Page 114 of Love By Design

“Ethan,” I said, arching a brow.

He nodded.

“Alright.” I slid my phone back into my pocket and gave Lincoln a warning look. “Text me tonight.”

“I will,” he promised, wrapping me into a hug and smashing his mouth against my cheek. “Thank you for coming out with me. Are you mad I’m ditching you?”

I didn’t want to tell him that while I valued our Friday nights together, I also valued every second I got to spend with Marshall.

“Not in the slightest,” I promised.

“I think I needed the distraction.”

I puckered my lips against the air and the top of his cheekbone. “Go be distracted then.”

The two of them headed out, Lincoln in front and Ethan trailing behind. After they weaved through the dance floor, stopping once for a very passionate make-out session near the door, they were gone. I checked my pocket for my phone and my keys and headed out to the parking lot myself, ready to make my way across town to Marshall’s.

CHAPTER 34

MARSHALL

“How is your boyfriend?” Smith asked, sliding into the spot beside me at our usual booth. His arrival before Finn’s was unusual, though, and I threw a sideways glance at him as he settled in and reached for the wine I’d preemptively ordered for him.

“He’s well. And how are you, Smith?”

My brother had spent most of the week avoiding me, which was on brand. His early arrival was not. Neither of us did well with emotions, but I’d had a whole lifetime of being prompt behind my belt, and he still struggled to manage his time.

“Great.”

“Are you lying?”

He rolled his eyes at me, leaning back against the creaking leather booth and stretching his legs into what would eventually be Hunter’s space. “Why would I be lying?”

I sighed, not wanting to press the issue when the twins were due any minute.

It was actually five minutes, and they showed up together, another unusual mark on the box for the night. If I was beinghonest, that didn’t bode well for the conversation the four of us were due to have, but there was no way around it at that point.

“I see you’re pre-lubed,” Finn said instead of hello, raising his glass in my direction as he slid in to make room for Hunter.

“Jesus,” Hunter muttered.

Finn laughed at him. “No, I imagine Silas Ayres is the pre-lubed one in that relationship, now that you mention it.”

“He didn’t mention anything,” I said.

Hunter shrugged helplessly, and Smith took a larger than socially acceptable swallow of his wine.

“I guess we should just get down to it,” I suggested.

I knew none of us would want to eat until we’d dealt with the Andrew Calavert-sized elephant in the room. While we all sipped at our drinks, I looked around the booth, appreciating the way the four of us fit together. The way we fit into each other’s lives. It was a blessing, I wagered, that Andrew didn’t want any part of that.

“I spoke with him earlier today.” Hunter fidgeted with a gold signet ring he wore on his pinky finger, rubbing the top of the insignia with his thumb. “He’s offered to come to LA since it’s just him traveling, versus all four of us going to San Diego.”

“I was looking forward to a road trip,” Finn teased.

“I would rather shoot myself than be stuck in a car with you for two hours,” Hunter said, now spinning the ring around his smallest finger. “I told him we get together every Friday, and he suggested next week.”

“Eager beaver,” Finn said.