3. Jax

Jax

JAX

(photo of ten large boxes)

This is all your fault.

TAN

I love assembling furniture! Let me do it.

JAX

Weirdo.

TAN

Hey! Want help or not?

JAX

I suppose. I'm off-shift for the next two days.

TAN

Stock up on coffee. I'll bring donuts. See you in the morning.

I flopped down on my new couch, a smile refusing to wipe off my face. Why was it so easy to be around Tanner?

A week ago, he'd been one hundred percent more excited than me about picking furniture for my apartment. He'd dragged me from store to store, helping me make decisions. He even fed me when he noticed I was about to call it a day, which had renewed my shopping tolerance level.

We texted all the time, and I even found myself making sure I took my breaks at work just so I could check my phone for new messages.

Tanner was definitely not the same eighteen-year-old I'd known. He was more confident, self-assured, not to mention flirty.

Spending a day with him would be the best way to enjoy my day off, furniture-building aside, of course. That I was not looking forward to.

I could stitch a wound and make it so perfect that anyone would be proud to show off the scars, but the tiny screws and extra pieces? That took skills my medical and military training had not prepared me for.

I checked my pantry to ensure I didn't need a last-minute dash to the store to get coffee. Noah had warned me the only downside to living so centrally in the city was that there were no good grocery stores within walking distance, and as much as we could order everything online, it made it a challenge when all we needed was a single item.

A rhythmic set of knocks on my door pulled me out of my thoughts. It could only be one person.

"I hope you've got beer," I said, opening the door.

"It's like you don't know me," Noah said, raising his arm to show the six-pack and stopping beside the boxes. "Fuck, dude. What's happening here?"

"Tanner is what's happening here. I'm sure I don't need a coffee table and a table to go on the side of the couch, not to mention all the other things."

He laughed, twisting open two bottles. "Sure you do. One's for your feet when you're watching TV and the other is for your beer."

I raised my hands like everything now made sense.

"What's new with you?"

He sighed and sat on the couch. "Nothing new. Same old nothingness."

I raised a brow. "That doesn't sound like the guy who dragged me into Tanner's Bar when I was half zombie."

"Ugh, don't remind me of that night."

I chuckled. "Are you ready to confess your sins?" I'd been trying to get him to tell me what happened between him and the silver fox guy for weeks, but Noah refused to kiss and tell.

"It's all too dirty for your sensitive mind," he said.

"My mind is anything but sensitive, but I don't need the dirty details, thank you. Did you actually hook up with the guy?"

His look told me yes.

"Did it not work out?"

He threw his head back. "Ugh. The opposite. It was too perfect, and that's the problem. I can't move on. All I think about is him. Do you know how many times a day I jack off thinking about his?—"

"Don't need to know that."

"Anyway, it was good, but I didn't even get a name. I'll never see him again, so I'm going to miss out on the best sex of my life for the rest of my life."

I laughed. "No one's that good."

"He was. God, Jax, he was everything I didn't know I needed that night." He shook his head like he was getting rid of his thoughts. "Anyway, do you need a hand with the furniture?"

"Thanks, but Tanner is coming in the morning to help."

"Hmmm."

I ignored the twitch of his eyebrow, finished my beer, and looked at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing…nada. So I guess you're reconnecting with your childhood crush. I better be your only pick for best man. Maybe I should buy another suit, just in case."

I'd have thrown a cushion at his face if I had one. Oh look, maybe Tanner was right about how handy they were—not just for decorative purposes.

"I don't know where you're getting these ideas, but you're wrong."

"Am I? Did you by any chance see your face when you spotted Tanner that night at the bar?"

"I don't need to because I know how I feel, and you're seeing things."

He gave me a look that called me on my bullshit and more.

"Okay," he said, standing, "I've done my neighborly duty. You have beer in your fridge, and I need to go home, jack off, and sleep."

I groaned. "I regret moving to this building already."

He chuckled. "It wouldn't make a difference. You can't keep me out now."

"Yay," I deadpanned.

After Noah left, I spent some time cleaning and doing laundry. The military had taught me to keep my stuff in order and my medical training had instilled in me the need to keep my surroundings clean.

When I finished, I walked around the apartment. It dawned on me that it looked way too clinical and bare.

The new furniture would fix the emptiness, but would Tanner think I was boring or a clean freak? And why did I care about what Tanner thought?

I picked up a dishcloth, bunched it up for good measure, and left it on the counter before going to my bedroom.

My bed, the only piece of furniture I'd had delivered before I arrived—thanks to Noah—was freshly made with white cotton sheets.

"Okay, yeah, I definitely need some color in this place."

The morning came before I was ready. I'd gotten used to catching up on sleep on my days off and wasn't prepared for Tanner's way-too-energetic morning call. No matter how fucking sexy he looked in faded jeans, a T-shirt, and a backward cap.

"Wow, thank fuck I brought extra coffee with the extra donuts because you look like you need it."

I opened the door to let him in. "Thanks," I said, grabbing one of the coffees from the drink carrier.

"How do you know that one's yours?"

"If it's coffee, it's mine," I grumbled.

"Adult Jax isn't a morning guy. Noted."

I followed him to the kitchen, where he set the box of donuts on the counter, taking one and stuffing half of it in his mouth.

"Adult Tanner is way too chirpy in the morning, considering how late he went to bed last night."

He winked, finishing the donut and looking inside the box for the next one. "How do you know how late I went to bed? Spying on me, Doctor Mitchell?"

"Educated guess based on your line of work."

He straightened his cap, giving me one of those looks that made me weak at the knees. How did he still affect me so much after all these years?

It was bad enough when my crush was on a guy I thought was straight, but how did I handle the way my body came alive whenever I was near Tanner, knowing he was also gay?

"By the way, are you free next month?" he asked.

"You might need to be a little more specific."

He took his phone out. His lock-screen photo was of him with my sister. A reminder that I should probably stay away from him, especially with the thoughts that kept invading my mind.

"What am I looking at?" I asked as he scrolled through the dozens of tabs open on his browser.

"Patience. This is going to be worth it."

"Who has that many tabs open? How can you sleep at night?"

He chuckled. "There you go, bringing up my sleep habits again. If you're so worried, come over to my place and see for yourself."

My dick took notice of his flirty tone and liked it way too much.

Down boy.

"Found it. There's a Tamagotchi convention in Chester Falls. That's only a couple of hours away. We could go there and get back on the same day."

"A Tamagotchi convention," I said.

The killer smile returned. "Pleeeease. No one else would get it like you do. It's what friends do. I'll owe you one."

"One what?"

He crossed his arms over his chest, showing me the muscles he'd gained since he was a teen. "Whatever you want."

"Whatever I want, huh?"

Just friends didn't lock their gazes for as long as we did. Just friends didn't notice how the scent of body wash and fresh laundry suited them. Just friends didn't want to lick powdered sugar from their friend's chin.

I was starting to think just friends wouldn't apply to Tanner and me for much longer.