for far too long. He didn’t love me. It was that simple. I’d still hook up with him in a hot second, but I had to stop thinking he was ever going to be my happily-ever-after. “But I have two dates this week, so we’ll see.”
Two of the guys I’d hearted this morning had already got back to me.
“Two?”
“It’s a numbers game,” I explained.
“Who are the guys?”
“I matched with them on Love at First Click.”
“What’s their names?”
It had been only a few hours since I’d agreed to go on the date, but for the life of me I couldn’t remember anything about them, including their names, so I answered honestly. “No idea.”
“You’ve been going on a lot of dates lately.” The way she said it wasn’t judgmental at all, but I could hear something in her tone that was more than just observational.
“Yep. Like I said, it’s a numbers game.”
Maisy lifted her coke and took a drink. Then set it down and took a deep breath. It was obvious that she had something to say, but she didn’t want to say it.
“What?” I blurted out.
“I know it’s none of my business,” she cringed. “It’s just a weird position for me to be in now because you’re my best friend so my loyalty has always been to you, but Bentley is my…”
“Box ticker,” I filled in the blank but then immediately regretted it. “That sounded so much dirtier than I’d planned, which is gross because we’re talking about my brother.”
We both chuckled.
“Yes, Bentley is my box ticker, so my loyalties are torn.”
“Loyalties?” Bentley had always been my biggest supporter and protector. I couldn’t imagine what could possibly be happening that would make Maisy feel like she had to pick sides?
“Never mind.” She shook her head as she picked up more fries and lifted them to her mouth.
Unfortunately for her, I had cat-like reflexes and a long reach. I swatted them away before they reached her lips. “No! Huh-uh! You can’t just drop a loyalties bomb and then retreat. Spill.”
“I mean, you’re going to find out sooner or later,” Maisy reasoned. I wasn’t sure if she was saying it to convince herself or me.
My stomach dropped. I couldn’t imagine any scenario when my brother would have done anything to hurt or embarrass me, but from the way that Maisy was acting, that is exactly what he’d done. “What did Bentley do?”
“He offered to let Holden stay at his condo and asked him to keep an eye on you.”
I heard the information my friend had just given me, but it took me a moment to process what she’d said.
“Holden…he…what?” I said nonsensically.
“Please don’t be mad at your brother,” Maisy rushed out. “He’s been really worried about you since he moved in with me. He wouldn’t rent out the unit because he was scared to move the wrong people next door. He’s even driven by your place after he knows you’ve been out to make sure you got home. He loves you, he’s just a little… overprotective.”
I hadn’t heard a word she said after Holden stay at his condo. But I was sure I must’ve heard that wrong, so I clarified. “Holden is moving into the duplex?”
“He already did.” She said slowly as if she was breaking news to me, which she was. “Last night.”
“Holden was there last night? He spent the night there?”
Her brow furrowed. “As far as I know, why?”
“He was there this morning?”
“I mean, yeah, I think so, why? What’s wrong?”
“Remember that naked yoga I did? Well, I did it in my backyard.”
“Oh, okay,” she nodded, still not understanding.
“The backyard that is visible from the bedroom in Bentley’s side of the condo… where presumably Holden is.”
“Oh.” My friend’s eyes widened, and her mouth dropped as awareness dawned on her, but she had a fast recovery. She waved her hand dismissively. “I’m sure he didn’t see anything. Bentley said Holden looked really tired when he left, and he drove all the way from California, so I’m sure that he slept in.”
I nodded and she continued talking, totally oblivious to my inner freak out. I wasn’t sure how to process the information that she’d just given me. Holden Reed was living next door to me and he’d promised my brother that he’d “keep an eye on me.” I would’ve liked a whole lot more than his eyes on me. I’d been open to new opportunities coming my way, and the universe had delivered in a big way.