“Was that so hard?”
“Love it how everyone just assumes I know her schedule.”
“That’s ’cause you do.”
He was right, but it still rubbed me the wrong way. Literally everyone in our circle thought of Lou and me as a pair, but the way they did it was weird. I’d heard the comments, and I didn’t miss the insinuations. Everyone saw me as some lovesick chump following Lou around like a puppy—it irritated the hell out of me. They didn’t give her shit about knowing whereIwas even though she knew just as much about me.
Lou and I weren’t together. We’d never been together, not even for a night. It wasn’t about that.
“You’ve got her number, man, why don’t you just text her instead of askin’ me?” I asked.
“Because you’re standin’ right here,” Titus said slowly, frowning. “What’s up your ass?”
“Nothin’,” I replied, brushing him off. “So, Myla and Lou are bringin’ the food. Who’s on liquor?”
“Rumi said he’d grab some—”
“So, his wife will.”
“Correct,” Titus confirmed. “And I think Jamison was going to pick some up, too.”
“Hard to believe that little Jamo is old enough to buy liquor.”
“He’s not that much younger than us.”
“Always felt like he was, though.”
“That’s because Brody never let him hang out,” Titus said with a laugh. “The asshole.”
“Are Kara and Draco coming out tonight?”
“Don’t think so,” he replied, shaking his head. “One of their kids has a race, I think. They’re up in Washington for the weekend.”
“The old guard?”
“Nope. Just the kids.” He stood and stretched his arms above his head as the sound of tires on gravel filtered in the front windows. “Not sure how many people Brody invited, but I told him to keep that shit small so they didn’t tear up my house.”
“Good fuckin’ luck,” I said with a laugh as I followed him toward the front door. “Brody’s never met a stranger. He was probably invitin’ people at the gas station today.”
“I’ll fuckin’ kill him,” Titus replied quietly before calling out to Noel. “Hey, baby. What happened to you?”
“I stopped at the store on my way back,” she replied, pointing to the trunk of her van. “I grabbed some food for tonight. Hey, stranger!”
“Hey beautiful,” I called back as we walked over to unload the groceries. “You look pretty as a Christmas card.”
Noel snorted and swatted me with the back of her hand, her cheeks flushing with pleasure. “I look like I haven’t showered in two days. Which is where I’m headed now.” She turned to Titus. “Put the fridge stuff away, but I’ll deal with everything else when I get out, okay?”
Titus looked at her, then looked at me, then looked back at her as she walked away.
“You know where everything goes,” he said, slapping me on the arm as he hurried behind her. “Thanks, Bas.”
I watched as Titus chased her onto the porch, the two of them laughing as they disappeared inside the house. Then I tookmy time grabbing all the bags of groceries before I carried them inside.
Even though I’d bitched earlier, I didn’t really mind helping out. Titus and Noel didn’t get much time alone, and I was sure they’d like to make the most of it. I’d had an up-close view of their relationship from the beginning, and I didn’t think I’d ever seen a couple more devoted to each other.
To be fair, I was surrounded by solid couples. It was something I hadn’t anticipated when I’d walked into the MC’s garage all those years ago looking for a community. The Aces and Eights MC lived outside the law in a lot of ways. From the outside looking in, they were dirty as hell, and none of the brothers were perfect, but no one could deny that they loved their women well.
Lately, I’d started to feel a little out of place as the brothers who’d come up with me paired off one by one. We’d drank and fought and done stupid shit together for so long, and now they were moving in with their women, having kids, buying houses, and settling down—or as settled down as they’d ever be considering their occupations and associations.
