“Oh, sorry. I was at the studio this morning and let the battery drain on my cell, and I never remembered to plug it in to recharge,” she says. “I’ll go do that now before I forget again.” She seems a little spastic when she runs to the back and then quickly returns with her cell and charger.

When she plugs it in, I ask, “So, I wanted to see if you and Kimber could get together with Mark and I later tonight?”

“I’d love to, but I’m working late tonight. How about tomorrow afternoon? We can do a cookout at our house.”

“That sounds great. I really fucked up with him, and I want to make it right. Plus, I want you guys to meet him.”

She leans down on her elbows and looks up at me. “Of course, Jase.”

“Great, I’ll call him and let him know,” I say, and then quickly kiss her forehead. I catch her smile as I turn to leave.

Walking back out to my car, I call Mark.

“Hey, Jase. What’s up?”

“Not much. Do you wanna get together at Candace’s place tomorrow afternoon?”

“Um, yeah. That works for me.”

“Great. I think we will just hang out back and cook out since the weather is supposed to be decent for a change.”

“That sounds good. Are you doing anything tonight?”

“Nothing set in stone. Why?”

“I’m heading out to go for a run, but I was just gonna chill and watch the football game later if you wanted to come over.”

“Oh, umm . . .” is all I can say. No way in hell do I wanna run into Kyle, not after that crap I pulled. But Mark interrupts my thoughts and says, “Kyle doesn’t live here anymore.”

“God, I feel like a dick,” I say as the guilt returns.

“Don’t. We never got along that well anyway.” He tries brushing it off, as if it isn’t the big deal that it actually is.

“Still, I feel like shit about everything.”

“Are you coming over or what?” he interjects, and I can’t help but laugh.

“Yeah. Just text me after your run.”

“Okay, I’ll talk to you later.

“Later.”

When I got to Mark’s house later that day, we spent the evening drinking beer and watching the game. It was nice to spend that time with him, just taking it easy. We didn’t do anything more than just hold hands and be close to one another. The more time I spend with him, the more I find myself falling for him.

Now here we are, driving together to Candace’s house. It’s important to me that he likes her because she’s such a big part of my life. But at the same time, I really hope she likes him because her opinion is important to me.

When I park the car, I look over at Mark, and he gives me a smile before he steps out. I take his hand and hold it as we walk up to the house. Opening the front door, I call out, “We’re here.”

As I start leading Mark through the living room, Candace walks in from the kitchen and gives me a warm hug.

When I back away, I introduce the two of them. “Mark, this is Candace.”

She smiles big when she turns to Mark. “Hey! It’s great to meet you. Come on in. We’re in the kitchen getting the food ready.”

Walking into the kitchen, Kimber is chowing down on a mouthful of chips when she says, “Hey, Jase.”

Shaking my head, I look at Mark then back at Kimber. “And this crazy girl is Kimber.”

“Nice to meet you guys,” Mark says with a grin.

The girls move around the kitchen and Kimber asks if one of us will start the grill for her.

“Yeah, I can do that,” Mark replies, and Kimber leads him out back as I stay inside with Candace, helping her get all the food to carry out.

“This is a nice place you have,” I hear Mark say to the girls as we walk outside.

Kimber flops down in a chair. “I suppose,” she says with a sigh.

“Please, just ignore her dramatics,” Candace tells Mark as Kimber just laughs. I know she loves trying to get reactions from people, and she is constantly cracking me up. If there is one thing about Kimber, she doesn’t give a shit what people think about her. I love her freedom. I’m jealous of it in a way.

“Hey, Jase, will you run inside and grab the case of beer that’s in the fridge and bring it out? There’s a cooler next to the door that already has ice in it,” Candace says.

“Sure.” I go into the kitchen to get the beers and when I walk back outside, Candace and Mark are chatting about school.

“What are you studying?” I hear her ask him.

Mark takes a swig of his beer and responds, “Same as Jase—Architecture.” She looks over at me and Mark adds, “That’s how we know each other.”

I smile at Mark as he continues to talk with Candace. I get up and walk over to the grill to cook the burgers. I keep turning my head to the two of them and love that they are having an easy time talking to one another.

“He’s really hot,” Kimber says as she steps next to me, nudging her arm against mine.

“Yeah, I know.”

I start taking the meat off the grill and then get a beer before sitting next to Kimber at the fire pit. I leave Mark with Candace since they seem pretty inseparable at the moment. Mark says something to her and she laughs out loud, tossing her head back as he starts to crack up as well. I have no idea what they are talking about, but seeing the two of them laughing like they are, makes me laugh too.

The afternoon passes quickly, and I spend most of it with Kimber, drinking and bullshitting around, all the while, watching Mark and Candace from across the backyard. They’ve been talking and laughing non-stop.

“Help me clean up?” I ask Kimber, and she rolls her eyes at me. “You are such a spoiled brat. Get off your lazy ass, and help me out.”

Sighing in exasperation, she says, “Fine.”

Candace and Mark join us in the kitchen after a while and we decide to call it a night.

Walking us to the door, she says, “It was so good to meet you, Mark.”

“Same here,” he responds.

She pulls him in for a hug and tells him, “You’re welcome anytime, and you don’t need Jase with you to stop by.”

I laugh and shake my head at her when she says this.

“Thanks,” he says.

Kimber yells her “goodbye” from the kitchen and we yell it right back. I grab Candace and give her a tight hug. She whispers softly in my ear, “He’s perfect.”

“I know,” I mumble quietly. I give her a chaste kiss and then head out. Walking to my car with Mark, he takes ahold of my hand and gives my neck a few pecks. We stop at the car and I kiss him. Seeing him so comfortable with my best friend, my only family, makes me happy, and I smile against his lips as we continue to share our slow kiss.

Mark whispers over my lips, “What’s so funny?”

I move back and look at him. “Nothing’s funny. I’m just happy.”

He wraps his arms around my waist and says, “Me too. I see why you love her so much. She’s great.”

“Yeah, she is. So are you.”

The smile that grows on his face is beautiful, so I take one last kiss before we get in the car and start driving back to my place. Since neither one of us has an early class tomorrow, Mark decides to stay the night.

After changing clothes and sliding into bed, Mark wraps his arm around me as I ask into the darkness, “Did you have fun today?”

“Yeah, I did,” he responds softly. “Thanks for introducing me to your friends. Did you know them before coming to Seattle?”

“No. I met Candace the first quarter I was here. We had a Gen. Ed. class together. I also had a Communications class with Kimber, but I never spoke to her until I found out she was Candace’s dorm mate.

“So what’s her story?” he questions. “She seems so different from you and Candace.”

Letting out a laugh, I tell him, “I don’t know where to begin with that chick. I’ve always found it odd that Candace is such good friends with her because they are so opposite.” I start laughing harder when I think back to our Communications class we had together freshman year. “Oh my God. You wouldn’t believe this speech she gave in that class we shared.”