Rescue Breathing by Zoe Norman Read Free Book Online Page B

retort.
    “ Who are you
right now?” Travis asks. “You never want to get to know the women
you 'spend time with.'”
    Okay. I'll admit that I'm a bit of a player and obviously I tell
my friends way too much about my escapades, but Olivia is
different. A good, albeit uncertain different.
    “ Maybe I'm ready for something different,”
I reply, finishing my beer.
    “ A tiger doesn't change his stripes that
quickly, my friend,” Travis chides and downs the remainder of his
beer.
    “ It might if it's for the right
woman.”
    “ Fuck!” Marc yells, throwing his head back
and looking towards the ceiling. “Do not tell me that you're looking to get your man card revoked
too.”
    “ A guy can to talk to a beautiful, smart,
sexy woman, can' t
he? ” I ask with a sly
smile.
    An hour passes quickly as we catch up with
each other. We covered all the important things: sports, sex,
dates, jobs, and family. We talked about how Travis proposed to his
fiancée, Lucy, and gave him a hard time about him not talking to
Marc or me ahead of time so we could have talked him out of it, but
I guess we can't all be Peter Pan forever.
    “ Okay, I have a serious question for you
two,” Travis says, wrapping an arm around my neck.
    Marc rolls his eyes. “Oh boy…”
    “ Shut up…I 'm serious,” Travis continues in his slightly
inebriated state. “Now that Owen is here, I wanted to ask you two a
serious question.”
    “ You said that already. Out with it,” Marc
grunts, starting to get annoyed. I just laugh. I really missed
these guys.
    “ Okay. Okay. I love you,” Travis declares,
patting my face. “And I love you sometimes.” He points to Marc.
“And I want you both to be my best men. You both are the most
important men in my life and I want you and you”—he gestures to
each of us—“to be at my side when I marry my Lucy. Will you do that
for me? Huh? Will ya?”
    “ I'd cry if I had a heart, because that was
beautiful,” I say sarcastically, “but I would be honored to be in
your wedding, Travis.”
    Marc dabs the corner of his eye with a
napkin, soaking up his fake tears. “That was special. Of course
I'll be there.” Marc wads up the napkin before tossing it at Travis
and we all roar with laughter.
    “ Serious though, thanks, guys. It means a
lot to me.”
    Because guys are typically shitty at
expressing their emotions, we sit around the table and stare at
each other. Thankfully the waitress comes around for last call,
breaking the awkward silence. We request another round of drinks and order is restored as
we fall into our familiar banter.
    I yawn and stretch my arms out to my side,
my muscles pulling tight. “All right, guys. I'm going to be the
buzzkill and end this. I've had a very long day and my bed is
calling my name. What's the plan for tomorrow?” I ask as I take out
my wallet to pay for drinks.
    “ Brunch with Lucy and her bridesmaids at
Coastal Kitchen on Capitol Hill. Kind of a get-to-know-you thing
before you all are meeting for the first time at the wedding
thingy,” Travis explains.
    I groan and give him a look that
screams Really? as I pay
the bar tab.
    Travis sees the look on my face and throws
his hands up in defense. “ I
don 't know. Lucy thought
it would be a good idea.”
    “ Is Lauren going to be there?” Marc asks
Travis with a tight smile as we all get up from the table to
leave.
    “ Yes,” Travis answers cautiously.
“Why?”
    “ Shit,” Marc mumbles, pressing his palm to his forehead.
    “ What did you do, Marc?” I ask with a
smirk.
    “ I was a dick to her. Well, first I gave
her good dick and then I was a dick. I fucked her and never
returned her calls or texts.”
    “ What?!” Travis bellows and swings around
to glare at Marc. “When the fuck did this happen? You never said
anything to me about it!"
    “ At your engagement
party. ”
    “ At my engagement party? The one AT MY
HOUSE?” Travis roars as we push open the doors to leave
Pete's.
    “ Same one,” Marc