Page 13 of Rules Of Our Own

I approach them from behind, a cold beer already in hand, and pause just in time to hear their conversation.

“She’s staying. Finally gave up finding another room.” Sidney’s voice travels to me easily from where she sits on a wide seat meant for one, curled up into Jax’s side with her legs over his.

“Who’s staying, Trouble?” Jax hands her a cool drink, and she rests her back against his chest, leaning her head onto his shoulder and settling into him before smiling at Piper across from her.

“Mia’s staying in the villa. She’s finally given up harassing the front desk to find another room.”

“You mean the villa with River and Alex?” Jax laughs. “I should’ve known that it was the two of you.”

Lucas tips Piper’s chin up. “What did you two do?”

“I mean. I didn’t do anything. The resort must have messed up with their rooms. I definitely didn’t accidentally on purpose put them all in the same villa.” She can’t contain her grin, and neither can Sidney.

He holds his soon-to-be wife’s jaw in his hands and arches a brow at her before a smile of his own cracks across his face. “How much did that cost me.”

She shrugs. “Enough.”

You’d think that would piss Lucas off, but if anything, his expression turns soft, like he’s impressed with her.

“Just hope that it doesn’t come back and bite you in the ass. There’s history there,” Jax adds while wrapping a strand of Sidney’s hair around his finger before letting it go, only to do it again.

“Oh, come on. There’salmosthistory there.” Piper scoffs. “Those three are in desperate need of an intervention.”

“By forcing them to stay together?” Lucas asks.

Piper blinks her blue eyes at him, and all of his focus is on her. Her voice is soft when she says, “You mean conspire to have your two best friends bang our bestie, preferably at the same time?”

He groans and drops his forehead to hers. “You said that entirely too innocently.”

She shrugs. “Someone had to do it.” She holds up her glass to Sidney, and they cheers. From what Jax has told me, while Piper and Mia were friendly senior year, they didn’t get close until they started working together on the Prosthetics For Kids charity.

“All I know for sure is they were inseparable one night, then Alex showed up with a black eye the next day. Mia admitted to me that she fell for them both and refused to make them choose.”

My breath catches in my chest as Sidney’s words slam into me. Of course, I knew there was something special between Mia, River, and me, but hearing her confirm Mia’s feelings is like a fucking blow to the chest. I’m not sure if it’s excitement or devastation of the lost opportunity.

Sidney continues. “So she cut all ties and never spoke to them after that.”

“There’s only the one bed and the pullout couch. Who do you think’s on the couch?” Piper asks curiously.

Lucas cut in. “I’d bet all my money it’s Mia in the bed and River and Alex on the pullout.”

“Is there something between them?” Sidney asks.

Even though we’re all closer now, she doesn’t know us the way Jax, Lucas, and Piper do.

“If you mean a fuckload of pent-up tension, then yes. If you mean has it gone any further than that, no. River’s bi, but if Alex is, he’s never done anything about it,” replies Lucas.

I’m not ready to examine whatever’s going on between River and me, but something is going on. I can’t lie to myself and pretend I haven’t noticed the slow build of something I haven’t named yet building between us. Not that I plan to act on it.

I clear my throat, announcing my presence. The group jolts, and they at least have the decency to look embarrassed for being caught gossiping about us.

I take a seat between both couples, polish off the rest of my drink, and accept another from Jax.

“You ready for us to kick your ass next year?” Jax asks, a fucking smirk on his face. The fucker is one of the most competitive people I know. It’s a miracle he found someone so perfectly matched in Sidney.

“You talk a lot of shit for someone who plays for a team who hasn’t won the cup for a century,” Lucas replies, and I laugh, some of the tension loosening from my shoulders.

“Yeah, but now they have me.” I can practically hear Jax’s grin.

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