Chapter 8

"So, let me get this straight. He showed up at your store out of nowhere, asked if you wanted to go for a drink, called you out on your over-the-top flirting, and you paid the check?" Topher sighed and shook his head. "I need to get this guy to show me his ways."

I laughed. "It wasn't like that. He was going to pay, but I felt bad. I ordered dinner, not a drink, and on top of that, it was salmon. You know they charge more for that." I handed him a bowl of popcorn and dropped down on the loveseat next to him with my own. Lucas and Stacey were cuddled on the couch with their nachos. It was our weekly guilty-pleasure night at their condo. Who else could you watch The Bachelor with except your best friends?

Too bad my so-called best friends had decided to focus on the bachelor I'd had a platonic dinner with the night before.

"You don't think it's weird that he showed up all of a sudden?" Lucas asked.

I sighed, exhausted that I had to go over this again. "I told you. We've been texting for weeks. Just stupid friendly shit. Nothing too deep. We sort of…hit it off when we'd met, and he doesn't know anyone else."

"I thought you said he's staying in Coral Pointe with his cousin and his cousin's friends?" Topher mumbled around the handful of popcorn he'd just shoved into his mouth.

"Yeah, but he doesn't know them well…" Shit, he doesn't know me well. "He'd only just met them at Christmas." That's when he met me. "Why would he get close to them knowing he's eventually going back to California?" Fucking fuck.

Lucas looked around then picked up the empty glass sitting on the coffee table and handed it to me. "Here you go."

I shoved his hand away and huffed. "What the fuck is that? I'm a guest. Get your own damn drink."

"No, that's to help dig you out of the pile of steaming denial you just found yourself in. I had to work with what I had. There was no way I was getting up to get a spoon." Topher and Stacey laughed at Lucas's smartass smirk.

Hard as I tried, I couldn't help but laugh with them. "I'm not in denial." I pulled my legs up under me on the couch, resting my popcorn bowl on the arm of the couch. "Look, y'all said it yourselves. When I like someone, I tend to become slightly…" I searched for the word, but who needed one when your friends would offer up three?

"Needy?"

"Fake?"

"Dumb?"

I gasped and tossed a pillow at Lucas's head. "What the fuck! I'm not dumb!"

Lucas caught it and tossed it on the floor. "Exactly! You become this guy we don't even know, Ev."

"Well, that just proves my point then, doesn't it? I didn't get all weird with Enzo. Hell, he watched me get all weird with Reed. With Enzo, I wasn't needy, I wasn't fake, and I wasn't dumb. I was myself. Like I am with you three. My friends."

"Fine, so then the next time you go out, maybe you can invite us to get to know your friend." Lucas was throwing out a challenge, but I wasn't going to take the bait.

"It just so happens we already made plans…strictly platonic…but you can't come. He has to go to some birthday dinner—a friend of his cousin's—and he doesn't want to go alone."

"So, you're going with him?" Stacey asked.

I didn't meet any of their eyes, finding incredible interest in the popcorn kernels as I pushed them around the bowl. "It's not a big deal. Just a friend helping another friend out."

"The more you say that word, the more I think you forgot what it means." Lucas huffed. He shimmied down on the couch until he had enough room to stretch out and put his head on Stacey's lap.

"'Course he did. I think I'd forget my name if I'd spent hours with that man, staring across the table at those big, sexy brown eyes with flecks of green…" Topher sighed dreamily.

I tossed a kernel of popcorn in the air and caught it on my tongue. Searching for the next perfect piece of popcorn. "They don't have flecks of green. They have flecks of gold, just around the pupil." My mistake slammed into me when silence fell across the room. I squeezed my eyes shut and raised my head, cracking one eye slightly open to see their faces.

"Maybe you should go get a spoon after all," Stacey whispered loudly to her fiancé, pushing on Lucas's arm.

"Make that a serving spoon," Topher added.

"Nah, this is gonna take a shovel." Lucas yawned, rolling on his side with his head still in Stacey's lap. "He's gonna have to sit in it for a bit. I'm too damn tired to go looking for one."

"I hate you all."

None of us succeeded in keeping a straight face, laughing with each other as we had for decades.

"Ev, did you ever think that maybe this guy's different?" Topher asked, sliding his hand across the cushion to grip my ankle.

It didn't take much for me to bite. "Different how?"

"You said it yourself." Stacey ran her hand through Lucas's hair, practically lulling her man to sleep. "You feel like you with him, right? And he must feel comfortable with you if he asked you to go with him to that birthday thing."

"Yeah, so?"

Topher squeezed my ankle. "You also can admit he's fucking gorgeous, right?"

"Maybe." I twisted my mouth to the side, trying to hide my smile.

Lucas yawned again and waved his hand in the air. "And you noticed the flecks and the brown and the gold and the pupils…"

"Eyes, babe. He noticed his eyes." Stacey laughed and kissed his temple.

"Yeah, that."

