Page 142 of Neighbors With Benefits

57

Jazz

We made some awkward introductions with Karen and Howard. Then I led my three neighbors back across the street and into their home.

“A knife, I can understand,” I said. “But a metal ladle? You thought you could fight someone with that?”

“Dante took the good weapon,” Aiden complained.

“We have six other knives,” Dante said bluntly.

“I don’t want to use my Japanese paring knife to stab someone!”

“I appreciate your enthusiasm to rush to my defense,” I told them. “Even if your execution was a little silly.”

“I can’t believe Voldemort helped you,” Bash said.

“His name is Howard!” I snapped.

All three of them frowned at me.

“Sorry,” I said. “I’m projecting my own guilt onto you. He was upset when he learned we call him that.”

“Why did you tell him? Aiden asked.

“Because I’m an idiot,” I said with a sigh. “My emotions are all over the place tonight.”

“You seemed off while we were playing Pickleball,” Bash observed. “And I don’t think it’s your stomach.”

Aiden nodded in agreement.

“Karen and Howard were so nice to me,” I said. “But they are kind of snoops. They have a parabolic microphone they use to listen to conversations in the neighborhood. That’s how they knew I was going to break up with you guys.”

All three of them tensed at the same time.

“You… what?” Aiden asked.

I touched my head. “Ugh. I can’t think straight. Let me start over.”

“Don’t start over,” Dante growled. “If you’re breaking up with us, thenthat’swhat we’re talking about first.”

“I’m not,” I said, rubbing his arm. He remained tense though, like a coiled spring.

“They overheard a conversation I had with Cat the other day. I told her I needed to break up with you guys because…” I hesitated. Admitting this part was hard, but seeing the confused pain on their faces was worse. “Because I’ve developed feelings for you. All of you.”

Dante gave a little snort. Bash furrowed his brow. Aiden just said, “Oh.”

“Wait a minute. They’ve been spying on us with a parabolic mic?” Bash asked.

“And binoculars. We can circle back to that later,” I said. “I have feelings for each of you, feelings that are growing every single day. I can’t deny it any more. That terrified me, and it’s the opposite of the agreement we all had to keep things casual…”

“So you thought the way out was todump us?”Aiden demanded, clutching the ladle to his chest.

“Let me finish! I thought that at first, yeah. I was panicking. But Karen and Howard talked me out of it. They told me that they’ve never seen you guys so happy before.”

“How do they know how happy we are?” Aiden wondered.

“The microphone. And binoculars. Come on dude, keep up,” Dante scolded.

---