Misadventures of a Rookie (Misadventures #11)(48)

That I had no intentions of falling for her when I met her. But I did.

Hard.

When we reached our group of friends, she leaned her hip into my thigh. As she drank her beer, she moved her other hand along the small of my back. Holding her waist, I looked around at all the knowing and surprised looks. Max was the only one who really knew about Bo and me. Everyone else seemed shocked. Especially the ice girls. Probably because each of them had offered me anything and everything, and I’d shot them all down. I wanted to say I knew why Bo had captured my attention, my heart, and all that, but I didn’t. I wasn’t sure if it was because she didn’t take my shit or if it was just her. Either way, these people could fuck off. I was with her, and that was that.

“I knew that night at the Penalty Box you two were gonna hook up.” I looked toward Natalie, a girl I had been with and one of Bo’s friends. “It was like fireworks in that place.”

“Yeah,” Maci agreed. “Didn’t think you two would become anything, though.”

Bo looked over at her and shrugged. “Why?”

She looked uncomfortable for a moment and then smiled. “Well, you know why… Everyone knows why.”

Lizzy laughed at that and then sent us a small smile. “Maybe she tamed the beast?”

I found myself laughing at that. “There is no taming the beast, ladies.” I felt Bo’s gaze on me. Looking down at her, I could see she didn’t appreciate that comment, but surely she knew I was just joking.

Apparently not.

Moving over at bit, she scoffed. “I never claimed to tame the beast.”

“I didn’t say you did,” I answered back, and then I pointed to Lizzy. “She did. Get mad at her.”

Everyone chuckled or laughed while our gazes stayed locked. “I was just joking. Don’t be upset, Bo.”

Pulling her gaze from mine, she flashed Lizzy a small smile. “I’m not. I’m just teasing him.”

Oh, she was such a liar.

“It’s not about taming anything. We’re cool, and you guys aren’t surprised or shocked… You’re jealous.”

“Oh, she told you guys,” Max joked, and laughter broke out in the group, though I didn’t miss the sideways glances from some of the girls. They were jealous, and they didn’t like that Bo had pointed that out.

When Bo moved out of my arms, I stopped her, holding her close. “Where you going?”

“To the bathroom,” she snapped, but before I could stop her, she was already moving away.

“She’s pissed,” Max said.

I nodded as I glared at Lizzy. “Thanks a lot, asshole.”

She shrugged. “I was joking. My bad.”

“Whatever. I’ll smooth it over. She can’t stay mad at me.”

Max laughed as he shook his head. “Man, this must be serious if you care enough to smooth it over.”

I raised my brow. This was my best friend. Surely he knew it was serious. “Duh. You knew this.”

Max shrugged. “Honestly, no. I didn’t.”

“What?” I asked, shocked. “You see us together all the time.”

“Correction, I’ve heard you,” he said, and I laughed.

“That too.”

“But I seriously thought you were just hanging out and doing it. I didn’t think you cared for her more than a fuck. You’ve never been like that.”

“’Cause no one else mattered the way she does.”

Max laughed. “Yeah, that’s crazy. I didn’t think you had that in you.”

He held my gaze for a bit, and then I shrugged. “I do.”

“I can see that. I gotta tell Jessica.” Pulling out his phone, he flashed me a grin. “Maybe we can double date.”

I knew he was fucking with me, or trying to at least, so I just grinned back. “Let me know when.”

That stunned him for a second before he laughed and texted his fiancée quickly. Smiling to myself, I took a long pull of my beer as I looked around. Bo should have been back by now. I saw her walk out of the bathroom, but instead of coming toward our group, she went out the side gate that led to the shore.

I put my beer down since I couldn’t take it out to the ocean and then jogged after her. When I reached her, she had her shoes off and she hugged herself tightly as the sea breeze blew her little pieces of hair around. Taking off my hoodie, I walked up behind her, wrapping my arms around her, and held the hoodie between my hands.

“Here.”

She didn’t even look back behind her. She just took my Suns’ hoodie and put it on. When she was situated, I wrapped my arms around her and nuzzled my nose into her neck. “Well, let me have it.”

“Have what?” she asked softly, leaning her head against mine.

“My comment upset you.”

She scoffed. “No, it bothered me because you made sure to let everyone know taming you would never happen, so they know you are always available—”

“But—” I tried, but she shook her head, holding her finger up.

“And then I got annoyed that I felt that way, that I got upset that you were just being you, probably joking, but I immediately got jealous. That somewhere within the last couple weeks this went from just having fun to something important to me. Something where I get upset about someone else wanting you or you wanting someone other than me.”