“You know, my head is starting to hurt. I might have a cough too.” Justine gave a few fake coughs, but Katie wasn’t buying it.

“Nice try.” The car stopped, and they left with a goodbye and hefty tip to their driver. “Get the lead out, Ferrera. Your ovaries aren’t going to wake up if there’s no one to greet them in the morning.”

“What the hell does that even mean?” Justine pasted on a smile as they approached Katie’s friends.

“It means you’re going to thank me tomorrow.”

“Or I’ll be cursing your name while battling a hangover and regretting a terrible Friday night where the men have no game.”

“Or that. Either way, you’re going. So move.”

CHAPTER 2

Xavier groaned as he let himself back into his apartment. Great impression to make on the new tenant. With a splitting headache and overdue project, dealing with his ex-girlfriend’s brother had been last on his To-Do list. And of course, just his luck, Justine in 3D looked beautiful and all put-together while he looked his worst. Brawling in public. Jesus. He hadn’t gotten into a physical fight since college, back when Auggie had been all about doing terrible things on campus then blaming Xavier for it.

Twins. He loved his sister, but Auggie could be over-the-top on a good day.

His phone buzzed. Speaking of over-the-top... “Yo, Auggie. What’s up? We doing dinner tonight or what?” He wondered what Justine and her friend had planned for the evening. If Justine had a boyfriend or significant other. Odd that her aunt had never mentioned her, considering he and Rosie had been good friends for months.

And of course, they kind of worked together.

“Bro, I need help.”

Xavier swallowed a sigh. “Of course you do.”

“Don’t be pretentious. Buzz me up.”

“Do you even know what pretentious means?”

He winced at the vitriol that accompanied his sister’s answer and buzzed Auggie in, which reminded him he only had himself to blame about Dan—the guy he never should have allowed in the building. Apparently, Christine still didn’t like the word “no.” They’d broken up a month ago, and she continued to harass him, now using her brother to send messages.

Last time Xavier would make that mistake.

He’d known he and Christine were over a while ago, but he’d tried his best to make it work. As a therapist, Xavier knew all about dysfunction and lying to oneself. Christine had been pleasant...at first. A nice woman, attractive, self-sufficient. The perfect companion.

Until she’d revealed certain truths, become clingy and codependent, and had made his life a living hell with petty jealousies and insecurity. Auggie hadn’t liked her either, and that was typically a telling sign that things wouldn’t work out.

Xavier could count on one hand the number of times they’d approved of each other’s relationships. A real pair, the both of them.

“We’re so pathetic,” he muttered as Augusta Hanover pushed through the door.