Page 132 of Always You

“Jensen is dating her friend,” I hiss. “I don’t hear you complaining about her.”

Jensen sputters, pointing his glass my way. “They are hardly friends. They run in the same circles. Unfortunately, the same that are dictated by my mother.” He muffles the last words behind a sip of his drink.

“Not the fucking point,” I hiss.

“Right.”

“She’s my girlfriend, guys.”

“I get why you don’t like her, although if you fuck this up, I will rip your head off.” I glare at my best friend before jerking my head toward Jensen. “But what’syourissue with her?”

His brows move to the top of his head, but it lacks a sincerity that tells me he definitely has an opinion on it. “Nothing.”

“Uh-huh. Try again.”

“Jesus, Hunt.”

“What?” I snarl. I’m sick and tired of being the bridge between my friends and my girlfriend. A fucking wobbly bridge with holes and broken planks. Jason does his best half of the time, but it’s more tolerating her than anything else, which, to be fair, seems to be the same situation for her. For some unknown reason, Jason and Laurie don’t get along, and I’ve accepted it. But I will not accept them biting each other’s heads off every chance they get. They can suck it up and play pretend for the common good. Meaningme.

“I don’t have any issues with her.” Jensen flashes me a dull expression.

“Great.” I bring my glass to my lips, but before the honey-colored liquid can coax my tongue, Jensen adds, “I do have an issue with the two of you, though.”

I look up at the strobes on the ceiling. “What do you mean?”

“Look, I'm just gonna say it. You two are toxic together, man.” Now it’s my turn to pull a face. “Don’t look at me like that. She sucks the living soul out of you and not because her lips are always wrapped around your dick.” He pauses, and my molars grind together at the way he talks about her, but I can’t find an argument either. “Sometimes I wonder if you even like her.”

“Of course I like her.”

His intense gaze challenges me. “Name one thing you have in common with her.”

Easy.“We hike together.”

“Because you’re forcing her,” Jason says like a smartass, and I ball a fist to prevent myself from flicking my palm against his head.

“We both like to go out to dinner.”

“She likes sushi, you like pizza from Donny’s and hamburgers. She drags you to all these restaurants with tiny bites, when you just want a fucking steak.”

“That’s not t—” I’m cut off when Laurie appears on my side again, holding some kind of weird pepper thing wrapped in bacon in front of my face.

“Look, baby,” she exults. “It’s an amuse-bouche. You’ll love it.” Before I can decline, it’s basically shoved into my mouth.

“Isn’t it amazing?”

I nod, chewing the thing with a strained smile, and I can’t avoid Jason’s smug grin when she walks away again.

“Chained,” he mouths.

I hate him.

The food is great, but far too small portioned for my appetite, so an hour later I’m feeding my hunger with my third whiskey, already planning on going to the drive-through for a burger when I get out of here. My eyes land on a blonde in a black pantsuit, her hair up in a classy bun. An intense glare is pinned on Jensen’s profile, a smile etched in my face when I recognize her as the team’s PR representative. Emily is sitting on his lap, his lips cascading up and down her neck, but by blondie’s annoyed expression, she’s clearly not on board with Jensen’s PDA.

I lean in, close enough for him to hear me, but not loud enough for the rest of the table to register. “Why is PR girl glaringat you?”

Jensen’s eyes roam to find her, then a crooked smile lands on his features before he whispers, “Probably because it’s her favorite hobby. She loves getting pissed at me.”

I want to ask why that is, but my attention is caught when everyone on the dance floor stops dancing.

---