Page 99 of False Start

They shared an intimate look that make my chest tight and a million questions bubble in my throat. None of which I’d ask with Trent and Gavin around. Still, what the hell had happened while I was gone?

“You’re looking good, buddy.” Trent clapped a hand on Derek’s shoulder, leaning down to give him a half hug before sitting opposite him on the chair. My chair. “How are you feeling?”

“Good.” Derek smiled, taking a glass from Gavin.

Gavin sat down beside him, and I stood in the center of the room, awkwardly searching for a safe place to sit in my own apartment.

Trent wrapped his hand around my wrist, pulling me down nearly on his lap before I redirected for the armrest. “Glad you had someone to help you out.”

Gavin’s cheeks blushed, but Derek reached across his lap, squeezing his hand. “I can’t say I didn’t miss you two, but Derek took great care of me. How was the rally?”

“Fine.” My voice pitched up as Trent’s arm grazed my ass on its way around my waist. I pushed it away and shot Trent a warning look.

Derek eyed me. “You okay, Kit?”

“Fine.”

“You’re acting a little weird.”

“I’m just tired. Exhausted, really. I should go make some coffee. Does anyone else want a cup?”

His brown eyes narrowed before they skipped to Trent. “Nope. Something is off. What happened?”

“Nothing happened. We did the rally, we sold the car, we came home.” The words sped out of my mouth.

“We slept together,” Trent added offhandedly.

My heart stopped. “What the fuck, Texas?”

He tilted his head, a look of puppy dog confusion on his face. “Were wenotgoing to tell Derek?”

Derek’s eyes widened to the size of saucers, and his mouth dropped open.

“If it makes you feel better, we’re sleeping together, too,” Gavin interjected over the sudden awkward silence.

Trent snorted. “Oh, we knew that.”

“It was a one-time thing. Rally rules. We weren’t supposed to bring that information home.” I ignored the couple on the couch, my focus on Trent.

His green eyes glinted, the edge of his lips turning up. “Three times.”

“Two and a half at best.” A dumb thing to say because my mind immediately jumped to the shower that morning where, yeah, there hadn’t been penetration, per se, but I hadn’t exactly been quiet about how much I enjoyed myself.

Derek pitched forward in his seat, eyes roving between Trent and me like he was watching a particularly juicy reality show. Which he sort of was.

“It didn’t mean anything,” I said emphatically. “Rally rules.”

“You keep saying that.” Gavin’s face twisted in confusion. “What are rally rules?”

“She’s just a little shy.” Trent wrapped his hand around my wrist and pulled me into his lap. “But definitely into it.”

Trent’s hand slid down my back, his thumb brushing over my spine and sending goosebumps down my arms. And it felt good. Really good. I hated how good it felt.

“You don’t even like me,” I argued.

Trent’s hand stilled on my back. “I like you.”

I winced at the faint timbre of hurt laced in his voice. “You know what I mean.”

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