Gio concentrated on Felix’s face unable to look at Bianca anymore. “Sounds good.” He spun around grateful about not having to stand there anymore and see Felix wrapped around Bianca for even another second.

“Nah, dude. Have breakfast with us first.”

“No.” It was abrupt and a bit too loud but Gio didn’t care, he kept walking to his room refusing to look back. His heart pounded erratically now. He turned his torso halfway back, lifting his hand but made sure he didn’t actually look at them. “That’s cool. If I’m gonna train I’ll just grab some orange juice. Maybe a protein shake. I forgot I gotta make a phone call, too. You two have breakfast. I’ll meet you in the gym.”

Without waiting for a response from Felix, Gio rushed into his room and closed the door behind him. With his heart at his throat, he paced the room back and forth breathing harshly. “I can’t do this shit,” he muttered under his breath. “I can’t.”

Feeling like a madman, he stalked into the bathroom and stared at his red-rimmed eyes in the mirror. “Either you man the f**k up and do this or get the hell out now and never see her again.”

Before seeing her with Felix again today he’d thought the latter would be worse but after what he’d just experienced he didn’t think anything could feel worse than that.

It was time to call Noah. Gio needed to be talked down before he slammed his fist through the mirror. Noah would be pissed. Gio knew he would. Last time he’d checked the number one unspoken rule between them all was you didn’t sleep with any of your friends exes. This wasn’t even Felix’s ex. This was his girl. But Gio hadn’t slept with her—yet. He knew now with every fiber of his being that if he ever got the chance to he would in a heartbeat.

But what he’d thought yesterday when he rationalized that he shouldn’t still stood. If he ever did, that could really be trouble because if he felt like a madman now, and all he’d done was kiss her, he couldn’t even imagine what his reaction to seeing her with Felix after he’d made her his would be. Because, damn it, if he ever did sleep with her she’d be his. As perverse as that sounded—there’d be no rationalizing with his heart at that point.

It occurred to him he should maybe go outside to make the call. He didn’t want Felix accidentally overhearing him. But the risk of running into them again and in a compromising position was one he was not willing to take. So he locked the bedroom door then went into the bathroom and locked that one, too.

He ran his fingers through his hair after hitting speed dial, still trying to calm himself. It rang several times before Noah picked it up sounding a little breathless. “I’m in the middle of something. Can this shit wait?”

“No.” Gio and his friends rarely called each other. He knew Noah had to be wondering about his early morning call.

He heard Noah curse and the phone muffle while he said something then he heard Roni and Gio knew what he’d interrupted. “This better be important,” Noah barked and if Gio wasn’t still reeling from seeing Bianca with Felix he might’ve laughed.

“It is.”

Gio heard doors open and close and he knew Noah was walking through his house. “So what is it?”

Leaning back against the wall Gio slid down until he was sitting on the cold floor. He rested his elbow on his knee and leaned his forehead against his fist. “You know that text you sent me that night after we had dinner at your house?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s true. What Roni and Nellie were talking about—it wasn’t then, but it is now.”

Noah was quiet for a moment then, “Are you kidding me, G?”

“Noah, I tried to fight it. I swear to you but he left yesterday and it’d just been building for some time now and—”

“You slept with her?”

“No!”

“Then what? Wait. I need coffee for this shit.”

Gio waited for what seemed like forever, then finally Noah spoke again. “All right, what happened?”

Gio gave him a quick run down of how things just started building, how incredibly sweet she was, her amazing eyes and what they did to him. He mentioned her licking her lips, and then yesterday. Without giving him too much detail Gio told him about how they’d made out the whole day, but made sure to add, “But it’s not just a physical thing. I would’ve never gone for it if that’s all it was. You know me, man. I wouldn’t do something like that to Felix. She’s just different, Noah. I’ve never felt anything like this for any girl. The only connection I’ve ever had with a chick where I can actually talk so openly like this is maybe Roni but that’s different. With Bianca—”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back the f**k up. Roni?”

“No. Not like that.”

“You just said it! A connection with Roni? Are you shitting me?”

“About watching our parents die from cancer. It was the only thing I could think of that even came close. Roni’s the only one who’s ever really gotten it when I told her about my dad dying.” Gio shook his head. “Okay, bad example. Maybe I shouldn’t have used Roni. That’s totally different.”

“Yeah, thank you. Can we not bring her into this conversation about you being tempted by your friend’s girl?”

Gio rolled his eyes. “Not tempted. It’s more than that. I wouldn’t be calling you if it was just a temptation. I have feelings for her now and I didn’t even realize how bad I had it until I saw them together this morning.” He banged his head against the wall just thinking about it. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do. I feel like I need to get the hell out of here. But I can’t. I can’t just walk away now but seeing them together…” He banged his head again. “It’s gonna drive me crazy. I almost lost it today.”