Page 97 of Worthy

“Alarm.” My eyes are still closed, and I want nothing more than to fall back asleep, but I know it’s not going to happen.

Joey sits up and shuts off the screaming alarm. It’s actually a scream. Not a normal alarm sound, but like that screaming goat sound that was all over social media a few years ago. He’s a psycho. It’s jarring every time.

He reaches his arms above his head and stretches. The muscles in his back bunch and flex in the light peeking through the blinds. I sit up, slide a hand around his torso, and kiss his shoulder. I pinch his nipple just to make him hiss. He slaps at my hand, and I chuckle as he rolls away, rubbing at his now sore nipple.

“You’re a dick.” He sits up and we both swing our feet over the edge to the floor.

I smile at him, all sleep-rumpled and sexy. “Yeah, I am, but you’re still here so you don’t hate it.”

“It’s because you dick me down.” Joey stands and moves between my knees, lifting my chin so he can kiss me. It’s a quick press of lips since we just woke up, but it’s enough to heat my blood. “Get dressed.”

He steps back and uses the bathroom as I dig out some workout clothes. I’m pulling on a shirt when he stops in the doorway and leans against the frame with his arms crossed.

“What’s on the schedule today? Cardio? I have a much more fun way to get that in.” I waggle my eyebrows, and he shakes his head, but he’s smiling.

“It’s leg day.”

I pull on my shoes, grab my crap, and we head upstairs to wake up Bryce. Joey swears the guy can’t make it to the gym unless he drags him, so the last few days we’ve been waking him up. Bryce hasn’t asked why Joey isn’t sleeping in their room yet, but I’m waiting for it. Maybe he texted the question?

We get off the elevator on the fifth floor and when Joey opens the door, I rush past him and jump onto Bryce’s bed. Standing on his bed, I jump on the mattress and shake the fuck out of him.

“Hey, man!”

Bryce startles, yelling and covering his head so I stop bouncing.

“Time to get up.” I’ve got a shit-eating grin on my face when I pat his shoulder.

He looks up at me, glaring. “You’re an asshole.”

Joey barks out a laugh as he changes into workout clothes, and I jump down.

“Yeah, I really am.”

Bryce grumbles something about dickhead seniors, but he gets up to go take a piss. Joey lifts an eyebrow at me, smirking as he finishes getting dressed, and I shoot him a wink.

The bathroom door opens, and Bryce quickly gets changed, then we head down to the gym.

We get warmed up and move to the leg machines as the door opens and two guys come in, a redhead with longer hair and one with brown hair and a backwards ball cap. Is it a hockey thing to have longer hair?

They come to stand in front of Joey, and I take my earbud out so I can listen to what’s going on. I’m a nosey bastard.

The one with the hat on crosses his arms, and a muscle in his jaw jumps.

“Have you seen Carmichael?” Oh, he’s pissed.

Joey looks between them, then stops his workout.

“No, why?”

“We can’t find the dumbass and he’s—” Hat Guy looks at Redhead, and he shrugs a little. “He’s not doing well.”

“We need to find P Daddy,” Redhead says, and I try to hide my snort, but since Joey glances at me, I know I failed. “But we don’t know Denver well enough to drive around and look for him.”

I stand from the machine I’m using. “I can help.”

Everyone turns to look at me. “I’ve lived here for a few years. I know how to get around the city. Any idea of what type of thing this guy would be doing?”

“Self-destruction.” Hat Guy says and Redhead nods.

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