“Georgie. You bitch,” I gasped. She knew damn well I was seeing Lance.
“One week. Sugar is still fighting it,” Crisis shouted. Georgie and Crisis followed Ream, arguing the wager as they went.
I looked over at Logan and Emily who both had their eyes on me. “I’m with someone else now.”
No matter how much I was attracted to Ream and wanted our friendship back, there were no second chances. After what he’d told me about his sister, I understood why he freaked out. But trusting him not to do it again—impossible. Friends stuck by one another, he obviously couldn’t do that. And that was the most important quality I needed in a relationship—any relationship. I’d rather be alone than with a guy who couldn’t stand by me when things got rough.
“I know.” Emily nodded toward the dining room. “He doesn’t look like he’s going to back off though.” She looked up at Logan with narrowed eyes. “What are you going to do about it?”
He chuckled. “I love when you’re demanding, Mouse. Try it in bed tonight, we’ll see what happens.” Logan chin lifted toward me. “He’s out of here if you say the word. He knows that.”
Shit. Ream was determined, but I was stubborn. And once I got something in my head, I didn’t back down. The doctors said that was why I was still alive after the shooting; I was too damn stubborn to die. “Maybe it’s time for me to look for my own place.” I was saving my money to buy a house, but it would be a struggle to do it now. I’d rather wait a few more years, unless of course hiding my issue from everyone became a problem, then I’d have to leave. No way in hell was I risking anyone knowing. It was bad enough Ream knew.
Emily’s eyes widened. “No. You love the horses. You’ve made your career painting them. If anyone has to move, Logan will tell Ream to.” Emily let go of Logan’s hand and walked over to me and gave a half smile. “Actually …” She glanced back over her shoulder at Logan and he nodded. “Logan and I are moving out.”
“What?”
“Yeah. I know it may not be practical at first. I’ll still be here every day to help with the horses, but we found a place only twenty minutes away and it’s gorgeous. Well, it looks gorgeous from the pictures the real estate agent sent. We’re going to see it tomorrow.” She reached out her hand behind her and Logan approached and took it in his.
“Oh.” I was happy for her, but at the same time I didn’t want her to leave.
“Logan …” Emily paused and looked up at him and my eyes went to his as she looked for consent. He gave a subtle nod and a rare grin. “Logan wanted to tell his mother first, but … he asked me to marry him.”
“Holy shit!” I immediately threw my arms around her, knocking Logan away in the process. “Oh my God. When? Where’s the ring? Who else have you told? When’s the day? Oh my God, this is amazing. I suspected it wouldn’t be long before he put a ring on your finger. Your boyfriend is crazy needy when it comes to you and this would be his ultimate seal the deal.”
Logan grunted and frowned, although I saw the hint of a smile playing at the corners of his lips because he knew I was right.
She laughed and pulled back. “He asked me a week ago. He wanted to ask me while on stage at the end of his concert. I think it was so every single guy would know that he was making me his legally. Although, I think most of them know better than to try to steal me away from an ex-underground fighter. Anyway, he didn’t ask me on stage because I would’ve killed him and instead it was …”
“Babe.” It was Logan’s warning tone.
“Logan considers it unshareable info.”
“Ah, so he tied you up and spanked you until you agreed to marry his sorry ass.”
Emily laughed and a bright flush rose to her cheeks. “Something like that.” She turned to Logan. “But he knows I’d have said yes no matter what he did.”
I playfully hit her shoulder. “But a week? And you’re telling me now?”
“I wanted to see your face when I told you.” Emily leaned back into Logan’s encompassing embrace. “We decided it might be a good idea if we had our own place too.”
“Yeah. Of course. Wow. Grats to both of you.” I really was excited for them; I mean they’d been to Hell and back, both of them suffering because of that monster Raul. I hugged them and it felt odd because Logan wasn’t an easy guy to hug. Even though I knew he was completely smitten with Emily, Logan had this protective shield around him that still made him unapproachable.
“Hey, food’s growing green hair. Kinda funky, let’s eat it,” Georgie yelled from the other room.
Emily lowered her voice. “We haven’t told anyone yet, so …”
“Yeah, of course.” I ran my fingers across my lips. “Zipped. But you’re showing me the ring first.”
Holy crap. With Emily gone that left me alone with Crisis, Kite, and Ream. Dangerous. And so not going to work.
I made it through dinner with Ream sitting beside me, which I tried to avoid, but he’d waited until I sat before he dropped down next to me. He even had the nerve to shift his chair a few inches closer to me, to which I glared at him and he ignored.
His thigh was so close to mine that I could feel the heat radiating off it. Every time he moved in his seat, a torch lit inside me anticipating his touch, yet he never did, even when he reached in front of me to grab the pepper. His body leaned across the invisible line of personal space, but only the fine hairs of my arms felt the brush of his skin.