eyes. Guess what, Elena's not an idiot. She's not shallow; she's not irrational. She's a grown-ass woman who's treating this like one more thing for her to deal with. The only problem is that she can't understand what she's done to make you stop liking her."
A rush of fear raced down my spine. "You told her that's not how it is, right?"
"I did," he assured me with a devious little smile. "I also told her that you'd been planning to spend a night with her, but you'd been a little busy lately, and kept passing out early." He grinned. "Made it sound like a coincidence that you hadn't been over. Oh, and she said that weeknight sex is an option, but only the quiet kind when Gabby's home."
My eyes narrowed as I looked at him. "And why aren't you trying to get in her bed again?"
"I am. I'm also smart enough to realize that her bed isn't what I'm really chasing. I'm really more interested in getting in her heart. Man, I got a thing for that woman, and she's giving me all the signs that she feels the same. So, to make sure this works, I need you to be all in."
"You're in love with her?" I asked.
He canted his head from side to side. "Yeah, let's not rush it. I'm definitely ok with long term, though." Then he paused, reaching up to shove back a strand of his long hair that had broken free. "How will I know?"
"If you're in love with her?" I asked. "I dunno, you just know."
"Doesn't fucking help," he grumbled.
Which was when I realized his real problem. Seth was falling for this woman - and hard - but he was scared of jumping the gun. He'd never had something serious before, not as an adult, and things with Elena were anything but casual. That she also came with a ready-made family?
"Is it Gabby?" I asked. "Is the idea of being a dad what's freaking you out?"
"No," he assured me, then changed his mind. "Maybe? Trent, I don't have a fucking clue what I'm doing. Elena? She's the kind of woman who goes to like ballets and shit. She doesn't go to a rave. She's got a kid and actually makes leftovers, not just nukes 'em and eats from the bowl. She's a lady. Not just a woman, but a real fucking lady, and we're going to screw this up so bad if we don't pull our heads out of our asses."
"You mean mine," I realized
"No!" he hissed. "I mean all of us. Sure, Lane and Ian have their shit together, but us? Pax is all about getting laid, you're too chicken-shit to talk to her, and I'm clueless how to impress her. That's what I'm talking about. So, I dunno, go suck up to her or something. Just, make it fucking work."
Nodding, I took a step back, aiming for my truck. "Hey, Seth?"
"Yeah?"
"That, right there, is how you know you're falling in love. When the idea of being without her makes your balls crawl up in your throat? Not going without getting laid, not pissing her off, but the idea of losing her does that? Means you're there - or damned close." Then I laughed. "When you're out all night making a fire pit so she'll pet you?"
He just lifted his middle finger at me. "Then catch up," he taunted. "Because if you make that woman cry? I'm coming after you, and I'll do it with teeth."
"Dream on." I laughed, but it was forced.
Because he was right. Even as I started my truck, I knew he was. I'd been avoiding her because I didn't want to have to explain what I'd done with Karen. I didn't want to have to see the look on Elena's face when she realized that I'd thought Karen was an idiot with a wet pussy. When she figured out that sometimes I objectified women, simply because I was horny. I certainly didn't want her to think that sex meant more to me than this crazy thing we barely had started.
When I pulled up in my drive, her house was already dark. The clock on my dash said it was almost eleven. For a moment, I thought about saying it was too late. That was why I headed inside, but I knew Seth would give me shit if I was still here when he finished his little project. So, rather than go to her house smelling like a man who'd