“I figured if I left the door open I wouldn’t scare the shit out of you,” she said dryly. “But it could’ve gone either way.”
“Yeah, it could’ve,” I agreed, throwing my dirty sweats into a laundry basket. “I’m a little jumpy. What are you doing here?”
“I’m staying in Gray’s old room while they’re gone,” she said as I sat down with her. “He didn’t want me out at the property alone until they had everything figured out.”
“Makes sense.”
“I hope you don’t mind.”
“Why the hell would I mind?”
“Just, you know, all the shit with Bas.”
“All what shit with Bas?” I asked innocently.
She let out a wry laugh and shook her head. “I wasn’t ever mad at you, Harp. It is what it is, you guys seem to be good for each other, and I’m happy when any of my friends find that.”
“But you were stuck in the middle,” I murmured in understanding.
“Myla was pissed,” Frankie said with a grimace. “Lou was completely silent about all of it—wouldn’t even talk about it. I wasn’t sure what the hell the situation was, and I didn’t want to get in the middle of it. I figured I’d deal with however it shook out.”
“Lou and Bas weren’t ever a thing,” I told her. “I haven’t talked to her about it, but for him—” I shook my head.
“I figured one of them—or both—wasn’t interested,” she said with a shrug. “You don’t spend that long hanging out all the fucking time without realizing if a spark is there.”
“Myla apologized today,” I said. “So, at least you won’t have to deal with that part.”
“Myla can rage all she wants. I listen, and then I go about my day,” Frankie joked. “But you’re my friend, and you’ll be my sister-in-law at some point—I wasn’t going to join in on that bullshit.”
“I thought you were pissed at me.”
“I was honestly just trying to stay as far away from the situation as I could. You’re Gray’s baby sister, and he’s protective of you. Nothing good would’ve come from me wading in.”
“I get it,” I said with a sigh, pulling a pillow onto my lap. “But, you’re going to have to grovel a little.”
Frankie chuckled. “I’m fully prepared to grovel.”
“I mean, you didn’t even get out of the truck when my steering went out…”
“Shit, Harp,” Frankie winced. “I had no idea that was anything more than car trouble. If I thought you’d been hurt or something, I wouldn’t have—”
“I’m just fucking with you,” I assured her, grinning. “As far as we knew, it was just car trouble.”
“Your brother’s been a mess.”
“Gray?”
“Well, you know, his version of mess.” Frankie rolled her eyes. “Barely sleeping. Quieter than normal. Having meetings with God knows who at all hours. He’s been worried.”
I grimaced.
“Girls, we’re watching a movie,” Mom called. “Come down!”
“What movie?” I bellowed back.
“Doesn’t fuckin’ matter,” Dad yelled back. “Move your asses!”
I met Frankie’s eyes. She was grinning.
