Page 75 of Enemy Daddy Next Door

“You have a texting relationship with Gillian?” Grant asks.

“Don’t say it like that, man,” Axel mutters. “You make it sound…romantic.”

Drew looks back at his phone and shrugs. “I text all the Solace girls. I mean, not regularly, but –”

“You’re rubbing elbows with all her sisters and yet you’re still terrified to put the moves on Dana, huh?” Grant asks, resting his elbows on his knees, studying Drew like he’s a bug in a museum.

Drew frowns. “I can be friends with my friend’s siblings.”

“Sure you can,” I say with a nod.

“Why did you say it like that, though?” Drew retorts.

“I just said ‘sure you can’,” I repeat.

“But you’re saying it like you’re not saying something else. And I know what you’re all thinking, but nothing is happ –”

“How long have you been saying ‘nothing is happening’?! Years now!” Axel exclaims.

Drew sinks into his chair, crossing his ankle at the knee which reveals his mismatched socks. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I’ll go, then,” I say with a sigh. We’ve been doing a round robin of our problems. Grant started by discussing Tana’s recent sleep regression, followed by Axel with the planning of the engagement party. Moving clockwise in the circle, Drew would be the next candidate. Now, though, with his embargo on discussing the Dana situation, it’s my turn. “I’m fucking terrified,” I say through a casual laugh.

“Cigars, gentlemen?” a server approaches with a silver tray of the finest smelling cigars.

Drew shoots up and takes one. “You can smoke in here?”

“It’s a gentleman’s club. Of course you can,” Axel says.

We all take a cigar, let the server clip them, and then pass around a lighter. I don’t smoke on the regular, but a nice cigar is an indulgence I find myself enjoying very occasionally.

I puff out the smoke and clear my throat. “Anyway…”

“You’d be an idiot not to believe you’re going to win this case, man,” Grant says, picking up where I left off.

“I don’t know. Courts favor mothers,” I reply.

“They don’t favor addicts, though,” Grant retorts.

I sigh. “Fair…I just…God, everything was going so well. Jess was doing good and things with Amy –”

“Can still go well,” Drew intercedes.

I harden my gaze on the ember of my cigar. “I feel like I’m hurting her.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I see the guys exchange glances.

“What’s that look?” I ask.

“Nothing,” Axel replies firmly.

“Axel…don’t you think we should –”

I raise my eyebrows in alarm. “What’s going on?”

“Everything is fine,” Axel says through grit teeth, glaring at Drew.

Drew looks to Grant for backup, but Grant remains mute. Then, he looks at me. “Amy isn’t sleeping.”

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