Page 37 of The Check Down

“Okay.” The deep breath of relief she exhales makes my chest ache. “I’ll be down in a few.”

While she’s in the shower, I text her the email address that only my immediate family and Seth have. If she doesn’t send me that dragon story, I’ll bug her about it until she relents.

Forty minutes later, I’m waiting by the stairs, shooting off a message to Beau, when Brynn appears, looking like an absolute smoke show. Tight ripped jeans, a loose black silk blouse with the sleeves rolled up and an extra button undone at the top, and red strappy wedges. Her brown hair is styled in waves and her makeup is minimal, as usual.

As she descends the stairs, I work to convince myself that my words to Beau were the truth. Surely she’s not looking to date so soon after her breakup. She needs time and space before she’s ready to get back on the horse. Right?

Though I seem to remember getting back on the horse pretty quickly, and frequently, after my breakup with Kate.

Shit.

On our walk to the bar, my gut churns. Because it hits me: as her roommate, I actuallymighthave to stand witness to her getting back out there. Going on dates. I’ll have to suck it up and smile and be supportive, because that’s what afriendwould do. Because my comeback has to remain my number one focus.

When we step inside the bar down the street from the apartment, Beau and Paige have already found a table. And a small crowd has found them. They’re surrounded by four fans, asking Beau for autographs or selfies. When Paige sees Brynn at my side, her face lights up.

“Yay, you’re here!” She clasps Brynn’s wrist and pulls her into an empty seat.

Once the fans recognize me, there’s another round of napkin-and-ball-cap signing and I have to break out my celebrity smile for photos. But after that initial wave, the patrons return to their drinks and let us be.

We spend the next two hours laughing, drinking, and eating the bar’s famous soul burgers.

“You know this place is rumored to be haunted?” Paige asks between bites of her burger.

“Really?” Brynn wipes her mouth and takes a swig of her beer.

When her tongue darts out to catch a stray droplet, I’m mesmerized. But when Beau catches me looking and smiles like a smug son of a bitch, I tuck into my burger like it’s my last meal.

Paige, it appears, is oblivious to her fiancé’s presumption. “Your new place is in a historic building like this, right?”

“Yeah.” I wipe my hands on my napkin and set it beside my plate. “Built in 1920.”

“You think it’s haunted?”

Brynn snaps her head up, her brows shooting up into her hairline, making Paige cackle. “I hope not,” Brynn says. “You haven’t experienced any paranormal activity, have you, Griff?” Shit. Her affectionate use of the nickname does funny things to me. Warm, fuzzy things that I like too damn much.

“Uh, can’t say that I have. I’ll ask Lux if he’s had any ghosts show up asking for tattoos.”

“Oh, I met him today, too. He was so nice.”

“Who’s this?” Paige asks, dropping a forearm to the table and leaning in.

“Lux. He’s a friend of Tucker’s. My younger brother. He’s renting the downstairs space from me.”

“He’s hot.Andhe has an accent.” Brynn fans herself and leans closer to Paige, sharing a moment of levity with her new girlfriend.

Paigeoohsand wags her brows.

But me? I see fucking red and grind my teeth so hard it makes my jaw ache. Not to mention that my grip on my beer bottle is concerning. I take a deep breath to calm my racing pulse, then roll my shoulders back once. Twice.

The girls gab on about how hot tattoos and British accents are; thank fuck they didn’t notice my almost-Hulk moment.

But it didn’t go totally unnoticed.

Beau Dempsey’s smug grin is back, and it’s reached epic proportions. When he gives me a told-you-so dip of his chin, I want to punch my friend in his perfect Captain America face.

I ignore my QB and affect an easy expression. I can act as though the way Brynn is describing the single man who shares our building ashotdoesn’t bother me.

Because it shouldn’t bother me. Right?

---