Page 49 of All Jacked Up

She nodded. He was never going to put the girl in the library and Noa together. I sure as shit hadn’t.

“Than only had to be tutored once, and that was with the chubby girl with glasses and those lips that stuck out like a duck’s.”

Gathe’s description made me wince as my hands balled into fists. Fucking hell, leave it to him to remember who the fuck Than had been tutored by.

“The library girl,” Forge added with a nod. “Didn’t Crosby call her a—”

“Enough,” I snarled, ready to pound in both their fucking faces.

Forge’swhat the hell is wrong with youlook was followed by his eyes then swinging back to Noa. He was really studying her now.

“Jesus, what’s your problem?” Gathe asked before taking a bite of his sandwich and sitting down on the sofa.

“There is no way,” Forge said, shaking his head.

“Way,” Noa replied with a small smile that didn’t meet her eyes.

I shouldn’t have brought her here. I hadn’t thought about this. She’d been through enough today. She didn’t need this trip down memory lane.

“Dayum,” he muttered. “Age has been good to you.”

“Shut up,” I warned him, reaching out to take her arm and get her the fuck out of here.

“What am I missing?” Gathe asked as I began leading Noa from the room.

“It’s okay,” she said softly.

Clenching my teeth so hard that I could hear them grinding, I kept moving.

“I didn’t realize,” Forge called out.

I sped up just as Gathe asked him what the hell was wrong with me. Once we were in the hallway and headed toward the wing where Than’s old room was, along with mine, Oz’s, and Forge’s, I slowed down and released her arm.

“We might as well have gotten that out of the way,” Noa told me.

I would talk to them without her there to hear their dumbasscomments.

“I’ll handle it.”

“Would you rather me go to the hotel?”

Stopping, I looked down at her. “No. I’ve shared you. I might as well get the benefits from that.”

Her brow puckered. “What does that mean?”

I hadn’t meant to say that out loud. “You were a secret that was just mine. I didn’t have to share you with the world. I share everything with these guys but you. Now, they know about you, and so I can have you in my life, other than just on the phone. That’s a benefit.”

She thought about that for a moment, saying nothing. “Our friendship being … beyond the texting is okay with you though, right?”

I knew I hadn’t explained myself clearly, but I didn’t know how to. It was complicated, and I was struggling with it.

“Yes,” I replied with a grin. This way, I get to look at her even if I can’t touch.

Opening the door to the guest bedroom, I knew I should probably put her in the other guest bedroom because it was farther away from me. But I didn’t want to do that. I wanted her closer. She might need something.

“Here you go. See, much better than a hotel room.”

Seventeen

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