Iwinced and sat up in bed.
“What’s wrong?” Remy sat up next to me, sounding groggy.
“My back.” It stung. I stood and went to the bathroom with Remy behind me. I turned and lifted my shirt enough to see red irritation and small scratches. Then it hit me and I breathed, “Oh.” I dropped my shirt.
“Oh, my gosh! Amber, what happened?”
I smiled and a small laugh slipped out. Remy looked at me like I’d lost my mind.
“It was . . . me and Rylen . . .” I pulled my hair over my shoulder and fussed with it. She continued to watch me and wait. “We were at the gym during the night, at like two in the morning, and we ended up . . . on the floor.”
Her eyes grew with a slow gradualness that made me giggle again.
“That—” She pointed at my back. “Is from the gym floor?”
“Yeah. Mat burn or something.” I shrugged and looked at the ends of my hair.
She grasped my shoulders. “You had sex on the gym floor?!”
Now I laughed outright. “Yeah?”
“And?” she asked, giving me a shake.
“And what?”
“How was it?”
I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth to fight the giddy loco I was feeling.
Remy fell back against the sink and threw her head back. “Uuuugh, I’m not even going to lie. I am so freaking jealous.”
“You know,” I said, crossing my arms, “I think Tater would treat you right if you let him. Someday. When you’re both ready.” I couldn’t believe I was saying it, but I believed it. Despite Tater’s claim not to want to marry someday.
She crossed her arms too, and gave a small shrug. “I would just ruin it. The way I’m feeling . . .”
“I don’t think so, Rem,” I whispered. “Things are different. I think your whole outlook on life has changed, and so has his. I don’t want you to be afraid to have a little happiness. Even if it’s with my brother.”
She nudged the bath mat with her toe. “We’ll see.”
I blushed the entire way through breakfast with Rylen at my side, unable to stop thinking about our time together, especially when he kept stealing serious glances that made me want to combust. I felt like the entire table could feel the heated tension between us. I know Remy could. She kept clearing her throat and taking sips of water, trying not to smile.
“You all right over there, Remy?” Matt asked from across the table.
She gave a high pitched laugh and said, “Yep!” Then she took another sip before shoving a last bite of blueberry muffin in her mouth with a forced smile. Matt chuckled and shook his head as Tater watched her curiously.
“Yeah, what’s going on?” J.D. asked. “Why’s everyone acting so weird?”
I gave a clueless shake of my head.
Texas Harry was back with us, in a sling like a good boy. He downed the last of his coffee before looking at Rylen. “Where’d you go at two in the morning, man? I heard doors closing and looked out to see your ass going down the stairs.”
My blushing cheeks inflamed.
“To the gym,” Rylen said, straight faced.
“The gym? For what?”
Rylen kept his cool. “What do people normally go to the gym for, Tex?”
