Page 26 of Shattered Rhythm

“But—” I start.

“No buts. Let me tell you about River and Ryder. They dated the same girl in high school, and I’m sure they’re not opposed to doing it again. Chase is a little player, so I don’t know if he would ever change his ways, but he never treats you like he does his bed bunnies, and Jaxon… I don’t know if he’d be open to sharing with the guys, but I’ve never seen him so infatuated with anyone.”

“What? He just scowls at me all the time in this hot kind of way,” I say.

“Exactly.” She laughs and holds her cone out to me. I take a lick and give her one of mine. “It looks to me that they are into you and not just trying to get in your pants like you think. Believe me, I can tell the difference.”

“Have you known them long?” I ask.

“You could say that,” she replies. “We grew up in the same foster home. They were already a close-knit group when I arrived at the age of thirteen. They embraced me as the annoying little sister, and to this day, Jaxon continues to look out for me. He gave me a job and helped me find an apartment. Without his support, I don’t think I could have attended college. He’s truly amazing, and so are the others, but if there’s anyone who deserves someone good, it’s you.” I smile at her, gently squeezing her knee.

“You can’t be so sure about that. Maybe deep down, I’m a psycho bitch.”

“Oh, I know you well enough, girl,” she says with a chuckle. “Don’t we all deserve something good?”

I nod in agreement. “So why don’t you live with them too? It sounds like they have a large house together.”

“I love them but seeing them nearly every day at work is more than enough for me,” she says, laughing, but I see the love in her eyes as she talks about the guys.

“What’s your major?” I ask, changing the subject.

“Psychology,” she replies, smirking.

“So, I have to pay for this first little session we’re having here?” I ask with a smile.

“Yep,” she replies, popping the P, “in pizza and ice cream.” Which makes me laugh.

After we finish our treats, we walk to the car. I feel so thankful for Chris. She’s only known me for a short time, but she already feels like a friend. The ride back to her apartment is filled with laughter and music.

“Thanks for coming shopping with me,” I say when we pull up, smiling at her.

“No problem,” she replies, grinning back. “I had a lot of fun.”

CHAPTERSEVENTEEN

Jaxon

Chris arrives for her shift on Saturday morning, looking relaxed and happy, which makes me happy.

“Good morning,” she greets me, handing me a cup of coffee.

“You brought me coffee?” I ask, surprised.

“I did,” she replies with a nod.

“You never bring me coffee,” I say flatly.

“And if you don’t stop and just say ‘thank you, Chris,’ I never will again.”

I smile and say, “Thank you Chris.”

“See? Wasn’t so difficult, was it?” she jokes.

“So, how was your girls’ day out?” I ask, trying to sound less interested than I actually am.

“Lots of fun,” she tells me, smiling knowingly. “Liv is cool, and also kind and funny. I like her a lot.”

Yeah, I do too.

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