Fifteen years old and I'm throwing a welcome home party like we're suburban housewives instead of small-time criminals.
"That's an obscene amount of sugar," Cyrus observes from his perch on the counter, legs swinging like he owns the place. His glasses flash in the afternoon light streaming through Mom'slace curtains, the nice ones she insisted on hanging even though they look ridiculous in a decaying trailer.
"Good." I pipe another aggressive swirl onto cupcake number twelve. "Tank's got four months of shitty juvie food to make up for."
“Pretty sure he's not gonna make up for it by eating pure diabetes.” Cyrus reaches for the frosting bowl and Jinx's hand shoots out, smacking him away with a wooden spoon.
"Touch it and die, four-eyes."
“Four-eyes? Really? Are we eight again?”
"You're certainly acting like it," Jinx retorts, brandishing the spoon like a sword. "This is for the cupcakes, not your face hole."
"Myface hole?" Cyrus adjusts his glasses with mock offense. "That'swhat you're going with?"
"Would you prefer pie hole? Cake hole? Your gaping maw of?—"
"You two sound like an old married couple," I interrupt, grabbing the sprinkles before Jinx can weaponize those too.
Jinx's face goes nuclear red so fast I'm worried he might actually combust. The spoon clatters onto the counter as he fumbles for a response that never comes, just opens and closes his mouth like a fish drowning in air.
Interesting.
I study him with new eyes as he aggressively focuses on hanging the banner we made, which is black construction paper letters taped together to spell outWELCOME HOME ASSHOLESbecause we're nothing if not classy.
Is that why Jinx gets weird when girls flirt with him? Not because he likes boys in general, but because he likes one specific boy who happens to be completely oblivious.
Holy shit. Jinx has a crush on Cyrus.
Suddenly a dozen little moments make sense. The way Jinx always picks Cyrus's side in arguments. How he laughs too loud at Cy's terrible jokes. The fact that he once spent three hours helping Cyrus debug code even though he barely knows how to turn on a computer without breaking it.
A van rumbles outside, cutting through my secondhand sexuality crisis revelation, and my heart rockets into my throat.
"They're here!" I shriek, nearly dropping the entire tray of cupcakes in my sprint to the door.
"Ellie, wait—" Jinx starts, but I'm already yanking the door open, nearly ripping it off its hinges.
The van looks like shit. Rust eating through the paint, one headlight held on with duct tape, exhaust pipe dragging. But the door opens and Kade steps out, and suddenly I can't breathe.
Four months shouldn't change someone this much. But he's broader now, muscle packed onto his taller frame in a way that makes his thrifted jeans and black t-shirt look cool as fuck, somehow. His tattoos have multiplied, black flames crawling up his forearms like they're trying to consume him. His hair's shorter, darker, and his gray eyes?—
Fuck. His eyes look so much harder. Like he's seen shit that can't be unseen.
"Hey, Princess," he says, and his voice is rougher too, like he's been smoking more. "Miss me?"
I launch myself at him before my brain can form words, and he catches me easily, spinning me around like we're in some cheesy movie instead of a trailer park.
"Fucking finally," I breathe into his neck, and his arms tighten around me.
"Language, Princess. What would your mother think?"
"My mother's working a double at the diner and couldn't give less of a shit."
Then Tank emerges from the van's shadows, and my chest does this weird fluttery thing. He's fucking enormous. I mean, he was always big, but now he's...Jesus. Six feet plus of pure muscle wrapped in a black hoodie that does nothing to hide it. His eyes soften above his bandana when he sees me.
"Tank!" I detach from Kade to throw myself at my gentle giant, and he catches me even more easily, lifting me off the ground in a hug that's somehow both crushing and incredibly careful. Like he’s still afraid he’ll break me. Maybe even more than before.
When he sets me down, he signs,Missed you.
