He slides his eyes back to me. “No action at all and you slept over. What the fuck, man? Your shit broke?”
“Nope,” I growl.
“Head’s fucked up, though,” Nick tells him. “She’s got him all twisted.”
“Sounds like you not too long ago,” Mammoth says to Nick, smiling. “Told ya, and you didn’t see the light until you were sunburned.”
“Have you hit your head recently?” I stare at Mammoth, blinking a few times.
Mammoth’s jaw ticks as he moves a toothpick around his mouth. “No. You?”
Nick runs his hand down his face, peering at Mammoth over his palm. “No, but you keep talking like you’ve been reading riddles all of a sudden, and it’s weird as fuck, man.”
Mammoth laughs. “Sounds better than saying I told you so, but I told you so.”
Nick nods. “True that.”
“But you,” Mammoth says, pointing at me with a beer in his hand. “You’re fucked, brother.”
I jerk my head back, furrowing my brows. “How am I fucked?”
“A chick already got you acting like another person.”
“No,” I snap.
“Yeah, he is,” Gigi says, laughing.
He keeps that finger pointed at me when he says, “Just lock that shit down and move the fuck on with life.”
“Lock it down?” I ask.
Pike nods. “Yep. It’s easier if you come to terms with it now. Accept your fate and then move forward.”
“I’ve literally known the woman a few days,” I argue. “I’m not locking shit down. It’s not even a real relationship or friendship. I’m a test subject.”
“Whatever,” Pike mutters. “I saw the way you two looked at each other.”
“Means nothing,” is my only answer.
“I still can’t figure out how Arlo went from piping-hot to ice-cold in a flash, Mello. What really happened?” Lily presses me.
“Lily, swear to God, I didn’t do shit. We fell asleep, and then I hustled my ass out of there before she woke up.”
Lily makes a face, sucking in air between her teeth. “You just left?”
I nod. “What the fuck else was I supposed to do?”
“Idiot,” Lily whispers.
“Total dumb-ass move,” Gigi adds.
“Fucking moronic,” Tamara says.
Rebel nods. “Fucked up big, brother.”
“Men are so clueless.” Jo throws in with the other insults being hurled my way.
I glare at them as they sit in judgment, but their men remain silent. “What was I supposed to do? Wake her up and tell her thanks for the movie?”
“Did you at least leave a note?” Jett asks, suddenly finding feelings and adding something to the conversation.
“Uh, no.” I roll my eyes, polishing off the last sip of beer before motioning to the waitress and pointing at the table.
“Yeah, you fucked up,” Jett whispers, reaching behind his wife to stretch his arm across her chair. “You can’t just sneak out and then ghost a chick.”
“I didn’t ghost her. I texted her before I came here.”
“Did you text her at all earlier in the day?”
“No,” I bite out. “We’ve been over this shit a million times.”
“Yep, fucked up big,” Jett mutters.
I’m done with their bullshit. I refuse to allow them to make me feel guilty about something I did that wasn’t wrong. There was no way I was going to wake up a sleeping Arlo before I left. If she were my girl, maybe, but it isn’t my style. And since the deal was not to treat her any differently than I would any other woman, I left without saying a word.
“I’m having the next one at the bar,” I announce, pushing my chair back and standing. “You can all fuck off and talk about me, but I’m going over there—” I tick my head back “—and finding a piece of ass to bury myself in tonight.”
“Classy,” Lily whispers, peering up at me with her judgy blue eyes. “But you should—”
“Save it,” I cut her off, waving my hand. “Whatever you’re going to say, I don’t want to hear it.”
She purses her lips and narrows her eyes. “But—”
“No, Lily. You’ve done enough.”
Jett stiffens.
“No disrespect, cousin, but I need to blow off some steam and get my head right. I love you, Lily, but butt the fuck out.” As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I’m making my way toward the bar, winding through the people.
The waitress sees me, depositing the beer in front of me before the bartender has time to make it to me.
“Thanks, doll.” I smile at the older woman.
She smiles back. “Welcome, sweetie.”
I watch the flat screen, unable to hear the muted conversation of the sports announcers but giving no shits because at least they