Page 148 of The Dixon Rule

WILL:

I can’t. I need to be strong. Can I crash at your place?

ME:

You can’t keep coming over here to avoid threesomes.

WILL:

She’s the hottest girl I’ve ever seen, Diana.

ME:

I thought *I* was the hottest girl you’ve ever seen.

WILL:

Right, of course. My apologies.

Shane peers over my shoulder. “Are you sexting with my teammate?”

“No.”

“I saw your last message! You’re asking him to say you’re hot.”

“It was a joke.”

“No. No way.” He points a warning finger at me. “You’re not going to make me into a cuck, Dixon.”

I snort. “I’m not making you into a cuck.”

“I mean it. You can’t expect me to be your fake boyfriend and then flirt with my friends. It makes me look like a fool.”

“Fine. Good point,” I relent. “You know what? I’m sorry. I won’t flirt with Will when he’s here.”

“What do you mean when he’s here?”

“He’s coming over to crash.”

“Again?” Shane narrows his eyes. “Why does he have to? He’s got a three-bedroom townhouse. Even if he’s plastered at the bar and needs to walk home, he can just walk home. To his own home.”

“It’s a whole thing,” I say vaguely.

“Elaborate, please.” Shane sounds exasperated.

I don’t want to betray Will’s confidence, but…maybe this is something Shane can help him with. Because the fact is, Will can’t keep running from his problems and hiding from Beckett in Meadow Hill every time the guy brings a woman home.

Shane’s usually pretty good at reserving judgment. Maybe he can talk some sense into Will where I’m failing.

“Okay, so…” I hesitate. “I’m going to tell you something, but you can’t breathe a word of it to anyone.”

Turns out I’m the worst secret-keeper ever. But I trust that Shane’s not going to say anything. He hasn’t blabbed about our fake relationship after all, and it’s been months.

“Will doesn’t want to be at home when Beckett has a girl over,” I tell him.

He frowns. “Why the hell not?”

“So you know how the two of them like to…?” I let the question hang.

---