Page 24 of Strong Coffee

“Let’s grab a drink and then we can head back to my place,” Cam suggested.

I liked that idea but a part of me didn’t want to face Shane either. I didn’t know what I would say or even do. Would he be pissed that he had walked in on us? It wasn’t like we had been discreet either about what we were doing.

“Hey.” Cam moved in front of me and cupped the back of my neck. He leaned his forehead against mine, taking a deep breath. “If Shane gives you shit, you let me know. I don’t give a flying fuck who he is or what he was to you. He’ll learn really fast that it’s over between the two of you and he won’t like how I react to his jealousy.”

When I went to pull away from Cam, his hold on the back of my neck only tightened.

“What the fuck did I just say, Brady?”

Giving him a hard shove, I stepped out of his embrace. “I’m not into this jealousy bullshit, Cam. So if you want to continue whatever this is between us, I suggest you stop that once and for all.”

Cam stared at me, a slow grin spreading on his face. “Well, there he is.”

I frowned. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“I was starting to wonder if you were a pushover or if you’ve been hurt so damn much, that you couldn’t figure out how to think for yourself. I also thought that Shane maybe had this unexpected hold on you, and you didn’t know how to make him let go.” Cam closed the distance between us, placing a soft peck on my cheek. “I like this side of you, baby,” he whispered, reaching around me and opening the door to the bathroom.

When he stepped out into the hall and left me alone, all breath escaped me. I went to follow him, but a throat clearing stopped me.

Shane was standing outside the door to the staff room.

“I don’t need your lectures, Shane,” I grumbled.

“Are you sure? Because it seems like you’re doing shit you never would have done before meeting this guy.”

My brows narrowed in the middle as I stared at my best friend. “Are you jealous? Did you enjoy listening, Shane?” I wasn’t sure where this side of me was coming from. I always had a hard time saying what was on my mind. I never knew why either. I just didn’t like talking about my feelings or revealing things about myself because whenever I had done so, I would get laughed at. One could only be laughed at so much before they closed up completely and said fuck you all.

Shane only stared at me, his jaw clenching.

“Say it.” I crossed my arms under my chest. “Say how stupid I am for having sex in the bathroom at our place of business. Say how fucked all of this is and that you and I should be together even though we both know that it would never work.”

“I’m not saying any of that shit.” He rubbed the back of his neck, letting out an exasperated sigh. “I’m…I wish I could say that I was seeing someone but I’m not. I am interested in someone else though. So…yeah.”

“I figured as much.” I had never been completely sure if he was dating anyone, but I didn’t want him to think that I would be shocked as hell to find out that he was. We had to move on from each other, but I always had the fear that what we did would ruin our friendship.

“Really?” His arm fell to his side. “How did you figure?”

“I just had a feeling. You’ve been secretive and quiet. You’ve also been keeping to yourself or backing out ofplans. I only see you here, when I used to see you all the time.”

“You saw me all the time because we used to live together,” he pointed out.

“True.” The four of us had been roommates until whatever happened between Shane and me fell through. He moved out and found his own place while I still lived with Presley and Noah.

“What are you doing, Brady? Because whatever this is between you and…”

“Cam,” I added for him.

“Cam.” Shane jutted his chin. “You never would have done this.”

“What? Getting fucked in a bathroom?”

“You know what I mean.”

“Do I?” I shook my head, turning on my heel, not bothering to wait for him to respond. “You’re my best friend, Shane, and I love you but not the way you need. What I’m doing is having some fun. I like Cam, so you’re going to need to get used to him being around.”

I didn’t wait for him to respond and instead, headed down the hall back to the main dining area of the café. I didn’t know what was worse. Cam’s jealousy or Shane’s longing for something I couldn’t give him.

We tried that. We went down that road so many times, it made everyone around us miserable, including us.

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