Page 42 of My Ex-Best Friends

“The movie, you idiot.” Karla scowled. “Willy was a whale!”

I sighed. “And to think I thought coming here would be less awkward than going home.”

Aunt Karlene put her finger to her head and made a sound like a poorly paid actor playing a ghost. “I’m getting a vision!”

I groaned and leaned against Logan. “I can’t believe I willingly came back to this place.”

“I see my niece! Married and knocked up!”

“Which ones does she marry?” Boomer was way too invested in my life.

“All three of them! I see it! She’ll marry all three of them and no one will ever judge because if they do a curse will fall upon their house! Especially you, Boomer Perry! And you, Karla!” Aunt Karlene slumped in her seat. “Wow. That was a big one. Anyone got a smoke?”

“Did you hear that? She just cursed me!” Karla reached over and slapped the back of David’s head. “Do something!”

“Why me? Ask your husband.” David rubbed his head and frowned. “The only thing I’m considering doing is giggin’ that witchy woman over there.”

“Same. I still have the boat.” Brent winked at Aunt Karlene. “Seems David and I really do have the same taste in women. How about it, Karlie?”

A cry came from behind us. “That’smywoman!”

I watched in horror as Dakota, the tourism guy, let out a war cry and charged at David and Brent. He was courageous for a small guy, I’d give him that. Before he could reach the men, though, Karla scooped him up like he was a child and held him to her chest.

“You’re a cute one. How about we go giggin’ ourselves?”

Aunt Karlene had her finger to her head again. “A curse! I sense a curse! Karla Pearson will be cursed with incurable jock itch and crabs, even though those things went out in the nineties. The crabs, not the jock itch.”

All hell broke loose. Henry locked eyes with me from where he’d come out of the kitchen. Pointing his finger at the door, he frowned. “You Monroe women are banned for a week! Two times in two days is too fucking much!”

Logan wrapped his arm around my waist and eased us towards the exit. “Does that extend to us, Henry?”

Henry groaned when a handful of food flew past his head and landed on the wall behind him. He shot Logan a look. “I suggest you get out of here before I decide to ban you all for a year.”

“Yep, yep. No problem.” Logan picked me up and carried me out like I was a bag of dog food. He didn’t put me down until we were at his truck. “Promise me that you’re not going to get a little older and start pretending to be psychic.”

I put my finger to my head and grinned at him. “I sense a curse!”

He laughed and slapped my ass. “Get in the truck before I curse your ass right here on the sidewalk.”

“Sounds kinky.” I groaned after speaking. “God. I need to spend a little time away from my mom and aunt. I think the crazy gets stronger when we’re together.”

“Can we talk about the fact that not only did you just announce to the entire diner that we’re fucking you, but that you also did that eel thing?” Colt was struggling to keep his composure. “Fuck, this town was boring without you.”

34

***Brooke***

Things were calm between us when we got home. We’d gotten over the first awkward hump and whatever the hell had happened in the diner and were settling comfortably into something that could maybe pass as normal. Colt and I sat at the island while Logan and Noah pulled out stuff to make sandwiches for dinner. They moved around each other like they’d been doing it for their whole lives, which they kind of had been.

Watching them and noticing how in sync they were made me chance breaking the calm by delving into whatever was happening between us. “Why do you think you guys are good at sharing?”

Logan lifted his head and frowned. “What do you mean? We’re not, really. The first month these two assholes moved in here we almost came to blows over who ate the last ice cream sandwich.”

“Me. Why are you good at sharingme? Or is it all women?” I hadn’t considered that. Had they been sharing other women while I was away? The thought didn’t sit well with me.

Colt wrapped his hand around the back of my neck and squeezed. “You. We’ve never shared another woman.”

Noah folded the chip bag he’d just emptied into a neat square as he watched me with a focused expression on his face. “It’s always been the four of us. I don’t always want to share you but if there’s anyone else in the world I trust with you, it’s these guys. They know you in and out as well as I do.”

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