He wanted to deny it, but the thought had crossed his mind. He’d vetoed it, but the night was still young. It was barely ten now.

“I’m not going down there,” he insisted.

Scott looked skeptical, lips pursed, brow raised, arms folded in front of his favorite t-shirt. Grey and well-worn, the material of the t-shirt was so thin it molded easily to Scott’s build. He’d been leaner back when he’d been modeling more, but he’d packed on some muscle since then. The words on the front were starting to get a little patchy from where the print was scraping away, bit by bit. Keiran grinned as he read it: Part-time model. Full-time nerd. Scott had had this t-shirt forever.

In the past, the sight of his friend in it, short sleeves flaunting the muscles shifting beneath his toned deep-brown skin, would have Keiran feeling some kind of way. The flutters had long since dissipated, leaving affection and warmth whenever his best friend shook his head at him, the way he did now.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m rooting for you. I just worry that you’ll let her walk all over you just so you can be close to her. Not that I’m saying she’d do that,” Scott added hastily. “You know she’s my girl. Just be realistic about what your expectations are.”

“I know.” Of course, he knew all that. But Scott didn’t know about Cherisse’s confession. And Keiran didn’t feel right about revealing it when Cherisse was obviously torn up about it. He’d gone into this claiming he was fine with whatever when that hadn’t been the truth from that first kiss. He’d told her the power was in her hands. She could end this whenever she wanted. He’d been bracing since then for when she’d do just that. Could he take front and end it before he got any more caught up than he was?

“Why so serious?” Eric joined them, patting his belly, a satisfied, happy sigh escaping his lips. Clearly, the food had been tasty. “What’re we discussing?”

Keiran felt Scott’s stare on the side of his face. He could spill everything, let Eric into the loop. Eric was his boy, but he’d joined the crew later on after the Scott/Keiran duo had already been solidified. Back in school, when one was seen without the other, people would look at them funny, like something wasn’t quite right. That bestie bond was strong. Eric made them the Three Musketeers, but there were just some things Keiran had never told Eric about. Especially the whole “I tried to kiss my bestie and got rejected hard, and then I wanted to fade away into nothingness because it was so awkward” incident.

“Tell you later,” Keiran replied. “What’d you all think about a drive down to the boardwalk?”

#

THE CHAGUARAMAS BOARDWALK was the place to be on the weekend, it seemed. Well, for those who preferred to hang out away from the club vibes of the city. People walked about with families and friends as lights glinted off the dark sheet of the water. Some walked along the shore; others were set up on the beachfront walkway deck.