Whatever it was, I’d always been the one they came to, not the one who needed a talk.

That’s how I knew I was fucked.

“So let me get this straight… Ha! Now there’s a laugh—”

“West…” I groaned, and he cocked a brow at me.

“Were you or were you not the one who took great joy out of the video of JT handing me my ass? I think that’s earned you a few jokes here and there.”

“Afew? I’ve been on the butt end of all your jokes for the past week.”

“There is an obvious joke there,” East pointed out, but then swiped his hand through the air. “But I don’t want to be obvious.”

“Stop it,” Preston said, glaring at everyone. “Can’t you see how upset he is? How would you like it if JT had to go and have sex with a bunch of different men next week?”

“I’d fucking kill all of them,” West said without a second’s hesitation.

“But again,” Travis said, “JT’s not a porn star. Kelly is. It’s not surprising he’s in demand. The guy is hot.”

I narrowed my eyes on him, just about done with the fact he had a boner for my guy. “So if you were dating him, you wouldn’t mind if I fucked him for the night?”

A thoughtful expression crossed his face. “I feel like that’s a trick question.”

Daire gave him a swift uppercut to the back of the head. “Because it is, moron. Try not to be so obtuse, would you?”

“Sorry, okay. But don’t act like you all aren’t thinking it too.”

West eyed Travis. “Difference is, we backed off when we found out he was Van’s.”

“You have a boyfriend, dickwad.”

“And you could too if you’d get the fuck over—”

“Shut. Up,” Travis grit out and I’d just about had enough.

“How about you all shut up? I thought this Van Talk was for me, not you assholes. God, no wonder I’m the only one giving out advice.”

Travis slumped back in his seat, arms crossed, as West opened his mouth to keep talking. But I quickly put my hand up.

“Here’s my problem,” I said, when it was clear if I wanted to have any kind of pep talk, it was going to have to come from myself. “I like Kelly, a lot. I didn’t expect it, or go looking for it. It just kind of…happened.”

Gavin’s eyes took on a sympathetic look, and I wondered why in the hell he continued to hang around us. He was such a sweet soul usually and would probably have a much better outlook on life if he didn’t have us as his influences. But at least I could keep an eye on him this way.

“That’s great, Van.” He reached for my hand and squeezed. “Did you tell him how you feel? That you don’t want him to…you know?”

I scanned the rest of the group: East’s arched brow, West’s curious expression, Preston’s slight wince, and Travis’s expectant stare. Daire, on the other hand, was looking out the window, no doubt wishing he was anywhere but here.

For once in our lives, that was something we could agree on.

“I…”

“Yeees?”

I shook my head at West’s ridiculous grin.

“No. I didn’t tell him, okay?” I let out a sigh and ran a hand through my hair. Jesus, was it too early for a drink? “What could I possibly say? ‘I know you’re a porn star, but now that I like you, could you maybestopbeing one’? That’s hardly fair. Like you said, I went into this knowing what he does for a living. This is how he pays his rent. I can’t just ask him to stop.”

“Why not?”