talked to this catfishing dude for a while to determine it wasn’t in fact Tom Holland?”
“Hey, I’ve read my fair share of romance novels—falling in love via a dating app or by accitext is a thing.”
“Accitext?”
“You know, you text the wrong person on accident and then you fall in love. Accitext.” She shrugs. “It happens.”
“Yeah, in fiction.”
“Fiction sounds really good right about now. It’s a heck of a lot better than standing around listening to you judge me.”
“I’m not judging you. I’m worried about you and the random dicks—actual random dicks—on this dating app you’re on.”
She rolls her eyes. “Please. Don’t start your whole big brother bull hickey again. That’s so high school.”
I don’t bother denying it, but I wouldn’t call fending off numerous tools a big brother move, just a common sense one.
I saved Caroline from many shitty dates and handsy assholes. It’s not that I completely kept her from dating—I’m not her parents, just a concerned friend—but I did do plenty of vetting and never let her forget it.
“You know, I’m surprised you aren’t on the app with you being perpetually single and all. I’m sure you’d match with someone in no time considering…” She gestures toward me. “Well, you know.”
I do know.
And that’s not me being a cocky douche. It’s the truth, and my physique is one I work damn hard for.
I can thank my middle school years for my love of hitting the gym, being bullied about being a tiny little shit when all my friends had already hit puberty and were shooting up like trees. I begged my uncle to allow me to use his workout bench in his garage for the whole summer between eighth and ninth grade. A month before high school started, I finally hit a growth spurt. It seemed like I sprouted four inches overnight…and then didn’t stop until I hit six foot five and towered over everyone else.
I lift a brow. “Elaborate for me.”
She huffs. “You know exactly what I mean. All buff and hot and whatnot.”
That same brow inches higher.
Hot? That’s a new one from her.
Over the years, she’s called me cute or handsome, even dropped beautiful a few times, whatever the fuck that means for a dude. But hot?
That word has never left her lips regarding me.
I…think I like it.
I lift my lips into a smirk. “You think I’m hot, Caroline?”
Another glare. “You’re something…like annoying, for one thing. You’re totally ruining my vampire-fest right now, and you’re a tool for taking my phone, which I’d like back now.”
She holds her palm out again, and when I don’t hand over her cell, she lunges for me.
I sidestep her easily.
She tosses her head back with a groan, her hands falling to her hips, where I can see her fingers digging into her flesh with frustration. I’m pushing all her buttons tonight, but I don’t care. I want to know what she’s doing on a dating app. The Caroline I’ve known for years has always lamented the lack of finding a real connection with someone. That’s not something you usually get on some dating app, especially one like this.
“Come on, Coop.”
“Don’t you come on me. Stop trying to change the subject. What the hell are you doing on Dud or Stud? This app is like a breeding ground for douchebags.”
“Um, trying to find a stud, obviously.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m going to start dating.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s what people do.”
“Why?”
She grits her bright white teeth. “Cooper…”
I raise my hands. “Just saying it’s a little out of left field for you. You’ve been content living that…what’s that saying you’re always spouting off? ‘Free and single, just don’t make me mingle’?”
“Yeah, well, things change.”
Sure. But not this. This hasn’t ever changed.
She’s been in about as many relationships as I have, which isn’t saying much. She’s always been indifferent to dating. Why is she going after it so hard now?
There’s something she’s not saying.
“Care…”
When she sees I’m not going to let her get away with a half-assed answer, she throws her hands in the air, frustrated.
“Because I’m lonely!”
There’s a commotion from the apartment next door, and I have no doubt the old, nosy broad living there has her ear pressed up against our wall again.
That’s the only problem with where we live. We’re in the heart of the city, and there are a lot of older folks here whose rich kids have set them up in this hot locale because it’s within walking distance of everything you could ever want. Which, in turn, means a lot of gossip floats