The St Patrick Series Book #3: Twin Trouble

Chapter 15: His Friends

Nick's POV
"Do any of you animals know what coasters are for?" I asked the gaming trio with their eyes glued on the screen. They jeered at me when I stood in front of the TV. "Can we take a moment and get some awkward conversations out of the way?"

"What awkward conversations?" Tony asked me.

"For starters, Bruce. He's bringing a girl over. He has never done that like ever. So... let's be cool."

"I'm always cool." Ferrer shrugged. "Move."

"One more thing-"

"Coasters!" They all shouted and made use of the coasters."

"She's underage." That got their attention fast! "Let's get that conversation out of the way because we cannot make Bruce feel awkward. He will never tell us anything again."

Bruce is the definition of a private life and tight lid. He does not tell. We either have to pry it out on if him or catch him red handed. Otherwise he will never admit anything.

"Underage like below 21?" Ferrer asked.

"More like a sixteen year old." I answered. "So the background story is that she lied about her age when they met. He had already fallen in love when she came clean and he doesn't want to end it."

"He will be a registered sex offender if he doesn't." Cole noted.

"Yeah. But what are we supposed to do? Reprimand an adult?" I asked.

A moment of silence passed. This is the awkwardness I want to avoid. We need to talk about it now.

"I think we should meet this girl, see what the fuss is about and then tell him after that it's wrong." Cole suggested.

"I agree. Tony?"

"I have no opinion on this." He paused. "Actually I had a lot of opinions when I first met her. She looked too young for him. But I kept them to myself. I didn't know she is sixteen!"

"Fer?" I asked.

"Uh... I don't know what to say?" He shrugged.

"Let's not be awkward. We will talk to him after."

"I'm not telling him the right thing to do. He's a grown up." Tony told me. "He knows exactly what he's doing."

"What kind of friends will we be if we don't tell him?" Cole asked. "Nick?"

"I vote tell him. Love is blind. He isn't thinking clearly."

I'm cringing at the idea of that relationship. I have a daughter who is just a few years shy of her teenage years. If she got with a man old enough to be her father, I'll flip.

"But we have to admit he gives the pet name daddy the exact meaning." Ferrer chuckled and infected almost all of us with laughter.

The door bell rang.

"Guys, be cool!" I reminded them. "Turn this shit off, it's rotting your brains."

Bruce's POV
I have known my friends from early in my childhood. Ferrer is the only one I met later on but the rest have been my friends for almost thirty years. We are close. There's nothing we don't tell each other. It was only Danica I kept from them. It was a crazy time for all of us. Nick was battling with alcoholism after the woman he loves left him. Tony was dealing with his usual Bellingerre drama. Besides, we are not that tight. Cole was missing. I kept Danica to myself. I grieved alone.

I want to share this part of my life with them. I agreed to bring Dani to Marseilles.

"I'm nervous." Dani whispered and pulled me back from Nick's door. "Can't you just tell them about me and I will be at the hotel?"