Bumbled Love by Lila Rose

Chapter Thirteen

Dustin

It was good to hold Brooke’s hand on the drive to North’s. Bringing it to my lips, I kissed her knuckles and she rewarded me with a warm smile.

“I have a feeling your son wants us to date.”

Chuckling, I nodded and rested our hands on her thigh. “I agree. He’s never been like this. Then again, he hasn’t met anyone else… besides Letta that day.” I winced, bringing it up.

All Brooke did was squeeze my hand. “It’s because I won him over with ice cream and a playground.”

“I doubt it. It’s your charm and sweet nature.”

“Oh, I’m not sweet. Just as my work colleagues would say.”

“You do remember Reagan is one.”

She rolled her eyes. “Reagan is biased because we’ve known each other for a long time.”

I snorted. “I doubt that.” Speaking of her work reminded me of a student she’d been talking about. One night when I called, she’d sounded upset. She didn’t really want to share, but I got it out of her eventually. “How did it go with your student?”

“Better. I finally got him to understand it needed to be reported or, at the very least, if he wanted me to speak to his mom since he wasn’t sure she knew it was going on when she wasn’t there. After I reported it to Tom, and we contacted the police, we all went together to his mother, since the student wanted support from me and Tom. As the kid had thought, his mom had no idea. Then we all waited until the father got home and the wife kicked him out and placed a restraining order on him.”

“He’s lucky he has a mother who would protect their child over anything.”

“That’s exactly what I thought. It makes me sad when I think of the kids who don’t have anyone and go through that type of situation without reaching out for help.”

“You’re a strong woman to have the type of job you have.”

She shrugged. “I have support when I need it.”

Lifting her hand, I brushed my lips against it again. “You do, and now you have more. I’ll always be here when you need to get things off your chest.”

She smiled over at me, her gaze soft. “There you go again, saying sweet stuff when I can’t reward you for it with a kiss.”

My gut tingled. “Lucky we’re here then.” I pulled to a stop out front of North’s townhouse. Switching off the car, I unhooked my seat belt and then Brooke’s before I cupped the back of her head and tugged her close. I caught her big smile and felt it against my lips until I nipped at her bottom lip. She then brought her tongue out to play with mine.

The kiss shot straight from mild to hot in seconds. One of Brooke’s hands landed on my shoulder, the other slid up and down my thigh. Of course, my dick noticed and hardened, ready for her hand’s attention.

A knock sounded on the window. We both jumped apart, breathing heavily.

“Fuck.” I scrubbed a hand down my face and sent the middle finger to Carter, who was grinning through the window.

“Come on. I’m freezing my balls off out here.” He rubbed his hands together as he moved over to Reagan and wrapped his arms around her.

Turning back to Brooke, I dipped in for another quick kiss. “Come back to my place for a little while after we get Benjie?”

She bit her bottom lip, then licked them. “I don’t know.”

“Darlin’, I need more time with you before I leave. I’ll make sure you get home in a taxi. I’ll even pay.”

She laughed. “It’s not that. What happens if Benjie sees something he shouldn’t?”

“We’ll get him to bed first before anything.”

“All right.”

My grin was wide. “Good, come on then. Let’s go see what’s up North’s ass.” I took the keys and climbed out, waiting for Brooke. Hand in hand, we followed Carter and Reagan up to the front door on the porch.

Carter knocked and we waited. Then waited some more. I reached through the space between Carter and Reagan and knocked louder. We heard footsteps, but then nothing for a little while. Carter and I shared a look, both wondering what was going on.

Carter rapped on the door again, more footsteps sounded inside, and finally the door opened a little.

“What?” North clipped.

“We thought we’d drop by to see how our friend is,” Carter answered.

“Yeah, the friend who won’t take our calls or texts,” I added.

North sighed. “Look, now’s not a good time—” Something smashed inside the house, and someone cursed. He had someone in there. He’d never said he was into someone.

What was going on?

North looked behind him. “Shit. Hang on.” He left the door and stalked down the hallway.

“The door’s open,” I stated the obvious.

“We can’t.” Reagan gripped Carter’s arm.

“But someone could be hurt,” Brooke said with a shrug. I was glad my woman was on the side of invading personal spaces when worried about a friend.

