Quentin sat on the workout bench in a trance as he waited for his frat brothers Derek James Clark and Luke Steele to arrive at the gym. Thinking of last night’s turn of events was weighing heavy on his mind. Quentin had all but expected his friends to be upset about him dating Phoebe, but he never thought any of them would really try to reach out and touch him.

Jonathon did more than that, coming after Quentin like he was a random stranger on the street. Quentin knew his reputation with women wasn’t the best, but he’d always been up front and insisted that a relationship was not something he was willing to try. This was no different, except this time his heart was in it. Phoebe was the embodiment of what his soul longed for, and having to choose between her and his brothers was distressing.

“I think we may need to be in the bar instead of the gym.”

Quentin looked up, coming out of his musing, and a small smile tugged at his lips. “It’s about time y’all got here. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were trying to ditch me, too.”

Derek folded his toned arms across the button-down shirt he wore and glanced at Luke who also stood in a button down, suit jacket and tie. The two men were both above six feet in height and projected masculinity with staunch personas, and daunting occupancy. With Quentin, the three of them could be officially dubbed “the beard gang” as they all kept nicely groomed hair outlining their faces.

“Ditch you, too?” Derek’s voice beat. “What am I missing?”

Quentin looked them up and down. “How are you going to work out wearing a suit?”

“We have a change of clothes, but what is this about ditching you?”

Quentin gave Derek and Luke the low down on what happened at Lamar’s the night before. Both of them listened with frowns on their faces and lines in their creasing their foreheads, not wanting to believe what Quentin was saying.

“So he rushed you?” Luke asked.

“Like a linebacker,” Quentin said, “and caught me in the jaw on the way down to the floor.

The two friends’ brows creased further, and their mouths hung slightly.

“I expected them to be upset, but yo, this brother came at me like we were old enemies.”

“What did the others do?” Luke asked.

“They pulled him off of me, but I told them to let him go.”

The two men nodded.

“I feel you. Friend or foe, if you come at me like that, we’re fighting on sight,” Derek said, and Quentin and Luke nodded.

“It’s just unfortunate you know, I mean, we supposed to be brothers,” Quentin said.

“Yeah, man, but you know, if it was your sister or my sister, I’d want to knock your head off, too,” Derek said.

They all nodded again.

“Yeah, but would you come for me though?” Quentin watched Derek’s response closely.

“I might,” he rubbed his chin.

“But you know, I would never date someone like your sister if I wasn’t serious about her. I mean cut me some slack, why would I be foolish enough to risk a lifetime of friendship to play around with her?”

Derek stroked his beard. “Yeah, I hear you. So you’re telling us that you’re trying to take Phoebe off the market?”

“She’s off,” he stated matter of fact. “There’s no trying to it, brother.”

The two men chuckled.

“Okay, then let me rearrange the question,” Derek said. “Have you taken yourself off the market?”

Luke nodded.

“Look, man, I’m all about Phoebe,” Quentin replied. “I would tell y’all how I really feel, but you bustas wouldn’t understand.”

Derek glanced from Quentin to Luke with a raised brow.

“Try us?” Derek and Luke said concurrently.

That piqued Quentin’s interest. “Is there something either of you want to get off your chest?”

“Eden,” Derek said.

“Jasmine,” Luke added.

An easy grooving smile grew on Quentin’s face.

“Damn,” he said, “they got us.”

The men fell into laughter knowing exactly where Quentin was coming from. Neither of them refuted the claims because that was their commonality.

“Well you know what you have to look forward two with the Roses,” Quentin added as their laughter died down.

“I think I can take ‘em,” Derek said.

They all laughed again.

“I’m serious. I might have to knock some heads off because Eden, she’s a keeper, man.”

Luke nodded. “I can take Jonas,” he said.

Both Quentin and Derek cut their eyes at Luke with a smile.

“You can take on Jonas?” Derek questioned.

“Yeah, you don’t think you can?”

“We’re talking about an undefeated heavyweight champion,” Derek said.

