He glanced at his phone before pocketing it and reluctantly meandering toward the door. Swallowing another bite, I took a minute to admire his backside. The months since we’d hooked up had kicked my ass, but they hadn’t changed him one bit. He still had the body of a trained military weapon. His intense eyes were probably my favorite feature, but that ass was definitely a close second. Although, I was beginning to realize there was a lot more to Stocks than a pretty face and a hard body.
“Thank you. For everything. I promise not to tell my mom we fucked.”
Turning, he cracked a smile for me. “Thank you.”
My breath caught. Goddamn the man was hot when he smiled. Trying to forget the way those lips had felt between my legs, I used my fork to gesture for him to leave. I had enough on my mind and didn’t need his sexy self messing with my head.
The door closed behind him, leaving me in silence. My legs were cramping, so I shifted to get comfortable, and my plate started to slide off my lap. I reached for it with my left hand before realizing that was a mistake and snaking around my right to narrowly save my dinner from dumping on the bed. The reminder of my missing arm felt like a punch in the gut. I sucked in a breath as tears stung my eyes and I remembered everything I’d lost.
My life was altered forever now, and I couldn’t let myself forget that because it hurt too much when I remembered.
Stocks had been a nice distraction, but this was my new reality and it sucked. Appetite gone, I set the plate on the dresser and pulled the teddy bear Jagger had given me out of one of my suitcases. I hadn’t slept with a stuffed animal since I was a kid, but I wanted something to wrap my arm around. Crawling beneath the covers, I didn’t care that the light was still on, there was a half-eaten plate of food on my dresser, or that most of my bed and floor were taken up by luggage that needed to be emptied. Feeling completely spent and strangely alone in the grown-up equivalent of a frat house, I passed out.
***
I’d just climbed into the cockpit and buckled up when some asshole beat on my door like they were the cops about to bust in on me, interrupting my dream. The bedroom light was still on, but unnecessary since daylight streamed in through the window.
More knocking.
Letting out an irritated growl, I yanked on the blankets, trying to pull them over my head. The weight of the packed garment bags proved to be too much for my one hand, making me want to scream in frustration.
More knocking.
I used to be a morning person. Now, mornings were a slap in the face, bringing me back to a reality I couldn’t seem to make myself accept. Stumbling out of bed, I dragged my ass to the door. My still healing hips and back protested the entire way. Throwing open the door, I prepared to lay hands—or hand, since I only had one now, making my beatdowns forever lopsided—on my overly zealous wake up call. Unfortunately, Naomi stood in the hall wearing jeans, a Harley Davidson T-shirt, steel-toed black boots, and the don’t-fuck-with-me expression she usually reserved for bar fights and barracks brawls. I wasn’t surprised to see her all bright-eyed and bitchy-tailed, but her entourage did manage to raise my eyebrows. Recognizing Jayson, Emily, Julia, Carly, Jessica, and Sasha from Naomi’s housewarming party, I stepped aside as the gang crowded my small room.
“Am I being invaded?” I asked.
“No, we’re staging an intervention,” Naomi replied.
It was too early for her bullshit. “Well, damn. Shouldn’t I be passed out drunk, suckin’ on a crack pipe, or selling my body for Tide pods to give your intervention some purpose?”
“Ha-ha.” She looked me over. “It’s past noon and you’re still in bed.”
I was also still wearing yesterday’s outfit. The enchilada plate on my dresser was now crusty and smelled sketchy, and it was clear to see I hadn’t put away a single stitch of clothing. I was adulting like a motherfucker. “Yeah, I was up late unpacking,” I lied. I couldn’t help it. Naomi and I had always been able to push each other’s buttons; our challenging competitiveness was how we’d helped one another improve. If I was in a better headspace, her persistent jabs would have encouraged me to get off my ass and step up my game. But, since my future looked bleak and I was questioning everything from God to myself, her button-pushing made me want to go nuclear.
My shitty situation wouldn’t improve if I woke up earlier or unpacked my luggage, so why did it matter? There wasn’t a damn thing I could do to get me back to where I wanted to be. The sooner she realized that and let me live out my days in peaceful apathy, the better.
Before Naomi could fire back at me, Emily pushed her way between us like a schoolteacher separating two kids about to come to blows on the playground. “The rest of us aren’t here to invade or intervene in anything. We just wanted to welcome you to the fire station. It’s good to see you again, Monica. We’re glad you’re here.” Her abrupt hug threw me off, crushing the irritation right out of me.
My still healing back protested. Wincing, I slid away from her. “It’s good to see you, too.”
“Yes,” Julia added.
As she hugged me, her hard belly pushed into my side, and I looked down, shocked by the obvious baby bump. “I was gonna ask what you and Havoc have been up to, but I think the cat’s out of the bag.”
“More like the sperm’s out of the condom,” Jayson said, gracing me with a side hug. “Not like a little birth control could stop a man like Havoc from procreating. Hell, every time he walks by me,Iabout get pregnant.” He clucked his tongue. “Mm. Mm. Mm. There is something about that well-built hunk of dark meat.”
“Keep your overly-moisturized hands off my man, Jay,” Julia growled. “I will cut a bitch.”
Jayson threw his hands up in surrender. “We’re kidnapping you for some much-needed pampering.” Pulling away, he looked me over and wrinkled his nose. “Girl, you have about five minutes to do something about this situation, because we’re going to my salon, and I’m not takin’ you looking like you just stepped off some eighties hair band bender. I only roll with sexy bitches.”
“Noted.” I hugged Carly and Jessica next. “Where are the kids?” I hadn’t seen my niece since I got back, and my spirit could benefit from mushing her chubby cheeks.
“They’re downstairs with the guys,” Naomi said. “I keep telling Maya her auntie Monie is a badass. She doesn’t need to see this mess.”
Naomi was getting on my last nerve. “You’re gonna make me kick your ass, aren’t you?”
“Please.” She sneered. “With those atrophied muscles? You couldn’t even catch me.”
