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“Do you think she could stay with you?” he asked, his eyes lighting up. “It would really help.”
“You…you want her to stay with me?”
“Yeah, I mean…you seem like a decent guy. Maybe I do need to talk with her, but if it goes sideways, I need to be sure that she has someplace comfortable to stay.”
Fuck, this was bad. Really, really bad. I couldn’t possibly take her in when I wanted to have her in my bed and not tell him. That seemed like it was going against the bro code or something.
“Listen…before you go and shuffle her off to my house, there’s something you need to know.”
“Okay.”
“I like her.” He stared at me, not quite understanding. “As in, I really like her. But I’m not gonna step on your toes. You have a history that I can’t compete with.”
“Wow, so you’re stepping aside for me? That’s…oddly noble of you.”
“And pretty fucking stupid,” I muttered. “Just do me a favor, if you’re going to make a move, do it now so I know where things stand.”
The surprise on his face matched my own. Yeah, I was a fucking saint, stepping aside so another man could make a move on the woman I liked. It had to be the absolute stupidest decision of my life, but it was the only way I would ever really know if she truly liked me. That is, if I asked her out and she agreed.
“The thing is, she’s not into me.”
“How do you know?”
“I got the sign.”
“Ah,” he nodded. “Fuck, I hate the sign.”
“Like you’ve ever gotten the sign,” I snorted. “A good-looking guy like you? I’m sure the ladies flock to you.”
“Well, they do, but I’ve never metthe one.”
“Yeah, it’s fucking hard,” I agreed. “You know, I’m not one to lay down roots with a woman, but I’m not going to be young forever.”
“You’ve got plenty of time. Besides, you’re being too hard on yourself. You’ve got everything the ladies would want.”
“Yeah,” I laughed. “Then why did I get turned down?”
He shook his head in bafflement. “Not sure on that one. You’rehandsome and funny. And that jump across the hole in the floor? That was fucking amazing.”
My lips turned up in a smile. “Yeah?”
He punched me in the shoulder. “Are you kidding? And the way you pulled me up with the sheer strength in your arm? Fucking amazing.”
“Yeah, well, you helped. I can’t take all the credit.”
There was a silence that filled the empty house as we both complimented each other, trying to build the other up. It was a little weird.
“We should probably get out of here,” I said, clearing my throat.
“Right. But you’ll take her in for the night, right?”
“And you’ll have the talk with her,” I agreed.
“It’s not gonna be easy,” he sighed. “But it’s probably time.”
“Then my house will be open, and if she doesn’t show up, I’ll know the answer.”
He held out his hand to me. “Good luck, man.”