Foolproof Love(27)

 

“Totally not my point.” Aubry double-checked the lock on the front door and headed for her table.

 

“Then, pray tell, what is your point?”

 

Her friend frowned. “I’m not judging—not really. That’s not what we do. I just don’t want to see you get hurt because your heart gets involved. That guy might be cool as hell—and he is—but he’s spent a grand total of like a month in Devil’s Falls in the last however many years. A guy like that doesn’t have roots, and your roots are deeper than deep. You’re not leaving this place and he’s not staying.”

 

“Don’t project your relationship issues on me.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them. “Oh my God, I’m a horrible friend for saying that. I’m sorry. I’m just so on edge with Grant and Adam and…there’s no excuse. Forgive me?”

 

“Always.” Aubry zipped the laptop case closed. “And you’re right. I’m even more of a hot mess than you are when it comes to men. I’m just a Ford tough mama bear who’s feeling protective. If he breaks your heart¸ I’m liable to set his truck on fire.”

 

The scary part was that Jules wasn’t exactly sure if her friend was joking or not. It was a step of crazy that Aubry would never take for herself—if she had, then her asshole ex would definitely have seen the results—but for Jules…yeah, she’d do that and worse. She walked over and hugged her friend. “I love you.”

 

“I know. I love you, too. Just…be careful.”

 

“I will. I promise.” Even as she said the words, she knew they weren’t the full truth. When it came to Adam, she was on a roller coaster and the safety brakes were gone. There was only one possible outcome, but she couldn’t bring herself to care. It would be one heck of a ride before she crashed and burned.

 

“No, you won’t, but that’s okay.” Aubry stepped back. “Do you have a hot date tonight, too, or can we please shoot some people? I have so much pent-up aggression after spending the afternoon trapped on that horrid body of water with the biggest asshat in town.”

 

Jules laughed. “Grant’s bad, but I don’t know that he’s that bad.”

 

“One, yes, he is. Two, I wasn’t talking about him.”

 

Jules turned off the main lights in the café, leaving the one over the counter on. Even though she knew the cats didn’t care, she didn’t like leaving them in complete darkness. She checked the lock on the front door one last time and then followed Aubry through the kitchen and up the back stairs to their apartment. “Quinn isn’t a bad guy. I think he’s funny.”

 

“Funny for a performing bear.”

 

There was no arguing with her friend when she got like this. When it came to new people, Aubry was judge, jury, and executioner—nine times out of ten, she hated them on sight. Apparently she’d already passed judgment on Adam and Daniel’s friend. To be fair, he seemed to really like getting a rise out of her. “If you say so.”

 

“This is why we get along so well. You don’t expect me to like people.”

 

She unlocked the door at the top of the stairs and held it open. “You like me.”

 

“You aren’t people. You’re my people. Totally different thing.” Aubry dropped her laptop on the tiny dining room table and plopped down on the overstuffed couch taking up the majority of the equally tiny living room. “Let’s do this.”

 

“I don’t suppose you want something like food before we start?”

 

“Food is for the weak.”

 

Jules laughed. She should have known that would be the answer. “All the same, I’m going to order pizza. There’s nothing in the fridge.”

 

“I wish this place had more options for delivery. Little Johnny Jacob has started giving me judgmental looks when he brings me food.”

 

“That’s because you prefer to just order pizza instead of going down the street to one of our restaurants and interacting with real-life people.”

 

Aubry turned on the Xbox and propped her feet on the table. “I believe we just covered this—people are not my favorite.”

 

“Noted.” Jules picked up her phone and froze when there was a knock on her door. “Okay, I know Johnny Jacob is good, but no one is that good.” She walked over and opened the door and then stared. “What are you doing here?”

 

Adam stood on the top stair, looking all sorts of delicious with his worn jeans and black T-shirt. He held up hands laden with beer and a pizza box sending out the most amazing smells. “I brought pizza and beer.”