Page 35 of Trusting Tanner
“What the fuck, Tanner! You in there making that beer?” Jason shouted from the living room. “Hurry up and get your ass out here. We’re in overtime.”
He laughed. He’d told Jason about the bet with Jules, and so he was rooting for the Giants today even though he was a diehard Miami fan. That was true friendship right there. Reluctantly, he released Jules and grabbed two beers and a bottle of water from the fridge. “Do you want anything?”
“No, I’m good. Thanks.”
He reached in and got a beer for himself. They returned to the living room. Tanner handed Devon and Jason their beers, gave Holly her water, then he sat in the recliner, pulling Jules down on his lap. Arm curled around her waist, he rested his hand on her thigh. The day had turned out better than he’d hoped.
…
Tanner rushed across the parking lot, through the grass behind the English building, and cut between the library and social sciences building. He’d overslept, because he’d been in the middle of a hot as hell dream involving him and Jules and no clothes, and now he was going to be late to lab. Normally he wouldn’t mind walking in five or ten minutes late, but their first test was coming up this week, and today was the practice lab.
“Hey, Tanner!” Devon approached to the left, his walk brisk and purposeful. “Hold up. We need to talk.”
“I’m already late for labs. I’ll catch up with you later,” he called over his shoulder as he continued toward Fallon Hall.
“It’s about Jules.”
That made him stop cold. He turned around to find Devon standing with his arms crossed. “What about her? Is she okay?”
“She’s fine. And I want to make sure she stays that way.”
“Excuse me?” The tips of his ears burned, and he squeezed the strap of his backpack. Tanner slowly walked back toward Devon. “If you’re about to tell me to stay away from her, save your breath.”
“I’m not stupid. Jules would skin me alive if I did that.”
Tanner smiled. Her independence and stubbornness were two of the many things he liked about her. Devon didn’t return the smile.Okay then.
“I don’t know what you two have going on, but she likes you, and this had better be real for you, too. She’s not the type who does casual hookups.”
“And you think I am?” He took a deep breath and tried to swallow back the furious retorts building on his tongue.
Who the hell does this guy think he is?
“I don’t know what she’s told you about her ex, but that asshole broke her, and I was there for every second of it. I had to watch her cry over that dickhead, and I willnotlet her go through that again.” Devon stepped closer. “Consider this fair warning. You so much as make her cry a single tear, I will break every fucking bone in your body.”
What. The. Fuck. Tanner took a step back. “Where the hell is this coming from? I thought we were friends, man.”
“We are, but Jules is important to me, and I won’t let anyone hurt her again.”
Tanner clenched his hand into a fist, released it, then did it again. His heart thundered loudly in his ears, deafening him to everything else around him. “You love her,” he said. It wasn’t a question that needed an answer. It was a sudden realization, like he’d been beaten upside the head with a baseball bat. How had he not seen this before?
“Of course I do. She’s my best friend.” He sounded offended.
“Are youinlove with her?”
Devon flinched as if he’d been hit. “No.” He shook his head. “She’s like my sister, and I will always have her back.”
Tanner didn’t believe that for a second. There was no way in hell Devon saw Jules as a sister. But regardless of how he felt about Devon, he was important to Jules, and if Tanner wanted to be in her life, he was going to have to learn to play nice with him.
“Look. I don’t want any bad blood between us, all right? We both care about Jules, so let’s be nice for her sake.”
“We won’t have any trouble so long as you don’t hurt her,” Devon said.
“You don’t have to worry. I have no intention of hurting her.” He dragged a hand through his hair. “We good now? I have to get to class.”
Devon’s only response was a firm nod before he spun on his heel and walked away. Tanner shook his head. Did that seriously just happen? He desperately wanted a relationship with Jules. Not JulesandDevon. His cell phone vibrated in his pocket, startling him. He pulled it out and saw a text from Juliana.Are you seriously skipping class?!?
He hit reply.And miss the opportunity to see your beautiful face? No way.
