Page 57 of From That Moment

“And we can’t date within the group?” he asked, his voice a little too casual. I wasn’t going to touch on that, because frankly, I had my own shit to worry about.

“Well, we shouldn’t. Right?”

“I don’t know. You guys are always shooting daggers at each other, isn’t that chemistry supposed to be hot or something?”

“That’s where you’re going with this?”

He threw his hands up in disgust and walked away from me as I followed him back into the kitchen. He got himself another beer since the first one was now too flat since he’d shaken it.

“You know what? I don’t know. You guys have chemistry, or whatever the hell you two have. If you’re worried about hurting her? Then don’t date her. You don’t want to have to deal with Dakota and the bunch if you fuck her over.”

I didn’t fail to notice the fact that he had said Dakota rather than Hazel, but I wasn’t going to mention it.

If I had sparks or angry chemistry with Paris, his with Dakota was tenfold. I didn’t think any of us dared to comment on it. At least, not yet.

“I don’t want to screw things up, mess them up, or ruin anything.”

“Those all mean the same thing,” Macon said.

“See? I’m so flustered, I don’t know how to speak.”

“Okay, what’s making you not want to do this?”

“I don’t want to hurt her.”

“Not a good enough reason. You don’t want to hurt anyone you’re in a relationship with, even Allison. Even though she cheated on you.”

“Fine,” I said, sighing.

“If things get weird between Paris and me, I don’t want them to be weird in the group.”

“The girls don’t hang out with us all the time, and it’s not like she used to date one of us or anything. We have other friends. We can make this work. And as long as you don’t screw her over or hurt her too badly, it won’t be a problem. And you wouldn’t do that. You’re a good guy.”

That warmed me, and I grinned. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Now I’m going to flip you off so we stop being all warm and brotherly.” He flipped me off, and I grinned, liking that he was a bit back to his old self, even though I knew the tension running just under the surface was about ready to explode at any minute.

I only hoped to hell that one of us was there when it happened.

I didn’t want him to be alone.

“What else?” Macon asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

“We work together.”

“That could be an issue.”

“However, she said that she looked it up and it’s not against the rules. Plus, I won’t be there for much longer.”

Macon grinned, his eyes bright. “She looked it up?”

“Yes,” I said, grinning right back.

“Well. It’s not like you guys are going to flaunt it at work anyway. So, I don’t think that’s going to be a big deal. Just don’t fuck her on your desk at work and you’ll be fine.”

Now, images of that filled my mind, and I let out an oof as Macon punched me in my other shoulder.

“Stop thinking about it. Because then that image is going to get inside my mind, and I don’t have any bleach right now to take care of it.”