Page 56 of The Hopelessly Bromantic Duet

I burn everywhere. I want to throttle that guy touching Jude.

“Earth to the American.”

I snap my attention to the suit. I’m an ass. “Hey. Sorry, man.”

“Can I give you a tip?” the suit asks.

I brace myself for a cold send-off. I deserve it. “Sure.”

The suit leans in, whispers in my ear, “You should just tell him you’re into him, mate.”

“Shit, I’m really sorry.”

He smiles. “Been there. Just get your man.”

“He’s not mine . . .”

The suit lifts a playful brow. “Not yet.” He drops a chaste kiss to my cheek and walks away.

Like acting on his advice is all too easy.

But I have to do this. It’s necessary. As necessary as writing the next chapter in my book. Drawing a fortifying breath, I turn around, march over to Jude, and do what I should have done earlier today. Tell it like it is. “We’re leaving.”

Jude snorts. “But the fun just started, roomie.”

The inked man drapes a possessive arm around my roommate and squeezes. “Don’t steal Jude from me.”

Yeah, some thingsareeasy. Like this. “He’s taken,” I say to the guy.

Then Itakewhat I want.Jude. I pull him outside into a stormy Sunday night in London. Fat raindrops pelt my head.

Jude stares hard at me. “What the hell was that about, TJ? This wasyourfucking idea.”

“And it was the worst idea ever,” I spit out.

“Maybe you shouldn’t have suggested it,” he counters, his voice full of fire.

“You’re damn right I shouldn’t have.”

“You think?”

“Yeah. I do think that.”

“So why the bloody hell did you?”

“Because I thought it would make things easier between us,” I say, or maybe I seethe. I’m still mad, but not at Jude.

I’m mad at myself.

For my supreme act of stupidity.

The sky flings water harder, and Jude slashes a lock of hair off his forehead. More drops slide down his face.

“And did it, roomie? Did it make things between us easier?”

“No, it made them harder,” I say as I try to rewrite the ending to tonight.

“What a shock. I’d never imagined trying to hook you up with another man would be difficult.”