Total pages in book: 146
Estimated words: 138588 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 554(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138588 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 554(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
“That’s what I’m trying to tell you,” Sawyer insisted. “I totally respect her. She’s mean and she thought we were gay. I get it. We’re adult men living together. No biggie. But I wanted to show her we aren’t, and just saying it didn’t feel strong enough.”
He’d needed to drive the point home, and he would have. With his dick.
Wyatt had gone still, his expression blank. “She thought we were a couple?”
Sawyer shrugged. “Like I said, we’re roommates, and not many dudes our age have roommates.”
Wyatt nodded as though confirming something in his head. “She thinks I’m weak.”
His head wasn’t very smart. “What?”
“I did too much girl shit.”
Sawyer was deeply confused. “Girl shit?”
“Cooking. Trying to ask polite questions. I talked about fucking brownies.” Wyatt huffed out a laugh that held no humor. “Naturally she thinks we’re gay and I’m the wife.”
Sawyer took a deep breath and didn’t follow through on his first instinct which was to call the motherfucker out for being an asshole. This wasn’t about Wyatt’s feelings. This was all the bullshit his family had taught him. Wyatt had required some deprogramming, and it looked like he needed a reminder. “Cooking isn’t girl shit. We need to eat, too, and you’re good at it. Brownies are delicious, man. I keep this place clean because I like it clean, not because I’m getting in touch with my inner woman. All the shit your dad and brother told you was woman’s work was because they’re too lazy to know how to take care of themselves. Housework should be done by anyone who lives in a house. You want a relationship with a woman, not to find a woman who’ll do all the shit you don’t want to do. You want a partnership, and you’ve worked to learn how to be a good one. You’re upset, but you can’t let those voices take over, man. You know they’re wrong.”
Wyatt took a long breath, his eyes closing. When he opened them again he seemed calmer. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I struggle to figure out what’s right and what’s crap my family shoved down my throat so I wouldn’t see how wrong we all were.”
Sawyer nodded, happy the drama level seemed to be coming down slightly. “Exactly. Dude, you told me your brother said accounting was for beta men. Numbers, being smart enough to handle your own money, is for lesser men. Your family is fucked up. Stop letting them seep in and destroy everything. There’s no alphas or betas. We’re not a fucking werewolf pack. Some people need to be told what they are. You are not one of those people. You get to be Wyatt. You get to like cooking and accounting and still be a strong man.”
Wyatt’s head fell back, and when it came up again it was clear Sawyer had gotten through to him. He was surprised at the wave of relief he felt. “You know for a self-proclaimed feelingless asshole, you’re a good friend, Sawyer.”
Yeah, he didn’t like how that made him feel either. Kind of warm. He was going to ignore the whole feeling thing. “Now can we talk about what happened? Maybe you don’t know how these things work. I thought I’d taught you. When one of us gets the woman we both want on her back, you join in, not interrupt.”
Wyatt’s head shook. “What the hell happened? I got the feeling you two low-key hated each other when I walked out.”
“Hate is a strong word. I definitely don’t hate her. I explained why I had the reaction I had to her in the beginning. I also let her know I would be open to spending the weekend in bed with her. Both of us. Then she did this thing where she said she wasn’t attracted to me, but she kissed me back, and then it went the way these things go.”
“With you nearly fucking her on the dining room table.” Wyatt sighed. “We need to do better. Again, I’m sorry. I had a bad reaction. I got jealous because I thought she was choosing you over me. Which is fine if that’s what she wants.”
“We haven’t given her the option yet,” Sawyer pointed out.
Wyatt winced. “Isn’t it a little soon to ask her if she wants to go to bed with two men?”
“I’m going to be honest with you. This weekend is all I’m willing to commit to. I wasn’t lying to you. I can’t be in a relationship like the one you want. I don’t even want to be in a relationship.” He didn’t. He was happier alone. Though happy wasn’t the word he should use. Comfortable. He was more comfortable alone. Except he’d liked the last year of his life. It had been nice to have Wyatt around. But he wasn’t about to bring Sabrina in when he knew how people would react.