Page 45 of The Ones We Fight For

“Rude. He hasn’t said anything, so how would I know?” Talia defended herself, feeling a flush of heat all over her body.

He spent the entire time talking about you.

The statement replayed in her head on a loop as she warred with herself for a suitable explanation. The incapability to find anything worth wanting within herself told her that Walker didn’t feel the same. He was just appreciative of her help. All she had ever heard from him was how he wasn’t available to date anyone, so surely she was no exception. “He’s unavailable,” was what she had adamantly told Harper at the coffee shop before inviting her over to help with Walker’s coffee machine. An hour of heavy flirting later, Talia was inwardly cursing herself for ever asking for Harper’s help. It wasn’t jealousy—it was just an extreme amount of touching to witness. Also, Harper was very pretty, which was frustrating because Talia had shown up wearing workout leggings and an oversized sweatshirt to Walker’s house (not that she was competing for his attention). If anyone would be the exception to Walker’s rule, it would be Harper. And really, Talia couldn’t blame Harper for being attracted to him.

“He should say something,” Roscoe agreed. “But it’s also extremely obvious. He looks at you the way I look at Amala.” He shot his wife one of those endearing looks that was so affectionate you could tell in a satellite picture from space that he was head over heels in love with her. “Why do you think I’m okay with him being around her all the time?”

“Because she’s literally pregnant with your child and you trust her?”

“That too,” Roscoe gave his wife an apologetic look. Amala just grinned, enjoying her husband trying to skate off thin ice. “But also ‘cause the dude is infatuated with you, so I know he’s not going to go after my wife.”

“Walker wouldn’t do that anyway. He likes you both,” Talia argued.

“Hun, you are missing the point. Walker Hartrick has got it bad for you,” Amala finally chimed in.

“Bad,” Roscoe took his wife’s side. “And he’d probably have my balls on a platter if he knew I told you that. I’m probably breaking some sort of a bro code.”

“If he didn’t want her to know, then he should have been better about hiding it,” Amala reasoned.

“So… you’re sure? You think he likes me?” Talia bit her lip.

“Oh, dear God! What are we, in middle school?” Amala threw up her hands in exasperation. Roscoe turned to his wife and calmly set his hands on her shoulders.

“Honey, sometimes it takes people a while to get there. Not everyone walks up to the person they like and loudly asks ‘when are you going to ask me out? Are you interested or not?’” Roscoe mimicked Amala’s voice, raising his an octave.

“She did that?” Talia gawked. She’d never heard this exact story before.

“In front of my parents and all of my friends at my basketball game in high school,” Roscoe recalled, a dreamy look settling onto his face.

“It worked.” Amala leaned into her husband, returning his look from earlier. “You asked me out.”

“Never said I wanted you to take it back,” Roscoe said in a low, sultry tone that made Talia want to immediately vacate the premises.

“Mmm, I don’t think I want to take back what we did on the first date, either,” Amala’s eyelashes fluttered.

“Can you two get a room?” Talia gagged.

“Technically, we own every room in this house.” Roscoe gestured with his head toward the hallway, grinning boyishly at Amala, and winked. “I’m free whenever you are.”

“You already knocked her up, Roscoe. If you’re thinking you can make twins, I’m one hundred percent sure that’s not how it works,” Talia scoffed.

“And I’m not sure you know that sex isn’t just for populating Earth.” Amala pointed at Talia. “Why don’t you get a room, preferably with Walker, but preferably after the birthday party so it’s not in my house. As much as I support you, I don’t support you that much.”

“Wow.” Talia blushed and started stuttering over her words. “I’m not even—we’re not having… I-I mean, we aren’t going to do that.”

“Look, babe, I made her all flustered!” Amala raised her hand in the air, and Roscoe returned the high five with a satisfying slap.

“You’re just going to keep fucking with them until they end up together, aren’t you?” Roscoe was holding onto Amala’s waist with both hands now and staring into her face, effectively removing Talia from the conversation.

“Oh, absolutely.”

“Guess I should inform you that I told Walker to stop daydreaming about Talia at the bowling alley and he went two shades redder than before?” Roscoe asked.

“Great work,” Amala stroked her husband’s arm lovingly, like screwing with Talia and Walker was some weird form of foreplay.

“Guys!” Talia shouted. “Can we lay off Walker? I don’t want him to feel pressured. He has a lot going on, and… please don’t, okay? I don’t want him to date me out of obligation for helping him when I would do it regardless of whether he feels the same way.”

“We didn’t mean…” Amala’s face grew serious. “Sorry, we’ll stop. It’s just hard from the outside looking at you two not seeing what’s right in front of you.”

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