “Cut the shit, you guys getting naked together or what?”

“You really expect me to answer that?” I ask, grabbing a beer.

“Yep,” he says.

“Not gonna,” I say, as I take a long swig of the cold liquid.

“Seriously?” Kai asks, a confused expression on his face.

“Seriously,” I tell him, as Flynn laughs again. I turn to him and say, “You tell these bozos about your sex life?”

“Doesn’t need to. We can all hear it,” Nate mutters, which only makes Flynn laugh even harder.

“Like you’re one to talk, Petersen,” he says, a huge grin on his face. “The number of times I’ve come back from surfing only to find the shower occupied and a lot of weird noises coming from it is insane.”

Miles and Kai both laugh as Miles says, “Ditto.”

“Seriously, you hook up in the outside shower?” Malo asks, a look on his face that is half confused, half grossed out.

“Oh my god, it is my shower,” Nate replies, throwing his hands up. “I can do whatever the fuck I want in there.”

We all laugh now, and I’m glad the attention has shifted from what Sloane and I might or might not be doing to what everyone else gets up to.

“Man, I don’t think I can ever use that shower again,” Malo grumbles.

Nate laughs, punching Malo on the shoulder. “Not like you’re getting laid anytime soon, anyway.”

“Fuck you,” he replies as everyone laughs again.

“Speaking of getting laid,” Kai says, turning his attention back to me. “Owen, you still haven’t answered the question of what goes on behind closed doors now that you and your girl are living together.”

“And that’s because it’s none of your business,” I say with a grin.

“Ohhhh, I see, it’s like that, is it?” Kai responds.

“Yep,” I confirm with a nod as I take another sip of my beer.

“Come on,” Malo now says, slapping me on the back.

“Nope,” I say, shaking my head. “Not gonna happen. You’ll know what you need to know when you need to know it.”

“Dude, what the fuck? I didn’t understand any of that,” Kai says, narrowing his brow.

With a grin, I step toward him, my hand on his shoulder as I say, “It means mind your business.”

He opens his mouth to say something but shuts it when the girls all come back outside. I glance over at Sloane, who is laughing and smiling and looking more and more at home here with every day that passes.

Nothing might have happened between us yet, but that doesn’t mean I’m about to share the details about what happens here when it’s just me and her. It might not be anything serious yet, but it’s ours, and I like it that way.

“You give them the grand tour?” I ask, smiling at her.