Page 119 of Nick and Noel's Christmas Playlist

Anthony’s phone rang and the screen of his truck console popped up with Nick’s name. He glanced at Noel and sent it to voicemail.

“You didn’t have to do that.” Noel didn’t want the guys to think Nick had done something unforgivable.

“I’ll call him back when we get to where we’re going.” Anthony threw the truck into reverse and slowly drove through the busy parking lot.

“Where are we going?” Noel asked.

Pike’s phone blared in the back seat and he answered it, “This is Bad Ass Mother Fucker, how may I direct your call?”

Noel couldn’t understand what Nick said until Pike responded, “Why, yes she is. Yeah, she did. Because he was manhandling her. I offered to, but she stopped me. Apparently, she didn’t want douche blood on her hands.”

Nick’s voice carried through the phone for several moments before Pike cut him off. “Look, we will be your boys tomorrow. Tonight, it’s tits before dicks. Peace.”

Noel scowled at him. “Tits before dicks?”

“What?”

Anthony shook his head. “What did Nick say?”

“Apparently, someone saw what went down and now everyone is talking about the slap heard ’round Mistletoe. Nick wanted to make sure you were all right.” Noel’s traitorous heart soared. “Then he asked if we wanted to hang. I told him we would be with Noel tonight and we’d see him tomorrow.”

Guilt niggled at Noel. “You don’t have to do that. He’s your best friend.”

“So are you. Just because he is a guy doesn’t make him any more important.”

Pike patted her shoulder and the simple gesture made her blurt out, “I’m the one who called it off.”

Silence stretched through the cab, tension so thick you could take an ice cream scoop to it.

“Why?” Anthony asked.

“Because he went out to change Amber’s tire.” Why did it sound so lame out loud?

Pike spluttered. “So?”

“And she tried to kiss him.”

“So?” They repeated in unison.

“He knows Amber and I have a complicated relationship. She’s been dogging Nick since she saw us at Brews and Chews. I warned him she wasn’t over him and he still asked if he could go outside to change her tire.”

“You told him not to change her tire and he did it anyway?” Anthony asked.

“No, I told him he could, but you don’t get it. He shouldn’t have asked in the first place.”

“Hello, we are talking about Nick.” Pike leaned over the seat, ticking items off his fingers. “He’s a boy scout. He walks grandmas across the road and shit. He went out to change a tire ’cause that is who he is. If it had been me, then yeah, maybe I thought I’d get a little smooch for helping out, but Nick is a great guy. He does shit because he thinks it’s the right thing to do.”

“That doesn’t make it okay. He knows how I feel about Amber and he didn’t care.”

Anthony held a hand up. “Uh-uh.”

“Uh-uh?” she repeated.

“That’s right. UH. UH.” Anthony pulled the truck to the side of the road and turned in the seat to face her. He flipped on the dome light and she got a really good look at his hard expression. “Girl, you need a reality check. First off, you don’t own Nick. He can change a thousand tires for Amber and nothing you do or say controls that. Nor should you want to. Relationships are about trust.”

“I trust him, but not her. He set himself up to be alone with her and she threw herself at him.”

“Nick is the victim and you’re blaming him. If Gabby went out to help some guy change a tire and he’d kissed her, even though she didn’t want it, is it her fault?”

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