Page 157 of Just This Once

Exhaling in relief, I replied with a thumbs-up emoji, more than thankful that he’d agreed to meet.

I made it to the Palace in five minutes and was seated in a booth with a lemon Froyo another five minutes after that. I was halfway finished with it when the bell above the door dinged, announcing a new arrival. I glanced up and swallowed thickly when Thane made eye contact with me and started my way.

“Hope,” he greeted with all the warmth of the smoothie I was holding as he slid into the seat across from me.

“Hey, Doc,” I answered, probably looking as nervous as I felt. I clutched my frozen yogurt in both hands and sent him a tremulous, hopeful smile. “Thanks for coming.”

He nodded without replying and glanced around uneasily, clearly wondering why he was here. “Alec around?”

“Uh, no.” I cleared my throat, then asked, “Hey, you want anything? I’ll get you whatever you want. My treat.”

His brow furrowed suspiciously as he shook his head. “I’m good.” Then he just straight-up asked, “What’s going on? Why did you want to meet? Is Alec?—”

“Oh no. He’s fine,” I assured quickly, waving a hand. “He’s great. This isn’t about him at all, actually.”

But that only confused Thane more, and he frowned harder. “Then what’s going on?”

“I—I need your help,” I rushed the words, feeling my face flame with shame. “I messed up. I messed up really bad. And I need you to tell me what to do to fix it.”

“Ah, hell,” he muttered, rolling his eyes toward the ceiling. “What did you do this time?”

“I…” When no more words came, Thane lifted his eyebrows encouraging me to speak up. Wincing, I cleared my throat and admitted, “I kind of fell in love with Parker.”

He didn’t react for the longest second. Then he leaned in, tilted his head, and slowly answered, “Come again?”

“I fell in love with Parker,” I announced more calmly this time.

He opened his mouth as if to reply, only to shut it again and squint. A second later, his eyes widened. “Oh, fuck.You’rethe married woman.”

I shook my head, not understanding.

Thane rested his hand against his head as he sighed heavily. “He tried to tell me. He said he’d been with someone heshouldn’t have. So I’d guessed that she was married, and he—he didn’t correct me.”

“Yeah. Well, surprise.” I cringed, waving at him. “It was just me.”

He narrowed his eyes as if he would’ve preferred to learn Parker had messed around with a married chick after all.

“So, just out of curiosity,” I wondered with a hopeful, begging smile. “What advice did you givehim?”

“I told him to sleep with someone else and get over it,” he answered bluntly.

Straightening in outrage, I pulled back in my seat. “You didwhat, now?”

Thane shrugged, unrepentant.

“Well, I don’t likethatidea,” I had to admit.

“And yet I think I still stand by it. Jesus, Parker,” he groaned as he looked up at the ceiling to scold his absent friend. “What the fuck were you thinking?”

“It wasn’t him,” I defended. “It wasmyidea. I was the pursuer. And I really didn’t give him a chance to turn me down. Parker didn’t do anything wrong.”

Narrowing his eyes, Thane muttered, “Except sleep with one of his best friend’s sistersbehindhis back.”

“I mean…” I shrugged and rolled my eyes, really trying to downplay that detail. “I love Alec. He’s my person. But it’s not really any of his business who I sleep with.”

Thane scoffed. “You really want to break this group up, don’t you?”

“No!” I spat, shaking my head savagely. “Not even. Parkerneedsthis group. Hell, so does Alec. That is the last thing I want. I just?—”

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