Page 11 of Just Bromantically Invested

Until Madden steps around the corner.

“Fuck.” I jump at his sudden appearance, which only makes him laugh.

“Dude, I’m a tiny bit late, and I get here to find you chatting someone up. Who was that?”

“Said her name’s Lana. She’s new to the building.”

“Huh. Cool, cool.” He playfully shoves me. “Lana doesyoga.” He drags the word out, and I resist rolling my eyes before leading him back inside. She could do horseback sword fighting for all I care—I met her for about a minute, and while I’m getting good vibes, that’s as far as things go. I don’t reply, hoping he’ll drop it.

Madden strips out of his clothes and hangs them on the hook I installed inside the front door, revealing all that smooth, lightly tanned skin.

“So, you two are meeting up tomorrow?” he asks, obviously wanting to push the conversation.

“Yeah, I guess.”

“She was super pretty.”

My tone is dry when I respond. “Switching teams now, are we?”

“Never. I can tell when someone I’m not into is attractive. Just doesn’t come with that side of wanting to bone her. Like you can tell when a guy is good-looking, but it doesn’t mean you want in his pants.”

“That’s true.” I grab my phone from the counter. “What do you want to eat?”

It’s a lot easier to scroll through the food options now that he’s here and I know I won’t be eating alone. Madden—even when he’s being annoying as shit—has a way of making a room warmer. More inviting. And instantly, that emptiness that normally fills my chest cavity lifts.

“Pizza.”

“Done and done.”

I order two vegetarians from that place we like, then set my phone aside. Neither of us is strictly vegetarian, but Madden goes through stages of turning off meat, and so I forgo it in support. It’s nothing political, although I’m waiting for Madden to jump on the carbon emissions train any day now since he’s already anti-clothes, anti-war, and anti-big Pharma. It’s all a natural progression, right?

What the fuck do I know? I design houses and lawns to look pretty for a living. I can’t handle the dark truths in the world.

“Should we start the movie now or after?” he asks.

Discomfort creeps over me. “Well, we need to decide what to watch first.”

“I thought you saidGhostbusters?”

“Yeah, but …” You saw it with people who weren’t me, who took you out for your birthday when I couldn’t. “You’ve already seen it. Don’t you want to watch something new?”

“Nah, I liked it. You will too.”

Thatiswhy I’d planned for it tonight, but I keep that bitter thought to myself. “Okay, let’s start it now.”

I settle on the couch, and Madden takes the place beside me.Rightbeside me. I lean into his side, missing how much we used to do this because Madden makes things in my mind settle, and it’s a reprieve I cling to.

The movie starts, and we both sink into the couch. It doesn’t take long for his head to find my shoulder, and then he wriggles his large body until he’s comfortably curled against me. I laugh, arm wrapping around his shoulders, as I turn my head to kiss his hair. We’ve always been affectionate, and yeah, it got weird for a hot minute when he first went full nudist, but it didn’t take long for me to get over my hang-ups. What’s a thin layer of material anyway? He could be cuddled against me like this or in a pair of loose shorts, and the only difference between the two scenarios is whatever difference my brain assigns to them. I’m not looking or touching, so wherever the hell his dick is isn’t my business.

“So,” I ask, voice pitched low under the movie. “How’s Xander?”

“Good. Derek got him all fixed up.”

Xander needs more than a nurse talking him from the edge of his panic attacks though. That guy should be in therapy. “I’m glad.”

Madden shifts so he can tilt his head up to look at me. “You okay?”

“Fine.”

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