“All right.” He huffed a laugh, covering his mouth with his hand. “If that’s how it is.”
“When was the last time you dated anyone?” Roddy asked. “I haven’t heard you crying about being dumped in a long time.”
I scowled at him. “First, I don’t cry. And I don’t know.” I racked my brain even though I knew the answer. “We’ve been on the road. I’m busy.”
He clicked his fingers. “What was the last one. Kate, right? That was like…a year ago, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah, maybe.” Definitely. Kate had been the last semirelationship I’d had, and I’d fucked it up, like always.
Iris stirred her drink with her straw. “I also noticed you chose to spend your time with me and Roddy after our shows instead of getting buried in groupie.”
“I went out. You know this.”
She arched a brow. “Yeah, I know this, because the only times you went out were with one or both of us. It was like that last summer too, right, Roddy?”
He nodded. “Yep. And he only got lit or toasty when he was with us.”
My head was throbbing from lack of sleep and too much thinking, and now I had to deal with my friends’ analysis of my actions. I had no idea they’d been watching me so damn closely, like a couple of Sherlocks.
“Okay. Fuck. What’s your point?” I asked.
She sighed, shaking her head like she felt sorry for me for being such a dumbass.
“My point is you haven’t dated in almost a year, you aren’t sleeping with anyone, you’ve purposely curbed your partying, you spend every spare second with Adelaide, you’re protective, when I mentioned she went on two dates, you looked like you wanted to fly out of your skin—those things add up.” She put her hand over mine. “Adam, you’ve been in a relationship with Adelaide without the benefits this whole time. You are committed and loyal to her. How do you not see that?”
“We’re friends,” I argued weakly.
But I felt it. I felt the truth Iris had just laid out crushing down on me.
Iris scoffed. “Okay, honey bunny. You and I are friends, but we have sex with other people because that’s what people who arejustfriends do.”
“Thank Christ for that,” Ronan interjected.
Iris winked at him then continued. “Friends don’t go celibate and devote themselves wholly to each other. That’s you being in denial.”
I couldn’t argue. I hadn’t slept with another woman in a year, which was…yeah, a long time for me. I’d been tempted, sure. There were times I’d planned to do it, but the follow-through had never happened. I’d always found a reason not to go out, or something would come up—usually with Adelaide. That was how I’d been rationalizing it in my head. Then Adelaide and I had our game, and I hadn’t even considered finding someone else. It was all her.
Hadn’t it been all her for a long, long time?
“Maybe that’s true. Maybe you’re right.” I pressed on the pounding spot between my brows. “What makes you think she feels the same way? You said yourself she was dating. Maybe she’s still dating.”
This isn’t enough.
“Oh, Adam,” Roddy groaned into his bagel.
“I don’t think you saw the look on her face when you said she didn’t really want a relationship. You kicked her in the teeth.” Iris shook her head. “Remember when I said you were dumb right before Christmas?”
“Yes. How the hell could I forget?”
She poked my forehead. “This is why. Unfortunately, I can’t read Adelaide’s mind, but I’m pretty sure it was patently obvious to everyone at the table there was a lot more going on between the two of you than friendship.”
Ronan stretched his big, muscled arms and locked his fingers behind his head. “I thought you were a couple at Callum and Wren’s wedding. Until, of course, you were flirting with the bartender. Then I’d very much hoped you weren’t a couple.”
Iris squeezed the underside of his marble bicep. “Honey, do you really think I wouldn’t have told you about something as big as Adam settling down?”
He dropped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her almost all the way out of her chair and into his side. “You have me, pet. What was I thinking?”
“Silly thoughts.” She patted his jaw before turning back to me with a somber look. “You don’t think Adelaide wants to be with you?”