Is this girl for real?“You know he has a girlfriend and yet you’re still throwing yourself at him?” This absolutely baffles me. I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt and not believe what Joel said, but…I mean, what happened to girl code? I’m pretty sure we have one.Don’t we?
“You can’t talk,” she snaps back.
Dylan’s eyes bounce back and forth between the two of us, a small alluring smile on his face.Hmm. If l can’t be the girlfriend, I’ll have to be the next best thing.
“Actually, Icantalk. Dylan and I are friends.Bestfriends, in fact. Have been since we were kids. And I adore Gemma.”What? Just saying we are friends would have sufficed. Or not.The bitch just stares at me. There is no way she’s going to believe the rubbish I’m spilling.Did I even get his girlfriend’s name right?
Dylan grabs my waist with both hands and jabs, causing me to flinch from the tickling sensation. I’m about to slap him when he jumps on board with my role playing. “Summer’s right. I promised my bestie here that she’d have me all to herself tonight. It’s been too long. Nice chatting with you, though,” he says, barely looking her way. Linking his fingers with mine, Dylan pulls me away from the bar, straight to Joel. We both burst into laughter as we reach him.
“Well, that didn’t go how I thought it would,” I tell Joel.
“It looked like she was going to slap you. Please fill me in?” A mischievous smile lights up his face.
Dylan looks between us in confusion, his hand running through his short brown hair, messing up his previously styled quiff, making it even sexier. “Do you two know each other?” he asks accusingly.
Do I detect jealousy? Interesting…
“As of tonight, we do. Been chatting with this lovely lady for the last hour. Are you going to tell me what happened, or can Summer and I get back to it?” A subtle exchange happens between the two men, like they’re having a silent conversation. It’s weird; I don’t like it.
Joel raises an eyebrow, silently asking for a response. Dylan puts his arm around me and fills him in. I can’t take my eyes away from his lips as he talks, the way he smirks when he mentions my hands on his chest, the way his tongue darts out to lick his bottom lip when he adds that he loved how possessive I acted, something I hadn’t realized I’d done. I’m still staring when he finishes his story, and my eyes rise to see his already on me. Busted. Thankfully, Joel seems oblivious.
“I’ve also known Dyl since we were kids, so are we best friends too?” Joel asks, bringing my eyes back to his deep and amused ones.Joel, focus on Joel.That’s where my attention should be.
Should be.
And yet, even now my traitorous gaze flits back to Dylan. “Of course, but Dylan was and will always be my main man,” I joke but take a much-needed step in Joel’s direction.
To my surprise, Dylan pulls me back into his chest, wraps his arms around my waist, and leans his chin on my shoulder, his eyes focused on Joel. “So many memories.” He sighs with fake content, giving me an idea.
I pull away and look back at him. “Remember when we went rappelling—”
“And you took one look over the edge and chickened out. How could I forget?” Dylan cuts me off with a killer smile that I’m not prepared for, sending my pulse into overdrive.
Somehow, I manage to appear unfazed. “Okay, well remember when we used to play hide-and-seek in the dark, and you cried when we couldn’t find you?” I ask with a serious expression.
Without missing a beat, he throws his hands in the air and exclaims, “We were five! Who plays outside in the dark at five?”
I can’t help but laugh. “What about the time I helped you sneak out of detention—”
“By flashing the gym teacher?” Dylan interjects, comically bouncing his eyebrows.
“Pretty sure you’re thinking of the movie10 Things I Hate About Youthere, buddy. Let’s try and focus on actual memories.”
Dylan cracks up but then shakes it off and returns to character. “My mistake.” He shrugs.
I smile as we joke back and forth, happy to have found these two guys to keep me entertained.
“You. Are. Hilarious,” Joel deadpans after we’ve been at it for a while. “Please continue for my amusement.”
“Do I hear sarcasm? It couldn’t possibly be, because hilarious we are,” I reply.
Laughing, I turn to Dylan, wrapping an arm around his waist and winking at Joel. “I believe it’s your turn, Dyl,” I say, using the nickname Joel used.See, we’re friends.
He rubs his knuckles through my hair and then puts his arm around my shoulders again. “Hmmm, there was the time we went skinny-dipping…”
Here we go; of course, his male mind goes there.
“Dylan?” A soft voice comes from behind us, causing us to turn. Dylan’s arm drops and he steps toward the beautiful girl that’s joined us.