Ray

My brother is an idiot. He won the lottery and invested all of his money in a run-down bowling alley. Since he's barely making it, he moved in with me. Great. Having him around the house isn't the worst thing in the world, but he does make a mess like nobody's business. My friends Zeke, Jessie, and Kayden keep me sane but there's only so much they can do. And it's definitely not the worst thing in the world when his old friend, Ryker, moves to town.

Ryker and I aren't exactly perfect. But I was falling for him - and falling hard. Every kiss. Every touch. Every embrace. Just made me realize this wasn't a fling. It wasn't even a relationship. It was so much more. I just hoped Rex was wrong about Ryker. Because I didn't have the heart to listen to him say those terrible three words. Told you so.

Ryker dumped me. Everyone warned me dating him was the wrong decision. But I did it anyway. Now that it's been three months I'm finally in a good place. I haven't started dating just yet but I know that will happen in time. Finally, I don't think about Ryker anymore. But when I have a dream about Zeke, a very inappropriate one, I start to wonder things I shouldn't.

Zeke and I are finally together. Going from best friends to lovers is surprisingly easier than I thought it would be. We do everything together, and of course, the sex is fabulous. Everything is great until Ryker shows up. He says he needs to talk to me and I think I know what it's regarding. If my suspicion is right, he's in for rejection.

Ryker finally told me what happened all those months ago. He explained his distance, his coldness. Now everything makes sense. I've been with Zeke for a long time now, and everything is exactly how I want it to be. I adore him. No, I love him. But there's a warning deep in my gut. Zeke is acting differently, and Ryker isn't the same either. It's the calm before the storm. I can feel it.