"Okay, fine. He's sexy as hell. So what?" My skin started to feel all tingly and I shifted anxiously on the loveseat. "Look, I like hanging out with him. He's made it clear he's not looking for a relationship, and I made it clear I'm not either."

"Sometimes you don't have to look. Sometimes it just shows up at your door…looking for a suit…and shoes…" Topher mumbled under his breath, but I ignored him.

"Can't you let me just have this? A guy, who wants my company and not my ass, picked me as the person he wants to spend time with…as friends. When does that ever happen for me?"

Topher slowly raised his hand, saying meekly, "Have I been replaced so quickly?"

I laughed, knowing he was trying to lighten the mood. "You know what I mean. I could never replace you. Any of you."

"Okay," Stacey responded. "We'll stop giving you shit, if you promise me one thing."

I groaned and dropped my chin to my chest. "It's always one thing. One big, substantial thing."

As if I hadn't even spoken, she continued, "Forget you're not looking for anything. Forget he?—"

I pointed at her. "You said one thing."

"Fine, promise me three things."

"Well, that backfired," Topher snickered.

Stacey must have assumed I was on board with this. "Forget you're not looking for anything. Forget he doesn't live here. Forget how you've been hurt in the past."

"Okay, and…?"

She shrugged. "That's it. Promise me those three things and see where you end up."

"Oh, oh, oh! I know the answer to this one." Topher raised his hand and bounced excitedly next to me, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Shush. This is Ev's quest."

I snorted and rolled my eyes. "You make it sound like I'm going on some big adventure."

"If you promise me all three things, I can guarantee you'll be in for quite the adventure." The sincerity in her eyes had me squirming and looking away.

I thought about what she said for a few seconds, but I wasn't going to let my friends get in my head. To prove that I knew where I stood with Enzo, I casually shrugged, like it was no big thing. "Fine. I promise."

The sound of Lucas breathing in a big, snorting inhale, followed by several more, didn't exactly have the same impact as some dramatic music from an epic romance. It did manage to make the tension in the room deflate from the sound of our laughter, though.

I loved my friends, but they were wrong about this.

Enzo needed a friend, so a friend was what I'd be.

Enzo

It tooka couple of days for me to truly settle into Noah's house. In a healthy, moving forward, I'm going to get through this sort of way, instead of the, let's see how long it takes for the neighbors to file a complaint about the smell coming from next door, self-destructive spiral I'd fallen down the previous week.

There I was in SandBar, listening to the antics of Ford and Burke as they ragged on each other, the rest of them cracking up as true best friends would. My cousin had lucked out when he'd met Cole, Ford, Noah, and Levi. Most people didn't keep in touch with college friends, but these five managed to not only remain friends, but they grew as close as family and started Shore Thing Management together. A business wasn't something you took on with just anyone. They trusted each other enough to set up Shore Thing Tours, The Coral Pointe Inn, and Burke's restaurant attached to the inn, Oceanside Bar and Grill. And all three were thriving.

"Now," Ford said to me, "I'm trying to make a good impression because this relationship is new. Maybe a month at that point. So, here I am thinking this asshole"—Ford hiked a thumb at Burke—"isn't gonna tell this embarrassing story, right? That jackass gives me a cocky smile and proceeds to tell my boyfriend— Ow, Abraham!" Ford reached down and rubbed his shin, scowling. "Proceeds to tell my ex-boyfriend…"

Abe gave a curt nod and an adorable smirk. "That's what I thought."

Ford snorted and curled his hand around the back of Abe's neck, yanking his man to him for a quick kiss before continuing. Their open love for each other twisted a sharp knife of jealousy in my gut that I did my best to hide. "Anyway, so he tells the guy I was dating at the time, who is absolutely not important in any way"—he glanced at Abe and got a beaming smile in return—"about the time I was having sex with this girl, and she was"—he turned in his chair, moving his legs away from Abe—"uh…on top…" He started petting Abe's head, saying, "I love you," before finishing his story. "So she's…you know…where she is, and I mis-timed the"—he moved his hand up and down—"went to smack her ass, and well…missed." Everyone cringed. "That's right. I smacked myself in the balls."

I laughed so hard along with the rest of them, Abe being the loudest as he wiped tears from his eyes.

"Oh my god, how have I never heard that story before?" Abe asked through hiccups of laughter.

Ford huffed like the answer should have been obvious. "Uh, because I quite like my shins the way they are, Abraham."

"Fair enough." Abe patted his cheek, still shaking with laughter.

"So, wait…what did your ex-boyfriend say when he heard the story?" I asked.

Burke scoffed. "The guy was a dick. Hated him from the start."

"He had no sense of humor whatsoever," Levi added.

"Yeah," Ford agreed, "it didn't last much longer after that. He broke up with me through text a week later."

Talking with these guys was easier than I thought it was going to be. I had a feeling that going out to dinner with Evian sort of paved the way for me to come out of my shell some. Not that I was sharing any personal stories, but it truly felt like Burke's friends were going out of their way to make me feel included in every topic they brought up. It helped that only half the group was there. Sage had to work at his restaurant, Bluefin, Hunter was working from home, Cole was having dinner with his parents, and even though Cole's husband was there, he was on the clock.

