“Why the hell is he here making out with his woman in my house?”
I pulled back from Gabe to find his brother staring at us as we stood in his foyer.
Jodi laughed. “They’re making up.”
“They can’t do that at home?”
“We could,” Gabe said, turning to face his brother. “But how else would I show your old ass how it’s done for when you fuck up with Jodi?”
I nudged Gabe with my elbow. “Be nice,” I whispered to him when he peered back at me.
“Trust me, Cin. This is me being nice to his old ass.”
“Respect your elders, Little Wolf.”
“I got your little,” Gabe responded.
“These two,” Jodi said, rolling her eyes.
“Did you eat?” Gabe asked.
“Oh shoot,” I remembered the food I’d left on the table.
“That’s probably cold by now. I’ll whip something up for the three of us,” Micah said. He glared at Gabe. “Your ass will have to forage for yourself.”
Gabe gave Micah the middle finger but followed him into the kitchen.
“I’m in the mood for breakfast for dinner,” Jodi yelled behind them.
“Will do,” Micah yelled back.
“Did someone say waffles?” Gabe asked.
Micah peeked his head out from the kitchen. “I’m sure you already know about this guy’s strange addiction to waffles.”
I laughed. “I do.”
“I tried to tell him it’s the same damn batter, but—”
“Pockets,” Gabe and I said at the same time.
Micah grunted. “I see he’s converted you.”
About thirty minutes later, the four of us sat in their kitchen eating a dinner that consisted of cinnamon waffles topped with fruit, and eggs, and sausage on the side.
While we ate and talked, I happily ignored the notifications that continued to stream on my phone. All of that mess would either die down or have to be sorted out on another day.
Chapter 26
Gabe
A few weeks after the photos of Lena and me in New York surfaced, we were on the way to my father’s for dinner. The images made a few rounds on the blogs and social media, and it seemed like the public moved on. Lena hadn’t put out any statement about it through her public relations people.
I’d gotten a few comments in my social media comments sections and DMs. Anyone who said anything too off-base received a special curse out from me and then an immediate block. Most importantly, Lena hadn’t dwelled on the situation.
“That’s such a shame about Eli’s mom,” Lena said. “How is she doing?”
The night after picking up Lena from my brother’s, we went home, and I shared with her what we found out about Eli. She was insistent about wanting to help. She all but begged me to let her. I knew Eli was a man of pride and didn’t want a handout, but I set it up so that Lena couldanonymouslypay for his mother’s medications for the next year.
