Everleigh shrugs, then grinds some coffee beans. She’s unfazed while Tyler is ready to explode. I look back and forth between them, noticing their dynamic and thinking how strange of a first impression this has been. I don’t know if living with her is the best or worst idea Tyler has ever had.
I guess only time will tell.
CHAPTERTWO
EVERLEIGH
“Your place is trashed,”Tyler continues, grabbing an armful of empty beer cans from the coffee table now that the random guy is no longer there.
“I mean, if you want to clean up, go for it. Not gonna stop you, but I’m not paying for your services either,” I tell him, chugging more water. I drank way too much last night, but I’m a grown-ass woman, so I refuse to apologize for living my life how I want.
Tyler rolls his eyes.
“Don’t forget what yesterday was. You should be impressed that I even came home.”
“I just thought you’d be moreresponsiblesince...” He glances toward Archer.
“I’m thirty-three, Tyler,” I remind him. “I can do whatever andwhoeverthe hell I want. You need to go ahead and give up the ghost on that.”
Seconds later, the toilet flushes, and the guy I brought home last night stumbles back to the living room. He picks up his clothes from the floor, almost falling over as he puts one foot in his jeans.
“Jared, right?” I ask.
“Jacob,” he corrects, zipping and buttoning his pants.
“Oh yeah. Okay. Well, thanks for a fun night. I’ll call you later.”
He gives me a head nod before searching for his keys. “Shit.”
“You can go look in my room,” I offer as I put food in Sassy’s fancy sterling silver dog bowl.
Sassy immediately leaves Archer’s side and prances over. I bend down to pet her, wishing my booty call would hurry the hell up and leave. I can tell how uncomfortable Tyler and Archer are. My brother’s always been protective of me, but at my age, he’s more like an overbearing dad. I put the ground Colombian coffee beans in my coffeemaker, then press start. Right now, I need something strong and dark, and for once, it’s not a man.
“Found ’em,” Jacob eventually calls out. When he returns to the living room, I notice the purple hickeys on his neck. Except I’m not theonlyone who does.
Tyler grinds his teeth when Jacob walks over and tries to give me a kiss on the mouth. Before our lips can touch, I quickly turn my head, so my cheek takes the brunt.
“See ya soon, baby,” he purrs, and I realize in this lighting how dirty those shots of tequila did me. The guy isn’t my type, but it’s not like I slept with him with the intent to marry him. I just wanted to have a good time. Gemma did try to text some sense into me, but her warnings not to do anything stupid apparently didn’t work.
As my brother crosses his arms over his chest, I somewhat wished I’d had listened to her. Then again, what’s done is done.
Jacob lingers as if he’s waiting for me to agree. “I think it’s time for you to go,” I bluntly say since he’s oblivious of the awkwardness that’s swallowing me whole.
“Oh right,” he says, looking at my brother and Archer as if they magically appeared. I let out a breath when he finally leaves.
“I can’t fucking believe this. You didn’t even know his name?” Tyler questions in a snappy, judgy tone. My head pounds, and I just want this coffee to finish brewing so I can drink it, then sit in the tub for an hour.
“Meh.” I shrug. “Not sure what the big deal is.”
“The deal is you’re acting like a player.”
“I didn’t choose this life. It chose me,” I taunt, aware it’ll irritate him more, though I don’t give two shits what he thinks about my personal life. The last thing I want is to be berated in front of Archer, who’s actively avoiding eye contact with me. Once the coffee finishes, I pour a cup, then add sugar and creamer.
“Want some?” I ask Archer, grabbing another mug from the cabinet.
“Sure,” he says, but I’d already started filling it full.
He takes a few steps toward me, and I smell the light hint of his cologne.