“Wow,” she whispers. “I can’t believe you told him. Kens, that’s a huge step for you. Do you like him?”

“Yeah, I guess. First impression, he’s a player with a cocksure attitude. Today he was… not. At least, not like he was at the bar last night. He seems like an all right guy.” An all right guy who has my hormones in overdrive and makes my heart race, but it’s whatever. I know he’s still that first impression guy. At least, that’s what I keep telling myself. “I just… I don’t know… something about how he was telling me about his dad. The words just came out before I could really think about them.” That is the honest truth. I was thinking it over, contemplating if I should say anything when the words just spilled out. Telling him was not as bad as what I had imagined. Only one lone tear escaped, but Maxton took care of that.

“They both seem like great guys. He has to be for you to open up like that.” She doesn’t say anything more. I know she wants to. She wants to talk about how great we would be together, but she knows better. She knows that if and when that happens, it will take time.

“Classes start Tuesday,” she says, changing the subject. This girl knows me so well.

“Senior year, here we come! What’s on the agenda for tomorrow?” I ask her. I’m sure she and Brighton have something planned.

“Nothing right now. You?” she asks.

“I got nothing,” I tell her. “I figured you and Brighton would take full advantage of an extended weekend.”

We pass under the street light close to our apartment and I can see her happiness has faded a little. “He didn’t mention it. I didn’t either. I didn’t want to sound needy or clingy.”

I laugh aloud at her comment. “First of all, I’ve never known you to be either. Second of all, the guy is freaking crazy about you. Maxton even said that he’s never seen Brighton act this way about a girl. He’s into you, just as much as you are him. Trust me,” I tell her.

She pulls the car into our complex and shuts it off. Turning her head to face me, she demands, “You have to tell me everything.”

I chuckle at her excitement. “I already told you. Maxton just said that Brighton really likes you and that it’s the first time he’s seen him like a girl this much. That’s it, I promise,” I tell her.

“I know it’s too soon to like him this much. I’m not in love with him or anything, but he’s just… gah! His kisses…” She touches her lips as if she can still remember the feel.

I run my fingers over my palm as I remember the tender touch of his lips there. That wasn’t the only time his lips touched my skin tonight. It also wasn’t the only time I wanted them to. I wanted him to kiss me in the gazebo. Hell, I wanted him to kiss me in his bedroom. I’m glad he didn’t. I’m not sure I would have found the will power to resist his hard body. I need to be very careful around one Maxton Cooper.

Nicole and I end up sitting in her car, just listening to the radio and talking. We eventually decide that ice cream sounds good, so we drive to McDonalds and get a McFlurry. When we get back to the apartment, we grab our treats and head inside. Just as we are getting out of the car, a big black truck roars into the parking lot. We both freeze as we watch Maxton climb out of the driver’s side and Brighton the passenger.

“Where in the hell have you been?” they say in unison.

Brighton is beside Nicole within a few strides of his long legs. Maxton is on his heels, rounding the car and pulling me into his chest. I feel him release a shuddering breath and kiss the top of my head. I step away from him and look over the car to see Brighton with his hands on both sides of Nicole’s face.

“You were supposed to call. You said you would call when you got home and you didn’t. I tried calling your cell, but there was no answer. I didn’t have Kensington’s number.” He pulls her into his chest and wraps his arms around her. I can tell by the look on his face that he was worried sick about her.

Maxton tucks a loose hair behind my ear. He doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t need to. The embrace when he got here tells me he was worried as well.

“Sorry, we sat in the car talking, and then decided to go for ice cream,” I say, holding up my McFlurry.

Maxton grabs my spoon and takes a big bite, returning the spoon as if nothing happened. I ignore the move and walk around the car to join Nicole and Brighton, Maxton right behind me.

“You want to come in?” Nicole asks Brighton.

“No, babe.” He runs his fingers through his hair. “I was just worried. I wanted to make sure you were okay.” He leans in and kisses the top of her head, then turns to me. “Can I please have your cell number, so the next time my girl forgets to call me and her cell dies, I can at least try you before I freak the fuck out?” he says.

I smile at Nicole as I recite my number to him. Maxton places his hands on my shoulder as he tells Brighton to text him my number. I roll my eyes at his request, but I don’t argue.

I hear Maxton’s phone beep behind me and he gives my shoulders a gentle squeeze. “All right, let us walk you to the door and then we’ll go,” Brighton says.

“Bright, we can—” he places his finger up to her lips to shush her.

“I need to know you’re safe and sound. I’m already here; there is no reason for me not to make sure of that,” he says, pulling her toward the entrance of our apartment.

Maxton turns me by my shoulders and I lead him to the door. I take my time, letting Bright and Nic have a minute. They are pulling out of a lip-lock when we reach them. Maxton leans in; his lips are next to my ear and his hot breath sends shivers throughout my body. “Goodnight, Kensi,” he says. His hands leave my shoulders, and just like that, he’s gone.

AT FIRST, WHEN Bright started pacing the floor checking his phone every ten seconds, I chalked it up to him being smitten with Nicole. After twenty more minutes of pacing, I started to get concerned as well. Two beautiful girls alone at night, my mind started racing with what could have happened to them. I’m not used to worrying about anyone other than Brighton. This is yet another first for me. The look of relief that crossed Bright’s face when I grabbed my keys and told him to get in the truck had my adrenaline pumping. He was genuinely worried. Apparently, over the last three months, any time Nicole said she would call or text, she did. Brighton insisted that this was not normal for her and he was worried about his girl. He said that. “Max, I’m worried about my girl.”

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. I didn’t say anything else and neither did he. He just continued to call her cell every twenty seconds until we reached their apartment.

We pulled in just as they were climbing out of the car. Bright was out of the truck and had Nicole in his arms before the truck stopped. I was right behind him. I had worked up a million different scenarios as to what could have happened and I was relieved to find them both okay. I stalked around to the passenger side and pulled Kensington against me. I wasn’t thinking about getting her into bed, or how good her tight little body felt against mine. The only thing I felt was relief that we found them safe.

Emotions that I’m not used to are stirring and I don’t understand the sudden change. I’ve worked my ass off the last few months. Every spare minute was devoted to the bar and the remodel. I finally see light at the end of the tunnel and try to get back into a normal routine and my world tips on its axis. It’s all too much to handle. I say a quick goodbye to Kensington and walk away. This entire weekend has been weird as fuck. I needed to walk away.

I climb into the truck and wait for Bright to say goodbye. I pull out my phone and program Kensington’s number into my contacts. I can see she went inside already.