Page 91 of Fabulous Filthy Friend

“I’m really not doing okay.”

“What’s wrong?”

Literally everything.

Sunlight from the window filters through the students’ tissue-paper stained-glass projects taped to the glass, sending multicolored beams across the ceiling. I wish I could appreciate the beauty of it right now. “Well, Flynn and I…”

No need to actually say the words. Bash will get where I’m going.

“Holy shit. Did you two finally hook up?”

I rub a hand over my face. “Finally? Jesus, was everybody in the world just waiting for it?”

He chuckles. “Pretty much. So, was it bad?”

I bolt upright, the rickety old chair creaking awfully with the abrupt movement. “Bad? No, why?”

“Just wondering why you’d be upset. The only reason I can think of is he’s terrible in bed.”

That brings a smile to my face despite how unhappy I am at this moment. “Definitely not the problem.”

My body heats, remembering how incredibly not bad he really is.

“Then what’s the problem, Rach?”

I twist a strand of my hair around my finger and sigh. “We had a great weekend and then ended up having a huge fight last night.”

“A fight? About what?”

How do I explain this?

It’s almost impossible without revealing the things that kept us together in the first place. “I guess about our expectations going forward.”

“You lost me, Rach. Are you saying you and Flynn don’t want the same thing? That this was just a one-time or friends-with-benefits thing for him? Because if you need me to come kill him, I will.”

I laugh, rest my elbow on the desktop, and drop my forehead into my palm. “No. We were in agreement about that. There are just some things he never told me about that seem like they want to come between us.”

A car door slams in the background behind Bash, and he mumbles something to someone. “Sorry about that. Greer says, hi. I was just dropping her off at the arena.”

“Tell her, hi.”

“Look, Rach, I know you’re the smart one in the family, so taking advice from me probably seems pretty stupid, but here’s how I see it. You and Flynn have been best friends for a long time. And I’ve seen the way he looks at you. I don’t think he would ever do anything to hurt you intentionally, no matter how much you might believe that he did right now. Having said that, if you need me to come to give him a beat down, I totally will.”

“I know you will.” One of the perks of having Bash as a brother.

“So, don’t be stupid. You both might be mad about it now but think about the long-term here. Is whatever you fought about really so important that you’ll give up what you two might have together and not only end your friendship but any chance at anything else? Is that the road you really want to go down?”

“It’s the furthest thing from what I want.”

“So, carve out a new path.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“While you’re thinking about that, the reason I sent you a text is Greer reserved the box for the game on March 8th. I’m inviting Caleb and Tara and their kids and was going to invite Jameson, you, and Flynn, too, if you think you two will be talking by then.”

“Smartass.”

“Do you think you’ll be able to come?”

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