tight.
And I watched.
Like I’d always done when they had a moment, but this time it was different. Before, it was like watching from the outside.
Now? Even though she was in his arms . . .
She was mine.
I felt her even when she was a few feet away.
I knew her taste.
Her smell.
What made her laugh.
What made her cry.
And I wasn’t ever going to let her go, no matter what Ian might think. She was mine.
When he dropped her back to her feet and kissed her forehead, his gaze darted between the two of us as Gabi made her way into my arms.
“But—” He shook his head. “You hate each other.”
“We still do,” Gabi piped up. “Like last night, when he was working on your computer program . . . You know the one, right? The one you asked him to fix? He’s been up three nights straight, only going to sleep after I crumbled melatonin in his coffee.”
“Hey!” I barked. “I knew something was wrong with my vision!”
“You’re fine.” Gabi ignored me. “See? I still drug him, he still yells at me, and when I eat a donut, I feel his judgmental eyes.”
I choked out a laugh. “Bullshit! I just wanted the donut, and you promised to share!”
“See?” Gabi spread her arms wide. “Still very dysfunctional. But it works for us.”
“Damn right it works.” I tugged her harder against me, swearing to never let go.
“Okay.” Ian sighed and leaned back against the counter. “So help me God, if you break her heart, I will make your death look like an accident, Lex.”
“Still friends?” I asked.
“That depends.” Ian crossed his arms. “Do you love her?”
“Of course I do,” I said quickly. “I wouldn’t put our friendship through this if I didn’t.”
Ian looked ready to swallow his tongue. “I . . . thought that would be harder to get out of you.”
“He told me he loved me right before you beat the crap out of him at my parents’ house,” Gabi said sweetly.
“Talk about a mood killer.” I rubbed my still-sore jaw.
“You were . . .” Ian swallowed. “You were . . . fondling!”
“I don’t even know what that means.” I burst out laughing. “Really, man? Fondling is what you do in junior high when you don’t know if you’re touching a girl’s breasts or her stomach.”
Ian glared.
“No fondling.” I held up my hands.
“Ian.” Gabi stepped away from me. “Lex found out already, but I thought I’d tell you, um, about my parents—”
“I took care of it.” Ian dismissed her with a quick shake of his head.
“What exactly did you do?”
Ian shrugged. “It wasn’t me. It was my sister. I went to visit her in hell, and she talked some sense into me, gave me an idea, and I hauled ass back to Seattle to see if it would work.”
“To see if what would work?” I asked, confused.
“We’re getting too big. Gabi’s not going to want to make out with random clients, and we can’t work out of the house anymore. We’re almost ready to graduate. It only made sense.”
“What only made sense?” I had a bad feeling.
Ian smirked. “Ready for your field trip?”
Chapter
Forty-Three
Gabi
Ian told us both to hurry, which left me with no choice but to bust out the Uggs and hope that Lex and I didn’t have a repeat of the fight of 2014 where he nearly set them on fire.
The minute I stepped out of my room, Lex stepped out of his.
A slow smirk spread across his face as he took in my attire. “Yoga pants, Uggs, and a sweatshirt. You pledging today or what?”
“Very funny.” I shoved past him; he shoved me back. “Lex, I say this in the nicest way possible, but push me again and I’m literally putting my foot down so you trip and break your two front teeth.”
“I’ve got teeth of steel.”
“I wonder if that’s why my mouth hurts. Learn to kiss.” I winked and then took off running as he chased me down the hall.
“You can run! But you’re wearing Uggs . . . They slow you down!”
Ian was waiting at the door as Lex and I stuttered to a stop, nearly stumbling over each other. Clearly, Lex was in a mood because he took that opportunity to pinch my butt.
“Stop it!” I smacked him in the chest. “I will hurt you!” I turned back to Ian.
He looked confused. “So the fighting . . .” He shook his head. “It’s . . . still a thing?”
“Always.” Lex shook his head.