“That’s good. Really good.”

I heard Parker snort. “You sound genuine, Tin.”

She shot him the middle finger. “You know how much I love Austin, so shut it.”

I pressed her arm with my bicep. “I know, sweetheart. I know.”

“And you would totally teach me the same lesson if the heels were on the other foot.” She tapped her right foot one beat extra while we walked.

Parker looped his arm in mine as well. “Did you learn your lesson then? Are you going to kick out your danger pony with the giant dick and all his baggage yet?”

I shook my head. “Man. I wish I knew. I mean, he has to go. It just makes sense. But it kills me to know that I’d be tossing him out on the streets.”

Axel was leading the pack of us, tossing his head over his shoulder to look at us with a dangling tongue.

“You care too much about a guy that would burn your whole world down because he was bored for two minutes.” Tinsley let go of my arm to maneuver around a grate and then resumed her position.

Parker let go, as the grates were coming in a regular pattern, so Tinsley could still hang on.

“I know how you feel about it.” She had told me in a joking manner and a dead serious manner how an outsider viewed Endgame’s effect on my everyday life.

“It’s from a place of concern and love, I promise you.”

I leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I know.”

Parker held out his hand for Axel’s leash and I let him take the lead. “You know it’s not just you in that place anymore. Taylor’s a nice girl. Mind if I take Axel for a little jog?”

I nodded my approval and he took off. Axel was thrilled to go faster, hopping up and looking Parker in the eyes before galloping along.

Tinsley and I now had just each other to talk to while we walked. “So how’s it going with Taylor, really?”

I thought back to our kisses and how we fell asleep last night. “Dangerous.”

“How do you mean?” Tinsley slowed down our pace a bit.

“Last night got pretty real for me.” We paused where we were walking and she led me to window shop at the shoe store. She lifted her eyebrows over her sunglasses. “She felt right in my arms. Like the energy coming from her was so beautiful and pure.” I let out a sigh.

“Oh my gosh. Really? Really?” Tinsley tilted her head to one side and then the other. “Are you falling for her for real?”