We’d all met Kennedy a couple of years ago when one of the Portland crew had followed his woman, Remington, here. Kennedy was Remi’s best friend, and although Remi had moved to Portland, we’d all kind of adopted Kennedy as one of our own.
Kennedy and Mouse had a ‘thing’ a while back, but she’d broken it off with him and it had gotten kind of ugly for a minute. Mouse was extremely pretty for a man and I don’t think he’d ever been rejected by a woman, so her deciding he wasn’t the man for her didnotgo over well with him.
Doc shook his head. “I’ve got him helping Ozzy with his Scout, so we can avoid the drama.”
“He’sstillworking on that old truck?”
Ozzy had been restoring an old International Scout for over two years now, and Doc always threatened to set it on fire and put it out of its misery. Ozzy loved it, though, so Doc humored him.
“Yep. I have no fuckin’ idea why.”
I chuckled. “The heart wants what the heart wants.”
“Yeah, apparently.” He cocked his head. “Bonnie’s also here, by the way. I think she’s hoping you’ll invite her.”
“She can hope until the cows come home,” I grumbled. “That woman is evil. You watch yourself with her.”
Bonnie Sanchez was a woman who’d decided she wanted Doc and had wanted him from the get. She didn’t care that I was already in his bed, and even if he and I had been married, she probably would have made a move on him. She’d been around before me, so Doc didn’t feel right about kicking her out of the group unless she did something to warrant it.
“I always do.” He closed the distance between us and slid his hand to my neck. “Need you to do something for me.”
“What?”
“No more telling people I’m your fuckin’ ‘friend,’ Liv. Got it?”
“Who told—?” I shook my head, cutting off my words. “Never mind. What am I supposed to tell them? We’re in a grey area here?”
“Are we?”
“Aren’t we?”
“Jesus Christ, woman, we’re very much in a firm area of me loving you, and you fuckin’ loving me.”
“That doesn’t mean our relationship status isn’t on shaky ground.”
“Only because you keep trying to sabotage it. Unless, there’s something you’re not telling me.”
“I’m not trying to sabotage shit,” I snapped. “And what could I possibly keep from you that you wouldn’t find out in two seconds? It’s called grief! I can’t control it sometimes.”
“You don’t think I don’t deal with grief? You don’t have the monopoly on that, Olivia. She was my child, too.” He pulled away. “I loved her just as much as you did. I felt that loss deep in my gut, just like you did.”
“It’s different when you carry a child in your body,” I argued.
“Thank you for minimizing my emotions, baby. I appreciate it.”
He stormed out of the room, slamming the door for effect.
I let out a frustrated groan and followed him, running into Rabbit on the way. Literally.
“Whoa, babe, where’s the fire?”
“Which way did Doc go?” I asked.
“Upstairs,” he said.
“Sorry, excuse me.” I pushed away from the young recruit and headed toward Doc’s room. Letting myself inside, I found it empty, so I headed to the bathroom.
“Tris—”
