Page 1 of Unexpectedly You (Boston Boys Bozok #1)

Chapter One

Alex

Her apartment building is nice, not super high end but not a dive either, and only about a ten minute drive from mine.

The gray carpet in the hallway is clean and there’s artwork of flowers decorating the beige colored walls, along with decorative off-white sconces providing warm light and an inviting environment.

It seems relatively quiet as I stop in front of her door and let out a breath before knocking.

I was supposed to be here at seven thirty, and I’m just a couple of minutes late.

I start when I hear a voice from the other side of the door that is most definitely not Stacy’s.

“Just a minute!” It’s rich and smoky, with a southern drawl, and when the door opens a moment later I’m staring at a man with golden skin and bright blue eyes, his hair up in a messy bun, a few of the blond and brown strands having fallen loose and framing his handsome face.

“Can I help you?” he asks, a bit timidly as he wipes his hands on a towel.

His eyes move from me to the oversized plush penguin in my arms before he meets my gaze again, looking as confused as I feel.

He’s a bit bigger than me, broader, more muscular, and a few inches taller than my own five eleven.

“Uh,” I stammer. “I’m looking for Stacy. I must have the wrong apartment.”

He blinks. “This is the right apartment, but she’s not home right now.” His gaze lands on the penguin again. “Who are you?”

“Her date?” I say it like it’s a question even though I don’t mean to. I swear I see him flinch, and his face goes slightly pale.

“Her date?” he repeats, his voice so soft I barely hear it.

“Yeah, uh, are you her brother?” I ask hopefully.

He clears his throat, his cheeks flushed now. “No, I’m her boyfriend.”

My eyes widen and I swallow, taking a step back.

“Shit, man I’m sorry. I swear she never said she had a boyfriend.

I didn’t, I mean, I wouldn’t. It was only twice, and nothing happened, I swear.

I…shit, I should go.” I turn to walk away but then realize I’m still holding the rather large stuffed penguin and I sure don’t want it now, and I’m not giving it to Stacy.

I turn back to him. “I’ll uh, I’ll just leave this here and you can do whatever you want to with it.

” I take a couple of hesitant steps forward like I’m approaching a rabid animal and set it down outside the door.

“Sorry, again,” I stammer, before hightailing it out of there.

Fuck, what a mess. The guy looked awful hearing me say I was here to pick up his fucking girlfriend, and I wonder if I’m the first guy she’s cheated on him with. God, I’m really glad I’m not the type to fuck on a first date because I would feel ten times worse if I’d slept with her.

So, little miss Stacy is a two-timing bitch. Good to know. I take my phone out of my pocket to text her. Instead though, I see that I have a text from her that I must have gotten on my way here.

Stacy: Hey, change of plans, can you pick me up from work instead? I’m running late.

Me: Yeah, no. I won’t be picking you up at all

Stacy: Wtf?

Me: Yeah, see the problem is, if I wanted to take you out anywhere, I would need to get permission from YOUR BOYFRIEND!

Stacy: Bentley is there?

Me: Yeah, sure. I didn’t ask his name but let's just say neither of us were expecting the other. That’s a fucking shitty thing to do, fyi.

To him and me. Next time you cheat, leave me out of it.

That guy deserves way better than you and I don’t deserve to be used in whatever sick game you’re playing

Stacy: Fuck you, you don’t know anything about him or m e

Me: I know he doesn’t deserve to be cheated on, and I don’t deserve to be manipulated and lied to

Stacy: middle finger emoji

I don’t bother to reply, just block her number. No way I’m dealing with that shit.

I sigh as I set my phone down and pull out of the parking lot. With nothing to do tonight I guess I’ll head back home.

Why is dating so fucking hard? Maybe I should just stick to having a cat and a few plants and call it a day.

The idea of never having someone to call my own, someone to come home to at the end of the day, someone to care for, and who will care for me in turn, is seriously depressing, but at least I wouldn’t be getting caught up in this kind of garbage.

Not that I needed the reminder, but if I didn’t already know it, I do now:

People suck.

Bentley

Well that was humiliating. Finding out my girlfriend of the past three months is cheating on me by meeting her date.

