Page 160 of Tech Bros

“That’s pretty fucking harsh, Ev,” he says once I give him my version of events from last night.

“Which part?”

“What Deacon said. About you trying to take Isaac away.”

“He was being honest about how he felt.”

“His feelings are harsh, then.”

“He’s entitled to have harsh feelings. It’s a tricky situation.”

“What I’m hearing you say is that the sex is good, but there isn’t much relationship happening.”

Is that what I’m saying?“It hasn’t even been a week…”

“But you’ve known them both for months. I don’t know. I just don’t feel like it should be so hard. Like it’s been a few days, and you’re already fighting.”

I don’t like that point because he’s right. Hunter and I were official months before we had a fight that was as rough as what happened last night.

“Sorry we couldn’t come to the party,” Sam says. “I feel like if I’d been there, I could give you better advice.”

“Whatisyour advice?”

“What’s your gut telling you to do?”

That’s the thing. There’s what my gut is telling me is right and what my heart wants. “Same thing as it’s been saying the whole time. Back out. Let them have each other.”

“But?” Sam asks.

“But it’s definitely gonna hurt Isaac. And me. Maybe even Deacon.”

“So they’d get each other, and you’d get what?”

I swallow as I give Apollo’s leash a tug when he gets distracted by a bush. “I have a legit job offer. COO of a shipping company.”

Sam comes to a stop, and his dog Beauty sits politely beside him. “Are you shitting me?”

“No, it’s something I’ve been thinking about for a couple of weeks, but then all this stuff with Deacon and Isaac happened.”

“Which you didn’t want to get involved with from the beginning,” he reminds me.

“I guess I’ve been trying to find some middle ground, you know? Where I loosen my ties to Isaac professionally and see where things go personally. I’d feel things out with Deacon in the meantime and see if there was anything there, but…”

Sam waits patiently for me to finish my thought.

“They’re like full steam ahead. The two of them together. Isaac is all—‘you’re mine’ and Deacon is freaking out that I’m gonna somehow try to take that from him.”

“And Isaac of course wants you both.”

“I mean, I can’t blame him. I want them, too.”

“So…Deacon’s the issue?”

“Not for Isaac.”

“I’m not talking about Isaac.”

“You’re saying you think I should take the job?”