“Look out.” With Brooke’s hand in mine, I slipped through Carter and Reagan and pushed the door open more to walk in. Quietly, we went down the hall and two voices grew louder the closer we got to the kitchen.

Until they stopped and something else was knocked over.

Stepping around the corner, I froze while Brooke made a noise in the back of her throat.

Carter and Reagan ran into us. Carter cursed, then choked, and Reagan sucked in a breath.

The two people across from us jumped apart. North ran a hand over his head of black hair. “Fucking hell. Do you usually just walk into anyone’s house?”

Lifting a hand, I pointed from North to the other person. “You and you.”

Brooke patted my arm. “Good boy, using your words.” She turned back to North. “Sorry, North, but these two knuckleheads have been worried about you, so we thought to drop in.” She smiled to the other person. “Hi, I’m Brooke. I’m dating Dustin, who’s on the Wolves with North. That’s Carter and Reagan.”

“We know him,” I managed to get out.

“Wait.” Carter ran a hand over his face. “When did this happen? Are you two dating?”

The man who Carter and I knew, and who was glaring at all of us, shook his head. “We’re not dating.”

North’s body jolted before he turned to him. “We’re not?”

Brooke nudged my side with her elbow. “Who is he?”

“I’m out.” The guy started to move around North and head for the hallway toward the front door.

“You might want more clothes on,” I suggested.

He cursed and turned, heading for the main bedroom.

“Excuse me a minute,” North said, following him.

As soon as North had gone, Brooke turned to me. “Who is he?”

“His name’s Jack Jennings. He’s an asshole who we never got along with, but also on the team.”

“Oh. Well, that’s awkward.”

Reagan nodded. “We should leave them to it.”

Yeah, it definitely looked like they had shit to sort through. We shuffled back into the hallway, and I called, “North, we’re hitting the road, but next time don’t ignore our calls or texts.”

“Later” was the only response we got.

Brooke shoved her elbow into my ribs again. “Say goodbye to Jack.”

“What? Why? He doesn’t like me.”

“So?”

“You do it, Carter.” Reagan shoved at her man a little.

“Hell no.”

Brooke threw a hand up. “Now it’s just going to be strange no one had said goodbye to him. It’s not like we didn’t see him in there kissing North like he was a starved man.”

Reagan giggled. “You saw that too.”

Brooke fanned herself. “Boy, did I ever.”

“Hey, don’t go getting any ideas. I’m not kissing a guy for you.”

“Me neither,” Carter added.

Brooke rolled her eyes. “Bye, North and Jack Jennings,” she yelled.

Silence.

“Yeah, bye.”

My eyes widened when it was Jennings’s rough voice that called out. At least he was being polite for the first time, and I wouldn’t have to kick his ass for ignoring Brooke. Because I would. The guy had a few pounds on me, but I could take him and his dark attitude.

Once outside, we congregated near the cars. I broke the ice first by asking Carter, “Did you know North was gay?”

He shook his head. “Didn’t have a clue since the only dates I’d ever seen with him were women.”

I wound my arm around Brooke’s shoulders when she curled an arm around my waist, saying, “He could be bisexual and wasn’t sure coming out was a good idea.”

“But we’re his friends.” It actually stung he hadn’t thought he could tell Carter and me at least that he was into guys. Not that he had to, but it wasn’t like we’d care. We’d never said anything bad about same-sex relationships. Each to their own as long as they were happy.

“We’ll have to talk to him,” Carter said, lips thinning, probably feeling that same sting. Reagan wrapped her arms around his waist.

My eyes bulged. “I’m going away with them. Do I pretend it never happened? Do I talk to North then or wait for him to come to me? I don’t know what to do.” Leaning in, I whispered, “Am I supposed to make friends with Jennings? He’s in North’s life and North is our buddy.”

Carter snorted. “I’m glad it’s you and not me.”

Looking to Brooke, since she was wiser than me, I asked, “What do I do?”

She smiled. “Just be there for him when he does come to you. Don’t pressure him into answers, but if you get a chance of being alone while away, talk to him. If he doesn’t want to answer, leave it. He’ll come around.”