I’d decided to surprise her with dinner when she’d texted me to tell me she was having a rough day.

We aren’t living together, but we had keys to each other’s places because we slept over so often it made sense.

I’m a massage therapist and own my own business, so I generally don’t start work until later in the day.

She always leaves first and having a key to her place meant I could lock up after I left.

Today I was off, so I thought I would run home and get some housework done, and then grocery shop before heading back to her place and making her favorite meal.

I’d offered to take her out to dinner, but when she’d said she just wanted a quiet evening at home, I thought I would cook for her instead.

I was going to have a bouquet of flowers waiting for her as well.

Figured it would be a nice surprise for her to come home to.

Instead, I’m the one who got the surprise.

Who knew a “quiet evening at home” was code for “date with another guy”?

I feel like shit. Fortunately I have my best friend to console me as I lie with my head in her lap, wondering how long I would have gone without knowing about this other guy if I hadn’t shown up at her place when I did.

She clearly wasn’t expecting me to be there or she never would have told whatever his name is to pick her up at her apartment.

Jesus fuck, I feel so fucking stupid. The fact that she wasn’t at home when he showed up makes me wonder if she was fucking some third guy while we stood there like a couple of dumbasses trying to figure out what was going on.

All those nights she said she was “out with the girls”, or was “exhausted and wasn’t up for seeing me”, or was “working late”. Yeah, I’m an idiot.

“Can you believe she was pissed at me when I called to confront her because I wasn’t supposed to be there?

” I say as Peyton runs her fingers through my hair.

“I’m trying to do something nice for her and she’s mad at me.

I wasn’t even planning on staying because it sounded like she wanted to be alone.

I was just going to leave the dinner in the fridge so she’d have it. ”

I left the key to Stacy’s apartment on her counter after gathering all the things that were mine that I’d been keeping there.

Then I took the dinner and the flowers with me and got the fuck out of there.

I called her in the car on the way to Peyton’s and broke up with her.

She tried to convince me it was only a one time thing, and I just laughed.

That pissed her off, but what the fuck ever.

What’s his name said they’d been out before, so she clearly didn’t have any qualms about what she was doing, or any plans for stopping.

I wasn’t in love with her, but I did care about her.

Knowing she didn’t give two fucks about hurting me tells me I was lucky to find out as soon as I did, though.

Fuck. Why do people suck so much?

“Well, now it’s in my fridge,” Peyton says.

“And I am going to enjoy the hell out of it because you are an amazing cook and she doesn’t deserve a goddamn thing you make ever again.

And the flowers look lovely on my table, too, by the way.

She’s trying to put the blame for her shitty behavior on you, babe. I never did like her.”

I sigh. I did know that. Peyton has never kept her dislike for Stacy a secret. “I should have listened to you,” I say.

“I wish I’d been wrong, if it makes you feel any better.” She keeps running her fingers through my hair and it feels so good I think I might just fall asleep, until she speaks again.

“Wanna watch Supernatural and get drunk? I have wine, beer, and vodka.”

“That sounds good,” I say, managing a small smile.

Peyton and I have been friends since we were kids and she always knows how to make me feel better.

We both fell in love with Sam and Dean Winchester when the series first started and we were only twelve years old.

It’s got fifteen seasons now, and tells the story of two brothers who fight monsters and demons that most of humanity doesn’t realize exist, and save lots of lives in the process.

There’s witches, banshees, ghouls, demons, angels, and so many other creatures, and beings that make the show entertaining, but it’s got a lot of heart and depth, too.

We grew up with the Winchester brothers, and now at thirty-two we get to watch reruns of our favorite episodes whenever we want.

Peyton, of course, has a massive crush on Jensen Ackles, who plays the older brother, Dean, and she’ll just pause the show at random moments and stare at him, letting out a dreamy sigh while I roll my eyes.

I can’t say I blame her. I’m straight, but I’m not fucking blind, and the guy is handsome.

She does the same thing with the character Abaddon, a sexy female demon.

I sit up and she makes her way into the kitchen.

We stay up far too late for two people who have to be at work the following day, but we get drunk, make each other laugh, and pass out together on the sofa.

And even though I know I’ll wake up with a massive headache, I do feel a little bit better already.