Isn't It Bromantic (Bromance Book Club #4) by Lyssa Kay Adams

            “It’s why I’m here, right?”

            Right. And as soon as he was healed, she’d be leaving. How many times was his brain going to have to remind his heart of that fact?





CHAPTER ELEVEN





“Wakey, wakey, hands off snakey.”

            Vlad thought he’d imagined every kind of possible hell. Now he knew he’d missed one—waking up to find Colton leaning over him.

            “Time to wake up, little butt,” he said. “You’re going to be late for your appointment.”

            Vlad rose up on his elbows. “What time is it?”

            “Almost nine. You’re supposed to be at the arena in a half hour. I let you sleep too long.”

            He had his one-week post-op appointment today. He didn’t recall any plans for Colton to take him. “Where is Elena?”

            Colton shrugged and crossed the room to Vlad’s dresser. “I figured you’d know. She texted me this morning and asked if I’d take you because she had something to do.”

            Vlad sat up in alarm. “She didn’t say where she was going?”

            Colton opened the top drawer. “Maybe she had some more errands to run for the party. She didn’t tell you?”

            No. She didn’t. Vlad checked his cell phone to see if he’d missed any texts from her. But nope. Nothing.

            Colton pulled out a T-shirt and a pair of shorts. “Did you guys get in a fight or something?”

            Vlad swung his legs off the bed and reached for his crutches. “No.”

            “Then why didn’t she tell you she was leaving?”

            “I don’t know,” Vlad lied. He knew exactly why. Because after whatever that was in the garage yesterday, she’d withdrawn back into her shell. After serving him dinner, she disappeared into her bedroom like every other night this week.

            Vlad got dressed, brushed his teeth, and thought briefly about shaving. But at this stage of beard growth, it would take more time than he had. Colton helped Vlad down the stairs and into the front seat of his car before tossing the crutches into the back seat.

            “Thank you for doing this,” Vlad said.

            “Did you get any more writing done?” Colton asked as he pulled out of the driveway.

            Vlad grunted.

            Colton turned at the corner. “Is that a yes or a no?”

            “Yes.”

            “And?”

            Vlad scowled at his reflection in the window. “And what?”

            Colton waggled his eyebrows. “Did they kiss yet or not?”

            “No.”

            Colton tsked. “Don’t cheat your readers, man. It’s a romance. Give us the romance.”

            “I know it’s a romance, but it has to make sense. And kissing right now would not be in character for them.”

            “Or maybe you just don’t want it to be in character for them.”

            Vlad twisted in his seat. “Why would I not want it to be in character for them? I like kissing. I love kissing. But the timing is still wrong.”

            “Why?”

            “Because Elena doesn’t want him to! She has made that absolutely clear.”

            Colton tore his eyes from the road. “You mean Anna.”

            “What?”

            “You said Elena.”

            Heat erupted from his cheeks. “No, I didn’t.”

            Colton sucked on his teeth. “Yeah, you kind of did.”

            “Obviously, I meant Anna.”

            “Obviously.”