Page 84 of Ripped & Shipped
“Believe me, if you met him, you’d be amazed. He’s got such an indomitable spirit. Bounced back after a lot of therapy. He’s one of the most positive dudes I know.”
Duke scoffs and points to his own face.
“Yeah, yeah. Next to you. Okay, Captain Positive?”
Duke smiles with satisfaction.
“And I want you to meet him. I’m not sure why I kept my worlds so compartmentalized. But I do want you to meet Alex. And for him to meet you. You two will be dangerous together—in the best of ways.”
“I’d love to meet him.”
“So, back to Ella Mae.”
I’m on a roll, and now it’s like I just have to get this all out.
Duke nods.
“Well, I walked in on her crying that night at the restaurant. She wasn’t actually crying when I got there, but I could see she’d had some tears, so I stepped in. Even though I hate social media and I have real reasons for keeping a low profile. But seeing her like that, well, I couldn’t help myself. I had to do what I could.”
“You and Aiden, man. Hero complexes all day long.”
“Nothing wrong with being a hero.”
“I guess not. I just never got that gene. I take care of Shannon. Always will. But as far as feeling like the whole world’s going to fall apart if I don’t step in? Nah. I’ve got none of that. The way I see it, most people figure things out on their own if you leave them to it. And if they really need help, they ask.”
I shake my head. This is why Duke and I make such good friends. He’s the polar opposite of me.
“So, you stepped up at the Big Boy.”
“As you well know.”
We chuckle. That video on guys night still is one of the better pranks any of us have pulled on one another. Not that I’m telling Duke that. It’s way too easy to puff his ego up, and way too challenging to deflate it once it’s gotten larger than life.
“This next part is between you, me, Aiden, and God. You can’t tell a soul. Not even Shannon.”
Duke nods. “Got it. Whatever it is, it goes to my grave.”
I know he’s serious. He may be a gossip hound, but when he says he’ll keep my confidence, he will.
“Anyway, there’s this guy who keeps commenting on Ella Mae’s posts. He seems harmless at first. Just inappropriate—really skeezy. But then he escalated. So, I got Aiden involved. And I talked to Ella Mae. And Aiden put a little tracker on the guy, since I can’t due to my job. But that didn’t slow this putz down. So, Meg and I decided it would be good if Ella Mae had the appearance of a boyfriend online.”
“And who better to pose as her boyfriend than you?”
“Exactly. I’d already been in her posts. She trusts me. At least, I think she does. And she’s got to send this guy a message. He’s got to see she’s with someone who could kick his butt if it came to that.”
“Well, that would be you, for sure.”
“So that’s where we’re at. I’m posing as her fake boyfriend.”
“And catching feelings.”
Duke says it like it’s a fact and no big deal.
“I don’t know.”
I look over at the man who’s as good as a brother to me. And that was long before he married my sister.
“I’ve never been so confused in my life. I’m on my ear half the time around her. She makes me frustrated. She doesn’t put up with a bit of anything from me. She never listens to me. And then I can’t get her off my mind no matter how hard I try. I wake up to thoughts of her. I randomly wonder how she’s doing. I think of her whenever my mind is idle. And don’t get me started on her post about her feet. It’s driving me nuts, if you want to know the truth.”
