But I live with my feet planted firmly in reality.
So why is my body still electrified from his touch?
Because it’s Jester, and if I don’t control the situation, this will end with me heartbroken for the second time. Especially when I look down and read his text.
I’m so ducking happy ur home
I hold back a laugh at the autocorrect. The words stare up at me—complete with two heart emojis at the end of the sentence. One black, one green—because the latter is his favorite color. Yet here I am, not deleting his text. Instead, I drop down and sit cross-legged on the chocolate-colored rug, hugging the phone to my chest. I lick lips that taste of too many memories of wild nights doing things with Jester that teenagers had no business doing. And by the time I scrape myself off the floor, I already know the rest of the day is a wash because I can’t shake the phantom touch of his hands on my body.
The worst part?
If I call him, I know he’ll come back.
And maybe I’m not entirely averse to the idea.
Damn you, Jester. Why did you have to kiss me?
5
Jester
“Heard you survived the lion’s den.” Jamie pulls a bag of popcorn from the microwave and leans away from the steam when she opens it before dumping the contents in a bright orange bowl.
Almost as bright and as orange as the sundress she’s wearing.
I resist the urge to shield my eyes from the glow of her clothing as I pop a handful of Goobers in my mouth. Because seriously, who doesn’t like chocolate-covered peanuts? Talk about coming out of one’s shell. Jamie Ellis went from dressing like someone’s dusty old grandmother to walking around like a neon lightbulb. I’m not complaining. This woman went through hell and somehow survived it clean. First, at sixteen, when she had to murder the hell out of her drunk-ass father. Then she married that crazy fucker Crane. But she’s safe now. All coupled up with Wraith and living her best life in glorious technicolor.
God help our abused retinas.
The other day, her godawful pink dress was the exact color of Pepto-Bismol. But hey, she’s happy, and that’s what matters.
Watching her move around the kitchen with Wraith’s baby daughter in her belly, there’s no trace of the little mouse who broke my best friend out of Gomorrah. I hope the kid she’s growing is exactly like her mama, because my job as godfather will be hard enough without the kid being a carbon copy of her father.
Wraith a daddy.
Never thought I’d see the day when one of us lunatics procreated, but here we are. It’s a bona fide miracle.
But seriously, with the amount of sex these two have, I’m shocked it took them this long for Wraith to put a child in Jamie. Once my niece is born, they’re making things official. Not sure if it was a stroke of genius or ridiculousness when Wraith tapped me to act as his best man, but Jamie threatened to cut off my balls if I—and this is a direct quote—pull any of my “dumb Jester shit” with bachelor party antics. I promised her I’ll be on my best behavior. Boring, but I’ll keep my word because I love this woman like my right kidney. She’s the sister I never knew I needed.
“Don’t be dramatic, James.”
She empties another bag of popcorn in a second bowl. This one is yellow and equally bright. She turned this house, which was Wraith’s drab bachelor pad, into a vivid kaleidoscope. “Havoc says Faith hates you.”
“According to him, everyone hates me.”
“I don’t hate you.”
I grab the yellow bowl and flash her my best smile. “That’s because we played tonsil hockey.”
“You’re a pain in the ass.”
“This is true.” I toss a kernel in my mouth before continuing. “But in Faith’s case, she has her love and hate wires crossed. I’m going to help her get that sorted.”
Jamie furrows her brows over her green eyes and jabs a finger at my chest. “You’ll leave her alone.”
I pull a face and shake my head. “No can do.”
She exhales a frustrated sigh. “Let it go, Jester, for both of your sakes.”