That left Burke, Jared, Noah, Levi, Ford, and Abe—and man, did they have some funny stories to tell. Between getting to know the guys better and still texting with Evian, I finally let myself relax and really be in the moment for the first time in—well, I couldn't remember when.

"Jared and I are out." Burke tossed some money on the table and pushed his seat back to stand up.

"Are we?" Jared asked, a blond brow cocked at my cousin in challenge. It was truly entertaining to see the way Jared could put my cousin in his place and make him sickeningly happy at the same time. "Who says I'm ready to leave?"

"We've got that… There's a…" Burke seemed flustered for all of two seconds before resolve hardened his jaw and he yanked Jared out of his chair, pulling him in for a cat-calling-worthy kiss.

When Burke finally let his man go, Jared turned to us in a lovesick, half-lidded daze and held up his hand. "We're out!" Burke grunted in satisfaction and dragged Jared out of the restaurant, living up to the nickname, Cave Dweller, that Jared had given him.

"Come on, former quarterback," Abe said to Ford as he stood up. "Let's see if your aim's gotten any better." Abe winked at the rest of us, yelping when Ford jumped up and slapped his ass.

"I think I'm in the mood for some yoga," Ford said to Abe, pulling groans from Noah and Levi.

Levi shook his head in warning as he also stood up, grabbing his wallet out of his back pocket. "Don't ask, Enzo. You don't want to know." After dropping some bills down, he left, leaving me with Noah.

We each paid for our part of the check and walked out together. "How are you liking the house?" Noah asked me as we headed that direction.

"It's great. I, uh, hope you're not losing too much money with me staying there. I'm sure you could rent it out for much more."

Noah brushed me off, his eyes showing nothing but kindness. "Not at all. We're all happy you're here."

"I am, too. It took me a bit to get settled in, but this was the best decision for me." It wasn't until I said it out loud that I realized how true it was. I couldn't imagine being back in California right now, single-handedly keeping Ben and Jerry's and Modelo in business. Instead, I was breathing in fresh ocean air, laughing more than I had in a long time, and finding my way in a town that was unexpectedly growing on me. Like I was becoming a real Pointer…or at least an honorary one.

"You're not the first one to come here, looking for an escape. Abe and Hunter definitely didn't expect to move here." Noah shoved his hands in his pockets, his stride long and steady. I'd heard Sage refer to him as a gentle giant and I couldn't disagree. He had an effortless way about him to put others' minds at ease. In some situations, that trait could make him seem like a pushover, but I got the feeling, under that soft exterior, that man was a brick. Hurt him? He'd pick up the pieces and move on pretty easily. Hurt someone he loved? One swing and you'd never see the force of it coming until it knocked you on your ass.

"I didn't know they aren't from here." I kept stride alongside him, even though my steps needed to be a tad faster to keep up. The man was on a mission, and I had a feeling it was to get home to Hunter and their son. If seeing two men get married wasn't enough to give me hope that things could get better—that there was, in fact, greener grass outside my bubble in Sacramento—hearing that Noah and Hunter had a child opened a whole new world of possibilities I never let myself think about.

"Yep. Actually, more than half the group isn't from here. Cole, Aiden, Sage, and Jared are the ones who grew up in Coral Pointe. The rest of us came and never left." He scrunched up his nose and looked at me. "Makes it sound like a horror movie." He shivered, making me laugh.

"My mind can turn pretty much anything into a horror movie." I thought back to the first time I went to Skinner's and had my Silence of the Lambs freakout. The first time I met Evian. Speaking of… "Hey, Noah, would it be okay if I brought a friend with me to your birthday dinner?" Normally, I would've asked the host before inviting someone to their party, but I had a feeling Noah would say…

"Absolutely." His mouth curled up in a mischievous smirk. "Anyone I know?"

"Nah. Just a friend I met back in December. He's not from here."

Noah didn't press further, but I could see the questions swirling around in that brain of his. I bit my tongue from repeating that Evian was just a friend. Nothing would contradict that statement more than me reiterating it when the man wasn't even pressuring me to do so.

We approached the street I needed to take to get to Noah's rental. He and Hunter had a beautiful house on the beach, over by the inn. I started to say goodbye when Noah's expression turned serious. "I was a hopeless romantic before I met Hunter, but now I consider myself a hopeful romantic. I can't help but envision other people finding the happiness I have with him and Logan. You don't know me that well yet, but…" He hesitated for a second. "Just know, I'm more than willing to hold onto hope for you until you're ready to embrace it yourself."

Gentle giant, my ass. His secret weapon was kill 'em with kindness. That man was about to bring me to tears, right there on the boardwalk. I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat and blinking back the emotions threatening to fall in salty streaks down my face. "Thanks, Noah."

He squeezed my arm in understanding and headed in the direction of his guys…his home. Instead of going back to the rental, I sat on a bench and stared at that constant horizon. Damned if I didn't hear the breeze telling me to stay.