Page 48 of Molly

“It’s complicated, man.”

I grin. “Aren’t we a little old forcomplicated?”

He chokes out a laugh. “Don’t I know it.”

It’ll be interesting to see how they interact when she gets here. It’s been a while since I’ve seen them together in the same room.

???

We’re halfway through our beers, and Beckett is in the middle of telling me about the back piece he did today when Jess makes her appearance.

“Hey, handsome.”

“Hey, trouble. How you doing?” I reply, looking up at her. I scoot over and she takes a seat next to me.

“Better now, that’s for sure.” She winks, turning to Beckett and looking him up and down in the flirty way she does with most guys. “Hey, Beck.”

He nods and stares into his beer, completely avoiding eye contact with her. His jaw grinds back and forth before he shoots his gaze up to me. “I’d move before your girl gets here, man.”

I look back at him, confused by what he means, but Jess cuts in before I can ask. “Molly’s coming? I thought it was just the three of us tonight?” Her tone is whiney and high pitched. She sounds like Emma when she’s about to throw a tantrum.

I clear my throat and look between her and Beckett. “Yeah, she’ll be here soon. Best behaviour tonight, Jess. You’ve got to make an effort with her, babe. It’s a big deal that she agreed to come tonight after the way you acted out at lunch.”

She rolls her eyes, takes the beer out of my hand, sips it and hands it back to me, a little smirk on her face.

Jess invited herself tonight when she overheard Beck and me talking about it yesterday at lunch. I messaged Molly right away and told her. I offered to cancel the whole thing, but she said that she’d tag along and bring Penny. It’ll either go really well, or World War III will erupt in the middle of Brewery Lane.

“Ry, can you buy me a drink, please?” Jess asks, dropping her bottom lip dramatically.

I pull out my wallet and put my card down on the table in front of her. She always pulled this shit in Melbourne, too. Never wanted to buy her own drinks. She slips out of the booth, heads towards the bar, and I see Beckett shaking his head from the corner of my eye.

I turn and glare at him. I’m getting a little irritated by his attitude. “What’s up your ass tonight, brother?”

He finishes his beer, slams the empty glass down on the table, and sits up straighter, stretching his massive shoulders out. He’s an intimidating fucker when he wants to be, and right now, he’s not happy.

He leans forward, and his tone is lethal. “Molly’s a good girl, one of the best. She’s put up with this shit for too long, you’re pushing it, and I’m sure as shit not going to sit here and watch you disrespect that beautiful fucking girl. Cosying up with Jess, calling herbabe, buying her drinks. You act like it’s all innocent, but you’re hurting Molly doing it. She might not say it, but you are.” He stands up and moves out of the booth, stopping to look at me when he gets to the end. “I hope she drops you on your ass and finds a man that puts her first, cos it sure as shit ain’t you right now, Ryan. I’m out, have a great night,” he curls his lip in disgust and heads for the exit.

I sit there, gobsmacked.What the actual fuck? Am I fucking up here?

Jess comes back a minute later, a gin and tonic in her hand. “Where’s Beck?” she asks, sitting back down next to me.

I shuffle to the side a little, putting space between us. “He, uh, took off. He was pretty upset.”

She rolls her eyes and slaps my card down on the table. “What’s new. Beckett is a grumpy fucker.”

I shake my head. “He’s not. He’s worried that our friendship is upsetting Molly...”

She scoffs and takes a sip of her drink. “We’ve been friends too long to let Molly get between us. If she doesn’t like us being friends, she can find someone else to play daddy to her kid.”

I’m taken aback by the venom in her voice. “Play daddyto her kid? What the fuck, Jess? You think that’s what I’m doing?”

She rolls her eyes. “Well, aren’t you? You’ll get bored with it eventually, Ryan. I know you. You’ll want your own kids. She might not even want any more. Have you thought about that?”

I’m so fucking confused about what’s going on here. I shake my head, trying to clear it. I need to go home, need to see Molly. Am I hurting her? I thought we were fine. Has she said something to Beck? It’s really unlike him to go off like that. Does Molly think I’m playing daddy?

Jesus.

I stand, gesturing for Jess to move out of the booth. “I’m going to head home. Sorry, Jess. Raincheck on the drink,” I say before picking my card up off the table and shoving it back into my wallet.

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