Ray Books
My brother is an idiot. He won the lottery and invested all of his money in a run-down bowling alley. Since he’s barely making it, he moved in with me. Great. Having him around the house isn’t the worst thing in the world, but he does make a mess like nobody’s business. My friends Zeke, Jessie, and Kayden keep me sane but there’s only so much they can do. And it’s definitely not the worst thing in the world when his old friend, Ryker, moves to town. The second I lay eyes on him, I’m hot under the collar. He makes my body burn in longing and freeze in desperation at the exact same time. When he talks, I don’t listen to anything he says because I’m staring at that hard jaw and those kissable lips like I already own them. But he’s a bed hopper. A playboy. A heartbreaker. I’m all down for some hot, sweaty, yummy sex even if it doesn’t have a fairy tale ending. I’ve been down that road before. I know the drill. But with Ryker, it’s different. Because I know I’ll fall in love with him. For now, I’ll steer clear of him and keep my hands to myself. It can’t be that hard, right? Or can it?
Ryker and I aren’t exactly perfect. But I was falling for him—and falling hard. Every kiss. Every touch. Every embrace. Just made me realize this wasn’t a fling. It wasn’t even a relationship. It was so much more. I just hoped Rex was wrong about Ryker. Because I didn’t have the heart to listen to him say those terrible three words. Told you so.
Ryker dumped me. Everyone warned me dating him was the wrong decision. But I did it anyway. Now that it's been three months I'm finally in a good place. I haven't started dating just yet but I know that will happen in time. Finally, I don't think about Ryker anymore. But when I have a dream about Zeke, a very inappropriate one, I start to wonder things I shouldn't. And I start to look at him in a way I never have before...
Zeke and I are finally together. Going from best friends to lovers is surprisingly easier than I thought it would be. We do everything together, and of course, the sex is fabulous. Everything is great until Ryker shows up. He says he needs to talk to me and I think I know what it's regarding. If my suspicion is right, he's in for rejection. Because he missed his chance a long time ago.
Ryker finally told me what happened all those months ago. He explained his distance, his coldness. Now everything makes sense. I've been with Zeke for a long time now, and everything is exactly how I want it to be. I adore him. No, I love him. But there's a warning deep in my gut. Zeke is acting differently, and Ryker isn't the same either. It's the calm before the storm. I can feel it.
She picked him. Because I waited too long to get my shit together. This is all my fault. I need to get out of here. I need to start over. I need to get over her. So I'm moving back to New York. I'm going back to my old ways. Lots of sex. Lots of alcohol. Lots of fun. Until I meet Austen.
Austen and I could never have something real. She's still hung up on her ex. I'm still in love with Rae. So we'll just stay friends. But I miss her all the time. When I'm lying next to someone else, I wonder if she misses me too. Does she?