In the Dark (The Rules #2)(47)

But I refuse to call her. Refuse to text her anymore. I need to let her go. Find some other pretty girl and get laid. That’ll help me move on, I’m sure of it.

“We should go out tonight,” I suggest.

“Oh, no,” Jade starts as Tristan offers a resounding hell yeah in answer.

At least I have someone on my side.

“Come on, Jade,” I say, watching as she turns back and sends a look in Shep’s direction. “You should go out with us tonight. Let Shep here come out to play.”

“Fucker,” Shep says with an easy smile.

“She’ll ruin our game,” Tristan says unapologetically. “Trust me, I’ve done this before. Shep used to be my wingman. Now he brings a cock blocker with him and she ruins everything.”

“Did you just call me a cock blocker?” Jade sticks her tongue out at Tristan. “You are so incredibly mean.”

He shrugs. “Just stating the truth.”

They go at it like this all the time. I’ve come to discover it’s their thing. I’m the nice one, the one Jade likes the most. Besides Shep, that is. That’s our thing.

“You don’t care if I go out with the boys, do you?” Shep asks, his voice low and intimate. He sounds like he’s asking permission—or being respectful of Jade’s feelings.

I can’t quite tell the difference.

“No, go out. Have fun. I’ll stay home and roll around in bed naked, waiting for you.” She slips out of Shep’s arms and turns to face him, kissing him on the cheek. “I need to go. I’ll see you later?”

“You know it. Love you,” Shep murmurs before he swats her on the ass and sends her out of the kitchen.

I shake my head the minute she’s gone. “You are so gone over her.” I hadn’t seen it much in action since I was away all summer but those two seem to have it really bad for each other.

Shep shrugs. “I’m in love with her.”

He says it so matter of fact, like it’s no big deal while I’m standing here trying to wrap my brain around the concept of love. What the hell is love anyway? My parents act like they were forced to be together most of the time. None of my friends have ever admitted to falling in love before. Not until Shep.

Makes me wonder if there’s a chance at love for me.

“The more time I spend with her, the more I know that I want to be with her. Like, all the time. I genuinely like her. I value her opinion, she makes me laugh, she makes me think. And the sex is f*cking unbelievable,” Shep explains, a sly grin on his face.

“She sounds like the perfect woman,” I say. His description of Jade reminds me of how I felt about Lucy.

That particular realization makes me miss her more than ever.

So freaking stupid.

“Jade is the perfect woman for me,” Shep say with a nod.

“They’re disgusting together,” Tristan mutters, causing both of us to turn and look at him. He drains his beer before he opens the fridge and grabs another one, twisting the top off so it makes a hissing sound. “All lovey dovey and shit.”

“You’re just jealous,” Shep says, making Tristan scowl at him.

“Not even close. You couldn’t pay me enough money in the world to be tied down to one woman.” Tristan waves his beer bottle in my direction. “And I know Gabe here feels the same.”

“Right,” I say automatically though…I’m envious of what Shep has with Jade. If you’d told me a few months ago I’d feel that way about my friend’s committed relationship, I would’ve laughed in your face.

But now I can’t help but think of what could’ve been for Lucy and me. Could we be as happy as Jade and Shep? We were having a pretty good time together this summer. I had to cut it off because I didn’t want to break her heart.

More like I didn’t want to break my heart either.

“So you can be the real wingman tonight,” Tristan says to Shep. “Gabe and I will be on the hunt and you can lure them in.”

“You two are going to use me so you can find chicks to bang?” He shakes his head. “Unreal.”

“You don’t want to bang them anymore so that’s our new rule. You’re our official wingman,” Tristan declares. “Not that we need your help. We can do this shit on our own, but it’ll be fun. Like old times. Right, Gabe?”

“Yeah,” I agree, knowing that this is the right thing to do. Finding a girl, flirting with a girl, a complete stranger. Buying her a drink, getting close to her, flatter her, touch her, kiss her, take her back to my place and get her naked and in my bed. That’ll push Lucy out of my head once and for all. I haven’t been laid since the last time I saw her. That’s my problem. I’m stuck on her because it’s been so long.

Now I can only hope I find a sexy little dark haired girl with a banging body at the bar tonight. With flashing dark eyes and full lips and killer tits, a tiny waist and bull hips and an ass that I want to grip. A girl with a throaty laugh and an easy smile and a way of touching me that makes me feel so damn alive…

Fuck. I’m thinking of Lucy.

Still.

“Tonight at ten at Jack’s they’re having a back to school special,” Tristan says, pulling me from my semi-depressing thoughts. “All girly drinks are half off.”