“Okay, fine. Finn has been slaving away at the stove, but I did make the salad.”
At that, the door bursts open again, this time Mira and Jasper come barging through. What the fuck is it with these people and doors? Do they not know how to simply open one? And how does that wall not have a fucking hole in it?
“I brought wine!” Mira yells, holding 2 bottles up in the air like she’s Rocky.
“Spency!” Jasper calls out, barreling past me to pick up Spencer and spin him around.
Spencer yelps, then laughs at the sudden movement.
My heart warms and a grin spreads across my face when our eyes meet and he smiles that gorgeous smile at me.
“Jules,” Mira says, walking slowly like a motherfucking predator before stopping in front of her.
“Mira,” Jules replies, staring her down.
I turn and mouth at Spencer, “what's happening?”
He rolls his eyes, moving to stand next to them as he yells in frustration, “can you two just fucking kiss already?”
Japers snorts, but it’s quickly followed by a, “damn!”
God, it’s like a car crash. I can’t seem to look away. Mira grabs onto Jules’ shirt and closes the gap, before shoving her tongue down her throat.
I whisper to Spencer, “umm, what do we do now?”
“We sit and wait. I mean, eventually they have to come up for air.” His eyes go wide and he looks over at me. “Right?”
My head swivels at the sound of a light knock on the door. I wait for the door to come flying open, but instead, Dom and Jaxon come casually strolling in.
“See, that is how you open a door, people!” I say, exasperated. Spencer just pats me on the shoulder and leans in to say, “you’ll get used to it!”
CHAPTER23
Spencer
Laughter and happinessbounce off the walls of my home. My chest warms at the sight of this group of people who have come together to be like family. I used to fight the friendship building between me and everyone over at Ink Me. I thought it was just out of pity, especially with Jaxon and Dom, but as I look around the room, I’m starting to realize I might have been wrong.
A few years ago I was sitting at the bottom of despair, lonely and heartbroken. Watching Mom slowly die was the most excruciating pain I had ever felt. I cried so many nights after leaving her room. Crumpled on the floor with no one to catch me. I would pray for someone to catch me. I begged and pleaded for whatever was out there to hear me. The moment she died, I was officially on my own. Or at least I always thought I was.
“Hey Spencer,” says Dom, his giant python arms come around, squeezing me in a hug. Ohh fuck, the large crack that just came from my tiny body cannotbe good!
“Thanks for coming!” I say, my lungs depleted of air by his death grip.
“Always!”
Finn and Dom do this handshake hug thing, while I suck in giant gulps of air. It’s fine, oxygen issooverrated. Who needs it anyway?
Jaxon comes in carrying some kind of large picture, maybe? He sets it against the wall, facing away from everyone, and gives me a hug.
“This is a new development!” he says, lifting his chin behind me.
I look over my shoulder, eyebrow raised, and scoff, “you need fucking air, people! Come on!”
Jaxon chuckles. “It’s about fucking time! Mira has been a bear for the last two weeks.”
Mira puts her middle finger in the air before they finally part, and I can’t help but roll my eyes as they gasp for breath.
“Maybe if people would stop touching my stuff!” she says, narrowing her eyes at Jaxon, and I take a nice big step back into Finn. He wraps his arms around me in a protective hold.
