The Replay (Boys of Richland #3)

Julio

“Alright, fuck it,” Felix announces suddenly, hopping down from the counter with a sharp thud. His gold chain catches the late afternoon light, glinting as he strides toward the fridge. The kitchen is already filled with the lingering scent of frosting and sugar, a reminder of the untouched cake waiting for us. “Since Cecilia’s upstairs with Gabriel, I say we dive into her celebration cake now. She’s not gonna miss it, and I’m starving.”

Deacon grins, pushing off the sink where he’s been lazily leaning. His hazel eyes light up with that usual mischievous glint. “Seconded,” he says, cracking his tattooed knuckles like he’s ready to dig in.

“Thirded,” Atticus chimes in, already reaching for the stack of plates on the counter. His white-blond hair flops over his forehead as he moves around the room.

I stand back, watching as they pull out the cake with more excitement than grown men should have for dessert. The sound of the knife slicing through the layers of cake fills the air, along with the soft clink of forks being handed out. The smell of buttercream frosting thickens the atmosphere, making my stomach growl, but I can’t bring myself to move.

It’s low-key ridiculous, but maybe also exactly what I need right now—a distraction. Something to focus on that isn’t her. I lean against the wall, arms crossed, my eyes drifting—no, pulled —to the far side of the kitchen. Adriana sits there, perched at the table, phone in hand. She’s been quiet most of the afternoon, more focused on her screen than any of us, like we don’t even exist. Every few minutes, her lips curl into a smile, the kind that makes my gut twist like a knife.

Felix is happily passing out cake slices when Adriana finally looks up, her brow furrowed in that irritated-but-curious way she does when we’re about to do something stupid. “Are you guys seriously eating her cake without her?”

Felix shrugs, handing Deacon a large slice, the frosting thick and white, almost too perfect to touch. “She won’t mind. We’ll save her a piece. Or, you know, we’ll apologize later. It’s easier to ask for forgiveness, right?” He grins, and Deacon chuckles as they dig in.

Adriana rolls her eyes, but there’s a small smirk playing on her lips as she looks back down at her phone. It’s the same smirk that used to drive me insane—when she’d tease me, push me, waiting to see how far I’d let her go before I snapped. But now? Now, that smile, those little games, they’re not for me anymore.

Everyone’s in good spirits. Happy. Relaxed. You can feel it in the air, the sense of relief after everything that went down in court today. Everyone except me.

I catch the way her fingers fly across the screen, the way her thumb pauses, then she smiles again— probably texting Kenji. And fuck, I don’t know why it bothers me. It shouldn’t. But there’s something about seeing her smile at her phone, knowing it’s not meant for me, that sets me on edge.

I shouldn’t care.

I don’t care.

Goddammit.

Felix elbows me, jolting me out of my thoughts. “You’re awfully quiet, man. This is supposed to be a party. You good?”

I grunt, more of a reflex than an actual response. I cross my arms tighter over my chest, my fingers digging into my sides. Felix doesn’t let it go, though. He tilts his head, giving me that look that says he knows exactly what’s going on inside my head.

Pretty sure you don’t, cabrón.

“Go talk to her,” Felix says, nodding toward Adriana, his voice low but insistent. “Smooth things over. You’ve been weird all day.”

“I’m not being weird,” I mutter, shifting my weight from one foot to the other, my boots scraping softly against the tile floor. My hands itch to do something—anything—but I shove them deep into my pockets instead, trying to shake off the restlessness that’s been gnawing at me since I saw her smiling at that damn phone.

Felix raises an eyebrow, not buying it for a second. “Yeah, you are. And it’s pretty obvious why.”

Across the kitchen, Adriana lets out a soft laugh at something on her phone, the sound cutting through the easy vibe of the room and settling right in my chest like a weight.

“It’s fine,” I grind out the words.

Felix follows my gaze and smirks.

“Right. Sure, bro. Keep telling yourself that.”

Atticus slides off the counter, his wide grin in place as he joins in. “Come on, . What’s the deal between you two, anyway? You’ve been eyeing her all afternoon like she’s gonna vanish or something. And don’t think I didn’t notice that shit at the barbeque. That was … intense.” He pops a piece of cake into his mouth, waiting for my reaction.

I roll my eyes, but it’s weak, half-assed. I can’t even muster the energy to pretend it doesn’t get to me. “There’s no deal,” I say, my voice rough. “We’re just ...”

The words stick in my throat, refusing to come out. I don’t know what we are. We’re … not friends. Definitely not friends. And god knows I don’t want to be her friend. My voice drops, and the frustration seeps through. “Shit is complicated. Okay?”

“Complicated, huh?” Deacon joins in, leaning back against the counter, cracking open a beer with one swift motion. “Sounds like a load of bullshit, man.”

“Agreed,” Felix laughs, stuffing another bite of cake into his mouth.

“Fuck you,” I mutter, snatching the beer out of Deacon’s hand before he can take a sip.

“Hey!”

“You’re underage,” I remind him.

Atticus snickers, “Sucks to be you.”

“You’re not twenty-one yet either,” Deacon grumbles, but the corners of his mouth lift.

“Fucking freshman,” Felix teases, taking the beer from me and taking a long sip. The tension in the room cracks a little with the banter, but it’s still there, hovering just beneath the surface.

Felix leans back against the fridge, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “So, you guys excited about having a chick in the house? I know we all told Gabe it was cool, but let’s be real—having Cecilia move in? That’s gonna be a big fucking adjustment.”

Atticus shrugs, a wide grin spreading across his face as he grabs another forkful of cake. “Having her here is gonna be interesting, but Cecilia’s cool. Plus, it’ll be nice to have someone live here who actually picks up after themselves for once.”

Deacon nods in agreement. “It’ll be different. Like, she’s not just any girl. She’s Gabriel’s girl. That changes the dynamic.”

Atticus grins, tossing an arm around Deacon’s shoulder, pulling him close. “We handled your needy ass just fine when you moved in. Cecilia will be a piece of cake compared to you, bro.”

“Fuck off,” Deacon says, shoving him off, though his smile never falters. “Not the same, man. I’m just saying, it’ll be ... different.”

The room fills with the sound of laughter and light-hearted teasing, the mood lifting around me. But my focus keeps drifting back to Adriana. She’s still smiling at her phone, completely tuned out from everything happening around her. Felix nudges me again, this time softer, his eyes scanning my face like he’s trying to read my thoughts.

“Talk to her,” he says, voice low but firm. “Or you’re just gonna let this shit fester.”

I shake my head, a cold knot forming in my stomach. “It’s not that simple.”

“Then make it simple,” Felix shrugs, taking another bite of cake like this isn’t slowly killing me from the inside out. “You’re the one letting it hang in the air, man. That’s why it feels weird.”

I glance at Adriana again, my chest tightening, the weight of all the unsaid shit between us pressing down hard. She glances up briefly, catching my eye, but it’s only for a split second. Just long enough to make my pulse spike before she looks back down, her smile fading like she never even saw me.

Maybe Felix is right. Maybe I’m just letting this thing between us twist into something bigger. Something messier than they need to be.

But when I look at her, all I feel is ... complicated .

And I have no idea how to untangle it.

As always. Thank you so much for reading! If you’d take a moment to leave a review on your favorite retailer of choice, I would really appreciate it! xoxo