“If he hasn’t said anything when away, we’ll get together with him for a guys’ night,” Carter suggested. “But we won’t pressure him then either. If he wants to talk, he can.”

“All right, I can do this. But what about Jennings?”

Reagan winced. “I wouldn’t approach him or talk to him about North unless he comes to you first.”

“You two have never got along with him?” Brooke asked.

Carter answered, “He’s never gotten along with anyone. His walls are tall and thick. It’s lucky he’s a good team player on the field. Off, he’s always stuck to himself.”

I shrugged. “Not that we haven’t tried. After a year of asking him to grab a drink or dinner and getting declined, we gave in and let him be. We don’t hate the guy, we just don’t know him. All right, maybe we got a bit annoyed he’d never made an effort to get to know us when we’d tried.”

Brooke’s lips thinned. Carter, North, and I had always presumed something terrible must have happened in Jennings’s life for him to be this way, but it wasn’t like he’d tell us, and it was another reason we’d let him be since it was clear he didn’t want any help, and we couldn’t force ourselves on him. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t noticed North and Jennings getting closer. Unless they’d hidden it like their relationship… or whatever it would be in the end.

Brooke shifted on her feet. “We’d better get moving in case Jennings busts out that door. Plus, we need to save Benjie from his sugar coma that no doubt Elaine has put him in.”

Reagan grinned. “That’s true.”

Carter nodded. “We’ll meet you there.”

In the car, Brooke turned to me as I started the engine. “Are you okay?”

Thinning my lips, I nodded.

“Dustin” was all she said, and it had me spilling those gross emotions.

“I’m a little gutted North didn’t think he could share that side of his life with us.”

“I understand you may be hurt, but North coming out has nothing to do with you or anyone else. Though, you know, it could be new to even North. Maybe him and Jennings’s hookup was a surprise to North as much as it was for you and Carter?”

Dipping my brows, I pulled the car onto the road. “Is that possible?”

“Heck yes. I’ve known a few people who didn’t realize or accept their sexuality until they were older. It could be one incident or one person that piques their curiosity. But even if North had known longer, that wouldn’t change you being friends with him, right?”

“Fuck no.”

Her hand cupped my thigh, and my dick said hello. “It’ll work out.”

“Yeah, it will.”

“Would you give Jennings a chance if he stays in North’s life?”

“Of course. Whatever makes North happy, I’ll deal with it. I’m not too hard to get along with.”

She laughed. “No, you’re not. Even after a few times of being around you, I decided to like you.”

“That was the wrong move.”

She smirked. “Oh, why?”

“Because now you’re going to be stuck with me.”

Her hand tightened on my thigh, and my dick was ready to sing for her. “I don’t mind it, yet. But I’ll let you know if I change my mind.”

Shaking my head, I sighed. “I forgot to say there’s no take backs. It’s not try before you buy. As soon as we kissed, the deal was sealed. It’s in the contract.”

“Contract?”

“Yes.”

She snorted. “And where is this contract? I don’t think I’ve signed anything lately.”

“Okay, Nana Bev may have forged your signature, but it looks like the real deal if anyone asks.”

Her laughter was long and loud. “Oh God, do not give Nana the idea of signing me over to you. She probably would.”

Chuckling, I nodded. “I could actually see her doing it. As long as I promised her great-grandchildren.”

Brooke sobered. “Um, do you want more kids?”

Resting my hand over hers, I gave it a squeeze. “Eventually, I’d like a brother or a sister for Benjie.”

“Okay.”

I brought her hand up and kissed the back of it. “Okay. Something else you should know for when I get back or even weeks after it… I had my blood done and I’m negative.”

Brooke coughed, sputtered, and choked. “Holy shit, you’re just going to throw that out there.”

Grinning, I shrugged. “It’s best to get that out of the way.”

“All right then.” She nodded. “You should know since I had to check my iron levels, I also got a full blood test done. I’m in the clear, and I’m also on birth control.”

Groaning, I realized my mistake. “Maybe it wasn’t the best idea talking about it now.” Especially since my cock shot from half hard to all the way since he was ready to sink into Brooke bare.

Brooke laughed. “You think? I’m already wishing your time away was over.”

“So am I.” And usually I didn’t, because I breathed football. It showed me how much Brooke had started meaning to me.