Luke shrugged. “I can take him. Just because you don’t believe you can, don’t put your insecurities on me.”

Quentin laughed, and Derek frowned. “Insecurities? Boy, you trippin’. I can take Jonas, I was just worried about you.”

“Fellas, you realize you’re talking about which one of your brothers you’re going to handle, right?”

Derek held his hands out. “They’re coming for us, what should we do about it?”

Quentin glanced from Derek to Luke. “Check this out,” Quentin said. “I would have never in my life considered for a minute going against the brotherhood, but for the longest time, man, I’ve sat on the sidelines and watched Phoebe date these clowns. Then when dude would get out of pocket, Jonathon, Jordan and I would have to intervene. I’ve never felt like my heart could literally explode when watching her tears flow. It’s an unnatural possessiveness that even I worry about sometimes. We grew up together, I saw her laugh and was on the receiving end of some of her jokes, and it’s been like watching an award-winning film seeing her transform into the woman that she is today. Boy, when I tell you that shit has me on fire for her and never would I ever admit that about anyone if it weren’t true.” Derek and Luke nodded.

“All day, I’ve been thinking about how Jonathon approached me. Telling me to choose like wanting her was just this thing I wanted to check off my bucket list and if need be I could take it off altogether without giving a fuck. The shit turned me red, and I was ready to knock his head off his shoulders.” Quentin sighed. “The thing is he of all people should understand even a small ounce of what I’m feeling if he feels anything remotely close to it with his wife. But he doesn’t see it that way, so here we are.”

“Damn,” Derek said. “I feel all of that. Well look at it this way, with everything we’ve done in the past concerning women, it would be sweet irony that the one we really want is unattainable.”

Quentin and Luke nodded.

“It’s irony that all my life I’ve been represented as someone who breaks hearts when I’ve never willingly collected them,” Quentin said.

Derek and Luke laughed.

“I’m serious,” Quentin said. “I’ve never deceived women, always made sure beforehand that whatever arrangement we were in at the time was an understood one. Yet I’m the heartbreaker.”

The men agreed.

“It is unfortunate,” Derek said. “But, you’re in good company.”

“Let’s switch gears, fellas,” Luke said. “Let’s talk about something lighter… like New Year’s Eve. What y’all got lined up?”

“I know where I want to be,” Quentin said.

“Let’s make it a triple date,” Luke said.

Quentin and Derek thought it through.

“Are you bringing your nine milli because we might need them for the Rose brothers.”

They howled with laughter, unbelieving that they were on the opposite side of the totem pole. It was interesting and a little understanding of what their predecessors had once experienced.

“Man, I’m not fooling with y’all,” Luke said, waving them off.

“We have to try and make light of the situation somehow. Jordan wasn’t in attendance last night,” Quentin said, “but I plan to stop by and see him at the firm today.”

“Yeah, talk to the man, try to get him to at least give you the benefit of the doubt,” Derek said. “Invite him out not to a bar, but let’s find a place and have a serious conversation with our boys, man. We can’t let it go down like this.”

“You’re right,” Quentin added.

“You still have those tickets to the game?” Derek asked.

“Yeah, and no, I’m taking Phoebe.”

“In public?”

Quentin’s brows creased. “Yeah, in public, why wouldn’t I?”

“You know paparazzi will have a field day once you two are spotted,” Luke said.

“I know, but neither of us cares about that.”

“You’re really diving right out there, huh?”

“There’s no need to walk on the edge, my man. I plan to show Phoebe what being with a real man is like.” Quentin stretched back with a smile, laying down on the bench to lift the weights sitting on the bar.

Derek and Luke exchanged smug smiles.

“I can’t wait to see this myself,” Luke uttered, and Derek chuckled. The men left the machine area for the changing room. While they were away, Quentin rested in the notion that in his heart he understood playing games with Phoebe wasn’t on the agenda. He wanted her, every last inch and whoever he had to fight to keep her would meet him head-on, no holds barred.