Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Kat

Do most girlfriends go with their boyfriends when they hang out with their guy friends? It's not like I have a lot of girlfriends to ask. My brother doesn't really ‘play' sports so I couldn't really ask Bea and she is the only real friend I have.

I try to distance myself from Whit when we"re at the restaurant, but he sticks to me like glue, sitting so close to me that our legs brush against one another.

When he told me he thought we should talk my heart plummeted. Maybe I misread the situation between him and the handsy woman. Maybe I overstepped somehow, or he was trying to make the woman jealous by saying I was his girlfriend. Maybe they both like playing around like that and it turns them on to play out the whole jealous lover thing. And dumbass me misread the situation and thought I was helping a friend when in reality I was just fucking his booty call up.

But on the other hand, that means…I was used by Whit and that doesn't feel good either. Would he do that to me? I thought…well, I guess I thought we were friends and that's not how friends treat each other.

My day goes from bad to worse when I hear a squeal and turn to find Bea running over to me. I am out of my chair, hugging her, and placing my hand on her belly to say hi to my little niece or nephew. Even though this is really not the way I wanted to introduce my brother to my new MALE roommate, I still can't fight the excitement of seeing my best friend.

"Bea! Bear! How's my little niece or nephew today?"

While I'm talking to Bea, I have my eyes on Bear and Whit. Both of us grow quiet so we can hear the two men speaking to one another. The two men size each other up before Bear speaks first.

"So…you are the new roommate?"

"Yeah. And you must be the big brother I've heard so much about. Kat talks about you all the time."

To my astonishment, Bear loses much of his stiffness and a big goofy smile lights up his face. "Yep! That's me. Kind of happy Kat talks about me…well, as long as it's good stuff."

Whit puts his hand out to shake Bear's. "Oh, it is."

Me and Bea take a shared sigh as we make our way over to the table where Whit's teammates wait for us. Things are going really well until one of the teammates lets it slip that me and Whit are dating. I look over and spot the scowl on Bear's face.

"It's…it's not what you think. It's like the time Ariel was a dick and you ask Bear to help. He…needed help so…I helped him and that's all it is."

I talk to Bea who puts her hand on Bear's arm. She leans over to whisper to him, and he seems to relax some.

"It better not be just like me and Bea. If memory serves me right, I was aiming to keep you right from the start." He rubs his nose against hers before the two of them kiss sweetly. It's disgusting but also…precious as fuck.

I can't say I have ever seen my brother like this before. He's a different person when he's with Bea and I love it.

"What happened when Bear helped Bea?"

I jump like I got caught watching something inappropriate when Whit leans forward and asks about the two lovers sitting opposite us.

"Uh…I'll tell you when we get home."

I had a thoroughly enjoyable time at the restaurant with everyone talking and laughing and Whit acting like nothing happened between the two of us that would cause us to need to have a discussion about it. When we stand to leave I am kind of blindsided when Bea - my best friend in the whole world - betrays me and asks Whit to come to her and Bear's wedding…as my date.

"Bea, what the hell are you doing?"

"Well, we know Whit now and I just thought the two of you could pretend to be together so you wouldn't be lonely and all the single men at the reception won't hit on you or cause you any problems."

"I'm sure Whit isn't going to want to blow a day on babysitting me so all of your drunk relatives will stop hitting on me, Bea. For the love of…"

"I would love to come. Thank you for asking me, Bea."

I turn to Bear hoping for a compassionate compatriot, but he just looks at Whit and smiles.

"The men do hit on you all the damned time. This would mean I wouldn't have to worry about you during my wedding."

That ass just pulled out the worry-on-my-wedding-day card. Leaving me stuck. Damn it. Didn't quite make it out without getting good and caught after all. Double damn it!