computer and frowned. "Did you mean it the other night when you said you were moving to California and leaving the group? Savannah's like a sister to me, man, and I don't want you messing with her just because you want to fulfill some fucked up fantasy before you head out to parts unknown."
He met his friend's gaze before sitting on the narrow sofa lining one side of their tree house bungalow. "I came down here feeling like I was at a crossroads of sorts. Maybe I said some things the other night that I shouldn't have, but Savannah has been my best friend for years now. I guess I sort of thought we were stuck there because she wasn't interested in crossing that line and I want more from my life. Know what I mean?"
"Not really. Seems like you've divided your life into two areas over the past year or so. We're your best buddies out of the country but when we're home—"
"That's not true." He frowned and shook his head. "I see Savannah all the time, multiple times a week."
"Did you invite us to your housewarming party? You were one of the groomsmen at Jon's wedding, we all were, but when your company goes public, where were we?"
He had no answers that made any sense. "You guys keep me real. I protect you all, I guess. I want you all to myself. Why is that so wrong?"
"And Savannah? Will you hide her away, too? Maybe she's not good enough for your other friends." Derek stared at him, as serious as he'd ever seen him. "I wouldn't have thought any of these things if you hadn't declared your intentions to move and quit the group, Bill. You suddenly hit the big time and your good ol' buddies aren't worthy of your presence anymore. We've all been talking today—"
"All?" Dread smacked him in the gut.
"Not Savannah, no."
He'd never assumed they'd think he wanted to hide them from his so-called new friends. He scrubbed his right hand across his forehead and winced at his impetuous decision to announce his departure from the group as if he were someone more important than the rest. "It's been a confusing time for me. I had no right to dump on you guys before the dive. You need to trust me when I say that you all are closer to me than my own family. I'm really sorry if I came off as something other than genuine."
"I'm not going to let you hurt her, none of us will. You know that, don't you?" Derek shifted to sit on the edge of his bed. A big guy, he didn't need to try to look intimidating—his sheer mass got the message across. "If this doesn't go well, we'll all be more than happy to kick your ass out of Texas."
He laughed at the threat, even though he knew it wasn't idle. "High stakes...I understand. I notice no one is giving her a lecture or is Stewart over there now? What if she breaks my heart?"
Derek shrugged, a grin reappearing on his face lined with three days' worth of stubble. "We'll all assume you deserved it and kick your ass out of Texas."
"Ah, I see what's going on. Now you're acting like her big brother and making sure I know my place. Believe me," he stood and walked toward the mirror next to the armoire, "yesterday humbled me more than I'll ever be able to explain."
"You and me both," Derek admitted, his grin fading. "Just don't fuck up tonight, okay?"
"I'll try." He glanced at himself in the mirror and grinned at the bruise on his forehead. He thought it added to his rugged charm.
When Jon, Stewart, and Paul suddenly walked into the bungalow high in the trees, he knew they'd come with a similar message.
"Are you ready for your date with Savannah?" Jon looked him over from head to toe and shook his head. "A t-shirt? That's the best you can do?"
"I packed for a dive trip." He rolled his shoulders back, thankful for the pain meds that had stopped the throbbing from the bruised ribs. "We're in a jungle. What did you all bring? A tux just in case?"
No one looked impressed at his argument.
"We all have a lot at stake in this," Stewart said, walking toward Bill's luggage and pushing other t-shirts aside.
He met his friend's gaze before sitting on the narrow sofa lining one side of their tree house bungalow. "I came down here feeling like I was at a crossroads of sorts. Maybe I said some things the other night that I shouldn't have, but Savannah has been my best friend for years now. I guess I sort of thought we were stuck there because she wasn't interested in crossing that line and I want more from my life. Know what I mean?"
"Not really. Seems like you've divided your life into two areas over the past year or so. We're your best buddies out of the country but when we're home—"
"That's not true." He frowned and shook his head. "I see Savannah all the time, multiple times a week."
"Did you invite us to your housewarming party? You were one of the groomsmen at Jon's wedding, we all were, but when your company goes public, where were we?"
He had no answers that made any sense. "You guys keep me real. I protect you all, I guess. I want you all to myself. Why is that so wrong?"
"And Savannah? Will you hide her away, too? Maybe she's not good enough for your other friends." Derek stared at him, as serious as he'd ever seen him. "I wouldn't have thought any of these things if you hadn't declared your intentions to move and quit the group, Bill. You suddenly hit the big time and your good ol' buddies aren't worthy of your presence anymore. We've all been talking today—"
"All?" Dread smacked him in the gut.
"Not Savannah, no."
He'd never assumed they'd think he wanted to hide them from his so-called new friends. He scrubbed his right hand across his forehead and winced at his impetuous decision to announce his departure from the group as if he were someone more important than the rest. "It's been a confusing time for me. I had no right to dump on you guys before the dive. You need to trust me when I say that you all are closer to me than my own family. I'm really sorry if I came off as something other than genuine."
"I'm not going to let you hurt her, none of us will. You know that, don't you?" Derek shifted to sit on the edge of his bed. A big guy, he didn't need to try to look intimidating—his sheer mass got the message across. "If this doesn't go well, we'll all be more than happy to kick your ass out of Texas."
He laughed at the threat, even though he knew it wasn't idle. "High stakes...I understand. I notice no one is giving her a lecture or is Stewart over there now? What if she breaks my heart?"
Derek shrugged, a grin reappearing on his face lined with three days' worth of stubble. "We'll all assume you deserved it and kick your ass out of Texas."
"Ah, I see what's going on. Now you're acting like her big brother and making sure I know my place. Believe me," he stood and walked toward the mirror next to the armoire, "yesterday humbled me more than I'll ever be able to explain."
"You and me both," Derek admitted, his grin fading. "Just don't fuck up tonight, okay?"
"I'll try." He glanced at himself in the mirror and grinned at the bruise on his forehead. He thought it added to his rugged charm.
When Jon, Stewart, and Paul suddenly walked into the bungalow high in the trees, he knew they'd come with a similar message.
"Are you ready for your date with Savannah?" Jon looked him over from head to toe and shook his head. "A t-shirt? That's the best you can do?"
"I packed for a dive trip." He rolled his shoulders back, thankful for the pain meds that had stopped the throbbing from the bruised ribs. "We're in a jungle. What did you all bring? A tux just in case?"
No one looked impressed at his argument.
"We all have a lot at stake in this," Stewart said, walking toward Bill's luggage and pushing other t-shirts aside.
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