I keep my smile relatively subdued instead of letting myself laugh at her wide-eyed expression. “Hey, Peach. What brings you here so early?”
Her response is a Candoran curse I only partially understand, but I break out in laughter anyway.
Setting both my book and my mug on the ground, I get up and pull her into my arms as she keeps cursing me. “I’m so glad you’re here,” I tell her, meaning every word. Being with my friends yesterday mostly filled the hole I’d left in my soul while I was away, but Freya and Elliot were missing. Now that Freya’s here, my life—my family—is that much closer to being complete.
Her anger shifts quickly to crying as she wraps her arms around my back and holds tight. “I have been so worried about you, Derek.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“Explain yourself.”
Releasing her, I gesture for her to take a seat so I can do the same. I did this yesterday with the rest of my friends, but I wanted to tell Freya everything in person. Maybe, if I had known she would be here, I would have delayed my return by a day so I would only have to go through this once. I would have hated to miss Liam’s birthday, but yesterday wasn’t easy. “What are you doing here?” I ask, hoping for a moment to gather my courage.
Freya narrows her eyes but answers the question. “It was Evelyn’s birthday yesterday, and Elliot did not wish to miss it again.”
I smile as I imagine my imposing little brother attending a six-year-old’s birthday party. He’s fond of the family of his late brother-in-arms, and I’m glad things have calmed down enough in Candora for him to be able to come to the States so soon after the last time. “Is El still in North Carolina?”
“Of course not. He will always be wherever I am.” Her face lights up with a warm, distant smile. “Though, at the moment he is having a rather intense phone conversation with someone named Shaw.”
Wincing, I hope Elliot is taking it easy on our mother’s husband, but he has a right to define his own terms of what will happen in the future. “Shaw is married to our mom,” I tell Freya, not sure if she knows that part.
She nods. “Elliot did not tell me as much, but he hinted at that. And your mother? She is behindHot Scoop?”
I tell her the details of the situation, grateful that she stays silent while I fill her in. The others weren’t as willing to sit back and listen, so it took over an hour to explain everything by the time I got through all their questions and interruptions. Freya’s expression remains mostly neutral, but when I tell her what went down at theHot Scoopoffice, she wrinkles her nose.
“It’s a good thing Elliot has taken matters into his hands,” she says, rolling her eyes. “While I am glad you have finally severed ties with your mother, you were too kind to theHot Scoopproprietor, Derek.”
I chuckle. “Donovan said the same thing.”
Freya’s eyebrows pull low, and she looks around the patio with sudden concern. “Where is this woman you say you love?”
“Asleep.”
“Without you?”
Heat blossoms in my chest, and I narrow my eyes at my friend. “A little nosy, don’t you think?”
She waves a hand. “I saw that video of you together. I know full well that the two of you have—”
“Didn’t expect to see you here so early, Peach,” a voice says in the doorway.
I’ve never been happier to see Cole, and I jump to my feet at the same time Freya does. “Hey, man,” I say.
Freya is less calm, gliding to the door and colliding with Cole in a fierce embrace. “Coleman!”
Even though he hugs her back, Cole’s eyes are on me and full of concern. Itisearly, and I have to assume he’s here because he was worried I would disappear again. It’s going to take some time to build trust again, but that’s okay. I’m willing to put in the work to make sure my friends know I won’t abandon them, no matter how hard things get.
“I’m back,” I assure him.
“Until when?” he asks gruffly.
Freya peels herself from his hold but tucks her arm through his so they stand as a united front. “I am wondering the same thing,” she says, lifting her chin.
I fold my arms. “It’s not entirely up to me anymore.”
Pursing his lips, Cole glances behind him into my house. “Where’s Donovan?”
“Asleep,” Freya replies for me.
