The sound boomed as West’s player, Scorpion, yelled, “Come here!” then a splat as he stabbed SubZero in the face with his grappling hook and pulled, ripping his head off. We all groaned, laughing as blood splattered everywhere and the announcer said, “Scorpion wins!”

West crowed. “Bring it on, Coop.”

I grabbed the controller from Patrick and shook my head. “You may beat me on the basketball court, but this is my turf.”

I joined in as Raiden and squared off against Scorpion. The round started, and we went nuts on each other. I dodged as he tried to spear me, shooting him with lightning before I flipped over him and kicked him the back.

The click of the buttons punctuated hisses and swear words from West as we fought, but I just smiled, taking it easy on him to make him feel like he had a shot.

“177 IQ and you play Mortal Kombat like that?” West snickered.

I zapped him with electricity and made him explode.

“Dammit, Cooper!”

“Fatality,” I crowed along with the announcer.

West eyeballed me.

I shook my head, laughing. “You’re such a sore loser, dude.”

Patrick snorted.

“I am not. Fuck you guys.”

We laughed even harder.

“Y’all suck,” he tossed the controller at Patrick, who barely caught it.

He sat back in the seat, smirking. “You’re so mad. Like Blaingry-mad or don’t-touch-my-sister mad.”

“Well,” West huffed, “Blaine was a punk-ass fuck who hurt Lily, and if either of you touch my sister, I will beat your ass.”

Patrick laughed and held up his hands. “Yeah, yeah.”

I tried to play it cool, smiling crooked. “You know, some day she’ll meet a guy she really cares about, and you’ll have to find a way to accept it.”

“I can accept whomever she chooses, as long as it’s not one of you two.”

Patrick raised a dark brow. “That’s not what you said earlier about that guy Maggie works with.”

Outwardly, I was still smiling. Inwardly, I was nuclear. “What’s the story there?”

West scowled from behind his dark beard. “Apparently the chef at the shelter won’t stop asking her out.”

“She told you that?” I asked, disbelieving that she’d offer up any information about a guy who was hitting on her to her brother.

“Sorta. She told Lily.”

Patrick chuckled. “You should have heard him asking Lily questions about the guy like he was a criminal. He works at a homeless shelter for chrissake.”

I made a mental note to ask my mom about him, and Maggie too. For the sake of the rules, of course. “So did she agree?”

“No. She keeps shooting him down.”

Relief slipped over me, and I took the opening to press my point. “So you don’t want Maggie to date someone you don’t know, but you don’t want her to date someone you do know, either? Who exactly fits into that criteria?”

West’s brow was low, his face pinched as he tried to explain himself. “Who would meet my expectations? It’s not all that complicated. A man who’s got his shit together. Someone who will love her and treat her like the goddamn queen she is. Jimmy squandered the gift he’d been given, and she’s not over it. I don’t care how much she pretends like she’s fine and dandy. She’s hurting and alone, and I won’t see her go through that again, so until she meets a man who will protect her and care for her, who won’t drag her down with him, I’ll keep being a picky, overbearing son of a bitch.” His jaw was set, eyes hard as he stood. “I need a drink. Y’all want one?”

We nodded and muttered our agreement, subdued, and West blew out of the room.

The second he was gone, Patrick spun his chair around to face me. “Do you have a thing for Maggie?”

My face froze, along with my heart and my breath. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

But his eyes were wide. He leaned back in the chair and ran a hand over his mouth. “You’re seeing her.” His eyes bugged even more. “Wait. You’re educating her. Jesus fucking Christ, Coop.”

“Seriously, where is this coming from?” I feigned confusion, apparently poorly.

“I’m not gonna tell West,” he said, and I believed him. “It’s so obvious, I can’t believe I didn’t see it before.”

I glared at him. “There’s nothing going on.” It was worth a final shot.

He gave me a flat look. “Just fess up. How long has it been going on?”

I rubbed my face and sighed, knowing I couldn’t avoid the conversation. “A long time, and not long enough.”

He frowned. “What are you going to do? Is it serious?”

“I don’t know, Tricky. I really don’t. She gave me all these rules, put a time limit on me. It’s supposed to be over soon, and even though I don’t know if I want it to end, I may not be able to convince her to agree to more than this, whatever this is. And even if we did want to, you heard what West said. He wants her to be with the exact opposite of me, on top of telling me for the fifty thousandth time to never even think about seeing her.”

“That’s what West wants, but what does Maggie want?”

I looked away. “I don’t know that either. What she says and what she does tell me two different stories.”

“You’re the first guy she’s been with since Jimmy, and that was just three months ago. It’s risky, man. She’s not ready. And you’re serious about her.” He scanned my face like he could read me, shaking his head. “Wow, Cooper.”

“Wow, what?” West asked as he entered the room carrying scotch for all of us.

Patrick smiled and spun his chair to face the TV again. “Cooper was just telling me about this girl he’s banging.”

West raised a brow and handed me a drink. “The one you’re educating?”

Patrick snickered, and I nodded as I took it, avoiding eye contact, contemplating the ways I’d murder Patrick Mortal Kombat-style.

“What the story there?” he asked and took his seat.

“Not sure. Taking it one day at a time.” I took a drink and set my glass in the cup holder in the arm rest. “Come on, Trick. Time to die.”

He smirked and picked up his controller, and I played the game without thinking, my mind on Maggie and the mess we were making. The mess I’d rather kick under the bed than clean up.

That night, after everyone had gone, I lay alone in the dark with the mess still on my mind, trying to untangle it knot by knot. For a moment, I wondered if it was worth it — the risk of West’s friendship — and for what? I didn’t even know if she really wanted me for more than just a distraction.

But I pictured her face, thought of her smile, of those moments when she looked at me and saw more than I meant to show her. She felt more than she let on.

I didn’t want to let her go, not for the bro code. And I knew that West would find a way to forgive me, if I could convince him I wouldn’t hurt her. That I wouldn’t treat her like I had every other woman in my life. If I could convince him of that, everything would be fine.

The only other person who I needed to convince was Maggie.

NOT-DATE

Cooper

I LEANED AGAINST THE MERCEDES the next morning, hands in my pockets, smiling like a fool as Maggie approached. Her blue V-neck made her eyes a shade brighter than usual, and I marveled at her for a moment — golden curls, rosy cheeks, pretty legs in denim shorts and white canvas sneakers that looked like they’d been loved. She was beautiful.

“Hey.” The flush in her cheeks deepened.

I pushed off the car and opened the door for her. “Hey, Mags.”

She slipped in and smiled up at me, and I climbed in behind her. “How’d it go last night?” she asked as Bobby took off.