Dammit.

I’m so confused, conflicted in every sense of the word. I need to go home and sleep it off. I definitely should not be associating with the reason for my discontent, especially not when I’m going to be stuck in a car with him tomorrow for three hours while we drive to Myrtle Beach for the dreaded bachelor party. But, with a heavy sigh I force myself to continue across the room, stopping at the booth. I press my lips together in a tight smile before sliding in beside Harley, reluctantly meeting both Nash’s and Anna’s eyes from across the table.

“You okay?” Nash asks, his voice void of any semblance of care whatsoever.

I shake my dizzy head. “I’m drunk.”

“Well, serves you right for having all those tequila shots.” Harley chuckles, nudging me playfully with his shoulder.

“Kevin made a bet that I couldn’t keep up with him!” I say, defending my choices.

“Yeah.” He nods with a knowing smirk, snaking his arm around my shoulders and pulling me in close. “But he’s three times your size, and even he had to get his sorry ass carried out of here.”

I roll my eyes with a shrug, trying not to give away the fact that his closeness is making me feel all sorts of things I shouldn’t be feeling, his arm around me is like something I’ve never felt before. It feels just right, but so, so wrong.

“You two are so cute together.” Anna giggles. I look at her, finding her watching us with a goofy smile as she nudges Nash. “Aren’t they, babe?”

Nash offers an unintelligible murmur, his eyes suddenly focused intently on some sports news program playing without sound from the television screen across the way.

“How long have you been together?” Anna asks, looking between Harley and me.

Harley flashes me a nervous glance.

“Umm.” I think to myself for a moment, swallowing hard. I am way too drunk for this. “About … six weeks, or so.”

Nash quickly turns his attention to me, his brow furrowed. “Six weeks?”

I nod, confused by his abrupt tone.

He looks to Harley. “But you told me you hooked up with that chick from Alabama a month ago!”

“Yeah.” Harley shifts uncomfortably beside me, clearing his throat, flashing me another desperate glance.

“I forgave him,” is all I can think to say, and I reluctantly meet Nash’s eyes, wishing I hadn’t. He looks suspicious as hell as he seems to overthink things.

“But you’re together now?” Anna looks at me, quirking one of her brows with a devious giggle. “Like, together together?”

I nod, trying so hard to smile like a woman happily in love, but it’s almost impossible. Yes, I might like Harley, but right now all I want to do is crawl into a hole and disappear. “So, anyway. What about you guys?” I start, in an attempt to shift the conversation away from my blatant lie. “How did Nash propose?”

I don’t really care. In fact, it’s the last thing I want to know. But it’s the only way to get the focus off Harley and me. From the way Harley’s breathing has increased beside me, I’m worried he’s about to spontaneously combust under the scrutiny of his best friend’s suspicious gaze from across the table.