Page 29 of Just Bromantically Invested

I break the surface and hurry to put distance between us.

“Maybe. Let’s just. Relax,” I manage between deep breaths.

There Madden goes looking confused again, but so the fuck am I.

My one saving grace is that we’re in the water, so he can’t see my super-inappropriate reaction to him.

Maybe I need to rethink his date idea.

Chapter 11

Madden

I’m not losing my best friend, and I’m trying not to freak out like I am. He’s not pulling away. Things weren’t weird today. Everything is normal, and I’m overthinking like I usually do.

I’m sitting up past two in the morning, watching infomercials. Usually Rush is awake and watching them with me, but Hunter slept over last night, and I didn’t want to disturb either of them. It’s not as much fun taking bets on the products when I’m only betting against myself.

I tilt my head at the advert for chia pets. They’re cute. I like growing things. I like chia.

Sounds like a win to me.

I’m on my phone and ordering a set when there’s a creak from the hall.

“Hey,” comes Seven’s low voice. “Didn’t know anyone else was awake.”

“Just me.”

He takes the seat beside me, and as the two largest guys in the house, there’s not much room for anything between us. “You buying some of those things?” he asks. He’s definitely been asleep at some point because his voice is husky.

“Yeah, they’re cool.”

“Which ones are you getting?”

I tilt my phone toward him. “I like Alf.”

“Of course you do—hey. They have a Chucky Doll. You need to get that one.”

“I think I have enough issues sleeping as it is. Ohh, the dinosaur’s cute.”

“Boring. Get the poop emoji.”

I laugh and add it to the cart, but that thing is going in his room. It can watch while he and Molly have sex. A Pooping Tom.

“Okay, I’m getting Alf, Gizmo, Morty, and Sonic.” I hesitate over the unicorn. “And this one for Z.”

“It’s gross. He’ll love it.”

It wouldn’t matter what I buy him, Xander will love it. He has issues from being neglected when he was younger, so being paid any attention lights him up inside. I’m not a shrink, so I have no clue if I’m enabling or whatever, but putting a smile on Xander’s face is never a bad thing in my books. I just want him to know that I care about him.

I view him as my little brother. He’s naïve, emotional, scared, but really tries to see the good in the world, even if sometimes the good is hard to find.

This unicorn can be another little spot of brightness for him.

Then, because I feel like I’m playing favorites, I add something for Christian and Rush too. Both of them will probably kill whatever they try to grow, but it’s the thought that counts.

“How are your Penn plans working out?” Seven asks whenI pay for way too many clay pots that don’t grow anything you can actually eat.

“Good. Elle has a sort of friend she’s introduced me to who’s interested, and I remembered that one of our past clients used to get flirty with him whenever we were over there, so I gave her a call as well.”

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