Free Losing You (Stars On Fire Book 4) by Ryleigh Andrews

Tom shot Lizzie an “uh-oh” look as Gwen beelined it to the fridge.
    “Where’s the good stuff?” Gwen asked, grabbing a soda and a red plastic cup.
    “Jack? Jim?” Tom asked.
    “Jim, please,” Gwen answered and Tom went to the cabinet above the sink, grabbing the requested bottle for her.
    Tom and Lizzie stared at Gwen as she prepared her drink, a little heavy on the Jim, and as she took a healthy swallow. What was she so upset about? And where was Ollie?
    Gwen and her atypical behavior had Tom a little out of sorts. He wanted to fix it. Lizzie could tell.
    “Hey Gwen, guess what?” he said, not even pausing for her to answer. “Lizzie is seeing Marc.”
    Gwen’s cup stopped mid-drink. Not at all how Lizzie thought Tom would try to make Gwen feel better.
    The red cup found a home on the island. “Whore! Oh my God! I can’t believe this. I need details. All of them!”
    “And there’s the doorbell saving me from this conversation,” Tom said, laying a kiss on Gwen’s cheek then Lizzie’s.
    “So . . .” Gwen continued after Tom left. “When did this happen . . . you and Marc?”
    “The last party Tom had.”
    “Dang! Tell me more!”
    And Lizzie did that while more and more people arrived. She told Gwen pretty much everything.
    “Holy hell—welcome back home to you, girl!” Gwen said with a wink.
    “No freaking kidding. He was an unexpected benefit. And I’m totally not giving him up.”
    “Where is your loverboy, by the way?”
    “An assignment. He should be here soon,” she said, glancing at the wall clock. She smiled when her eyes landed on Ollie. He saw her and raised his eyebrows in acknowledgment. The smile left his face when he saw Gwen. Lizzie wanted the scoop on what had gone down between her friends.
    “Hey, Lizzie,” Ollie said, leaning down to hug her.
    Lizzie didn’t reply since he turned his body toward Gwen. It was then she noticed the girl pretty much attached to Ollie’s side.
    “Where were you, Gwennie? I said Hailey and I would pick you up at quarter to one . . .”
    Gwen exhaled loudly and shook her head. “Sometimes, Oliver, I swear you’re as dense as a box of rocks,” she said and stormed off.
    Ollie stared after her but didn’t follow. He went straight to the fridge for a beer. Lizzie caught Tom’s attention and jerked her head to Ollie, then she went to Gwen. Lizzie found her girlfriend out on the back deck, looking like she’d been crying.
    “Gwen,” Lizzie said, sitting next to her. “What’s going on between you and Ollie?”
    “I swear he’s an idiot. Or I am. Maybe it’s me. I need to just move the hell on because it’s never going to happen.”
    Whoa . . . what? Gwen likes Ollie? Lizzie never thought that would happen.
    “He made his point over and over and I just haven’t listened,” Gwen carried on. “But I’m listening now. Only friends. That’s all we’ll ever be.”

    Tom
    Standing behind the kitchen island, Tom looked out at all the people already there. Scanning the faces of the packed crowd, his gaze went to the front door when it opened, landing on Marc. The man didn’t know it yet, but they’d be talking in under two minutes. Tom grabbed two beers from the fridge and went to greet his friend.
    “Yo, Marc. Beer?” Tom asked after he made his way to the entry.
    His friend looked a little leery but nodded his head. Tom handed Marc the beer and proceeded to wrap his arm around his shoulders and guided him into his office. As soon as Marc took a drink, Tom laid into him. “Asshole. Why didn’t you say anything to me about you and Lizzie? One, she’s one of my best friends, and two, so are you. Months you’ve been together, man.”
    Marc had the nerve to smile. “Tom . . . Lizzie’s more than I ever thought I deserved and she wants me . She’s too good to be fuckin’ true and subconsciously, I think I didn’t want to jinx what I had going with her.”
    Tom internally shook his head, hearing Marc’s words, hearing him say