Octavia, she was all business. Straight and to the point. She wasn’t dramatic or needy. That was what every man needed. I’d seen enough drama from my sisters and even my mother at times. My dad had the patience of a saint. As for me, I didn’t. Drama and women were more than I could handle. Octavia didn’t inspire drama. She was too busy making her life appear perfect. I fit into her role and she fit into mine. It worked.

Bliss York

MOST GUYS WHO had their own place would live in filth. Not that I’d ever seen another guy’s apartment. But I did have three brothers and knew what their bedrooms looked like. When momma had enough she would threaten them, often within an inch of their lives, then they quickly put their rooms in order.

Eli wasn’t like that. He was clean, tidy and neat. He had a place for everything. I was a little worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep things as clean as he wanted them. I wasn’t as tidy as he was. I never mentioned it because Eli would lie and tell me it’s okay, that my comfort was most important. Which we would both know was not true. Even a small mess would drive him nuts.

I watched him put the last box in my new bedroom. The smile on his face matched mine. It had taken longer than we’d both planned but we were here now getting started. Living on our own like we’d always planned. Eli moved out when he began college and got a job to support himself. I often wondered when I could join him. When our brothers and sisters were driving us nuts we’d planned this very thing. Being roommates and living on our own.

I had just beaten cancer when he left. It was too soon for me. I knew I couldn’t leave my parents. Not yet, they were too raw, from everything we’d been through as a family. I stayed at home with them for four long years.

This was my late start. The beginning of living on my own. I couldn’t wait to dig in and do this.

“I’ve got a bottle of Pinot Gris in the fridge. You want a glass? I think we should celebrate.”

I loved Pinot Gris. He knew that. Just like he knew everything about me. “Yes! That would be perfect.”

He looked around my room. “When I rented this place I had you in mind. This has always been your room.”

That made my eyes sting with tears. Eli wasn’t one to hide his emotions. He was honest and direct about them. I loved that. But then I loved Eli. I have since we were kids. I just wasn’t in love with him. There was a difference and I recognized it, at a younger age than most. Over the years I’ve often wondered if he understood that difference. There were moments when he looked at me with something more than friendly adoration. I’d convince myself I made it up. At least I hoped I made it up. Wanting MORE would ruin everything.

A knock on the door saved me from having to appropriately respond. Whatever that may be. I still wasn’t sure how to reply to something so heartfelt. I wasn’t as sensitive as Eli. What I’d been through had hardened me.

Eli turned and headed for the door. I scanned my new room one more time before I followed. Glancing over his shoulder at me he smirked. “I’d apologize about this, but I think they’re being here has more to do with you than me.”

“Who?”

He shook his head as he opened the door.

Micah Falco walked in carrying a six-pack followed by Damon Victor, Micah’s best friend and Jude Falco, who was Micah’s younger brother. Micah was twenty-five. He had a master’s degree in computer science, yet he looked like a thug. Micah drank like a fish, cursed like a sailor, and was the most entertaining guy I knew, the exception being his dad, who was technically his uncle. Long story.

“Move a girl in and don’t invite the fucking team. Hardy, you suck,” Micah said, placing the beer on the bar. “By the way, this is mine, I’m not sharing. I assumed it was BYOB.”

Damon had a case in his arms. He laid the beer right beside it. “I brought enough for me and the kid.”

The kid was Jude. He was nineteen. Since he’d grown up with Micah and his friends he acted ten years older.

“Call me a fucking kid again and I’ll shove those beers up your ass.” He then walked past Damon with a scowl. He was four inches taller than Damon and expanding before our eyes. By twenty-five he would be huge.

“Touchy ass bastard,” Damon muttered.

“You’re finally free, B,” Micah grinned with a beer in his hand. “How’s it feel? Liberating?”

“How the hell do you think it feels? She’s free of her crazy, wild ass brothers,” Jude answered for me as he retrieved a beer from the counter and popped it open.

Jude was only a year older than Cruz and the two were close. That was why he could get away with bashing my brothers. He loved them like family and I knew that.

“It was hard to leave,” I responded. “Difficult on mom and dad. But now I’ve done it, I feel great. Exactly like I thought it would.”

Damon leaned against the counter and winked at me. This was his normal thing. He liked to flirt, tease and annoy. I ignored him, but of course he continued. “Now that you’re free of Cage ‘scary ass’ York hovering over you, we can finally go on that date. Remember, you promised me one.”

I rolled my eyes. I’d never promised Damon a date and I never would.

“That was in your dreams dickhead. Last night’s tug and pump,” Jude filthily shot back at him.

He held up his can of beer. “You’re drinking my beer so your underage ass better watch what the fuck you say.”

Jude didn’t look worried in the least. He sat on a stool, tipped the can, emptying half its contents.

“If everyone is drinking, who’s driving?” I asked realizing I sounded like my mother. Exactly like my mother.

“Walking to my parents,” Micah said. He then sat on the sofa across from me. His parents lived on the beach. It was only a short distance away. “You know your dad owned one of these condos way back in the day. Dad said it was the one above this one.” He told me then pointed at the ceiling.

Of course, I already knew that. Eli’s parents had both lived with my dad back then. That was how they met. My dad and Eli’s mom, Willow, were best friends growing up. A lot like us. Eli’s dad, Marcus, had become dad’s roommate and fell in love with Willow.

“Yeah, we know,” Eli responded, walking to the fridge for the wine. He knew as well as I did no one was leaving anytime soon. As for myself, I was happy about that. This was what I’d missed. Living a life where friends came over and brought beer. They’d stay too late and we’d laugh and talk about things we’d never say in front of parents.

The doorbell rang. Eli looked towards it. “Who else is coming?” he asked. Eli knew that Micah knew the answer.

“I’d say that’s probably Saffron and Holland or possibly Crimson and Larissa.”

“My sister? Shit.” Eli muttered.

Crimson was the eldest of his two younger sisters and Larissa was his aunt, though only twenty-five years old.

Saffron and Holland Corbin were twins and although there was no blood relation they were still family. We were all family. A lot of kids that had been raised together in this small town.

The door swung open before Eli could touch it. “Let the party begin! I’ve arrived!” Saffron announced herself as she walked in the room hoisting two cheap bottles of wine. She was nineteen and had bought them. No telling how she did that. Larissa wouldn’t buy them for her.