Page 94 of Romance Languages

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We wentto a bar on the water with a wide-open view of the river. It was the first warm Friday of spring, and the rooftop balcony was open. Flirty single ladies mingled in the crowd. My dick had no response.

Greg faded into the crowd to get us a round of drinks. I leaned against the railing, wondering what Julian was up to. Was he out with his friends? Meeting someone new and quickly forgetting about me?

“I think we need to skip beers and go straight to cocktails.” Greg put two vodka sodas on our high-top.

I swiped the glass that had a teeny bit more drink and took a healthy, cleansing gulp, letting it burn all the way down.

“Easy there, slugger.” Greg sipped his drink like a normal person. “I’m sorry again about Julian. At least you took your shot.”

“I didn’t. Jules took the shot, and I swatted it down.” I wiped a finger around the glass, condensation slicking my grip.

“Huh? But I thought…”

I kept quiet about my altercation with Lauren’s brother. My guilt was too strong, and I didn’t want Greg trying to be my white knight and bail me out.

“It just wasn’t the right time,” I said quietly.

“You don’t like him?”

“No. I love him, but it wasn’t the right time.”

“Holy shit,” Greg said. “You love him?”

Sadly, yes. I loved him. I loved Julian Bradford. I loved every shy blush, every smile, every lilting word out of his mouth.

I chugged the rest of my cocktail, the vodka burning my throat.

“I’m gonna get another one,” I said.

Greg blocked my way. “Have a seat there. Maybe getting smashed isn’t the best idea.”

“I won’t get smashed.”

“Dude. Remember when you got dumped junior year by that girl on the volleyball team? You did kegstand after kegstand at our party and then tried to serenade her outside her dorm to…what song did you use?”

I hung my head. “‘Best of Both Worlds’ by Miley Cyrus, a.k.a. Hannah Montana.”

“Huh. I still don’t understand the connection there.”

“She was studious, and I was a frat guy, and together we had the best of both worlds! Plus she had blonde hair like Hannah.”

Greg cocked an eyebrow at my explanation. Despite how I sounded on the video a bystander had secretly recorded and uploaded to YouTube, I thought I’d nailed it. Her loss.

“Let’s leave the singing to Miley this time.”

He was and would always be my big frat bro having my back, making sure I didn’t make an ass out of myself. Greg poured a little bit of his drink into my empty glass.

“So you love him.” He nodded, processing. “And I take it he felt the same way.”

“Yep. But he deserves better than me.”

“That’s bullshit. Are you still hung up on what happened with Lauren?”

“I shouldn’t be anyone’s boyfriend.”

“Isn’t that up to Julian to decide?”

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