Page 63 of Knockin' Boats
“It’s complicated,” I said evasively.
A week ago, I would have answered with an unequivocal,yeah, I hate that guy.After kissing him—multiple times—I was conflicted. Ash still got under my skin. Kissing him was the only way to shut him up—and stop my irritation in its tracks, but… I wasn’t an idiot. It wasn’t normal to kiss a guy to defuse an argument.
Brooks and Skylar exchanged a look, and judging by the twitching eyebrows and tilted heads, there was a whole conversation happening I wasn’t going to like.
“Okay, got the beer.” Cash plonked the pitcher down in the center of the table. “What did I miss?”
“Nothing,” I said.
Just as Brooks said, “Sawyer threw Ash in the fucking lake, and apparently if he’s not going to grow up, we’re going to have to set him straight with a friendervention.”
I laughed. “Set me straight. That’s funny.”
“Why is that funny?” Brooks asked.
Cash looked at me knowingly. “Because he’s into Ash.”
“Cash, I don’t think?—”
“Have you kissed again?” Cash interrupted as he took his seat across from me.
“Right before I threw him in the lake.”
Skylar looked concerned. “Did he kiss you again without asking? Once could be a misunderstanding, but twice?—”
“No,” I said quickly. “It wasn’t like that. I, uh…kissed him. To shut him up.”
Cash smirked. “Sure. That’s why you did it.”
“It is,” I insisted. “We wind each other up constantly, and it’s the only way to shut it down.”
“Okay, now we definitely need a friendervention,” Brooks said.
“Why? I’m just dealing with the situation you all put me in!”
“Come on, bro,” Cash said. “I annoy the shit out of you, and you’ve never kissed me.”
“And Cash probably would have kissed you back,” Fisher added with a snicker.
“Ash kissed me back every time it happened, thank you very much.”
“Every time?” Brooks said. “Just how many times are we talking about here?”
I lifted the pitcher and poured a beer. This conversation had gotten way more personal than I’d intended. I’d only meant to reassure them that I didn’t need a freaking intervention for throwing Ash overboard.
“Does it matter? You all wanted me to find a way to work with Ash, so I did. No friendervention needed.”
“Agree to disagree,” Brooks said.
“Who appointed you boss of the friendervention?” I muttered before picking up my pint glass and taking a long gulp.
Watered-down piss beer rolled over my tongue, and I screwed up my face as I swallowed. “What the hell is this crap?”
“It’s the special on tap,” Cash said. “You buy if you want to be picky.”
I sighed and took another long swallow, cuz shit beer or not, I needed it to get through this conversation.
“Sawyer, we’re just concerned about you,” Skylar said.
