Page 9 of Shared By my Ex's Best Friends
He steps into the living room with a purposeful stride, like he’s walking into a board meeting, but there’s a tension in his jaw that betrays him.
“Nick text?” he asks.
I shake my head. “Not yet.”
His nod is tight. Clipped. Like everything inside him is being methodically filed into folders labeled “Not Now.”
“You think he’ll show tomorrow?” he adds, eyes flicking toward the front door as if he expects Nick to materialize from the shadows.
Jake snorts from the couch without hesitation. “He’ll show when he’s ready to throw a wrench in something. So, yeah. He’ll be there.”
Liam shoots him a dry look before collapsing into the armchair with a soft grunt.
“Helpful,” he mutters.
Jake grins, stretching out like a cat. “Hey, you’re the team dad. You deal with the feelings.”
Liam glares at him, unamused. I don’t flinch.
“He’s not wrong,” I say, voice steady.
“Can we not assign me a title like I’m on some kind of dysfunctional wedding planning committee?” Liam mutters, rubbing the back of his neck.
“You’d make a great clipboard guy,” Jake shoots back with a grin, flopping deeper into the couch with a casual confidence that feels almost like a mask.
“I hate both of you,” Liam says flatly.
I snort.
Jake’s phone buzzes sharply, cutting through the silence. He quickly grabs it and I tense in anticipation.
“Nick?” Liam asks.
Jake sighs and shakes his head. “Nope. Not Nick.”
He leans forward, elbows resting heavy on his knees, staring down at the rug.
“This is going to be a weird week, huh?” he finally asks, looking back up at us.
“Absolutely,” Liam says. “I’m not going to lie… I’m nervous about seeing Maya again, and it’s not because of Nick.”
“I saw a picture of her,” Jake admits. “She looks good. Really good.”
“She always did,” I murmur. “That was the problem.”
They both look over at me, surprised.
I clear my throat and shrug. “What? You can’t tell me you guys don’t find her the least bit attractive.”
Jake chuckles. “Well, shit. Of course I think she’s attractive. She’s gorgeous, but she’s Nick’s ex. That means she’s off-limits… right?”
Just like that, the air shifts.
We all look at each other, each of us assessing the others as we try to figure out exactly what we’re each thinking. Maya isdefinitely off limits. Absolutely. None of us can even think of going after her.
Jake clears his throat, breaking the silence with a rough laugh. “Well. On that note, I vote we get very drunk tomorrow at the brunch. Seems about the only way any of us are going to get through this shit-show.”
“Classy,” I say, shaking my head with a grin.
