With one last look at Rhett, I decided he was calm enough that I could leave him. “I’d love some food,” I told her with a quick smile. “Thanks for thinking of me. I’ll just throw some pants on.”
Her lips twitched briefly before settling back into firm lines. “Good idea. Most of the others are sleeping, but who knows who we might run into on this tiny shit heap.”
A sad sigh escaped me, but I reeled it back in before I sounded too pathetic. “I’ll be right out,” I said in a rush, and when she nodded and turned away, I moved silently back into the small space and found my jeans on the floor. Dragging them on, I moved just as silently out before closing the door softly.
Rhett clearly needed to catch up on a lot of sleep, and I tried not to think why a small warmth buried deep in my chest at the sound way he slept today. That warmth was followed by pain as I thought of the scars he had that weren’t as visible as mine. I needed to do better at supporting him as he’d done for me.
If he wanted me to, of course.
But for now, I was having food with Florence Foster.
It was still hard to believe that this was my life right now.
In the dining area, she was already seated behind the table, a huge charcuterie tray before her. I only knew what the fuck a charcuterie tray even was from working in restaurants, and I’d never had the luxury of eating from one.
There was a huge selection of cheeses, dips, cold cuts, and small sandwiches. “Wow,” I said, only half in the booth as I took in the delicious spread of food. “I’ve never seen anything this impressive before.”
Florence eyed me closely, probably trying to figure out if I was being sarcastic, but there was no hiding the awe and sincerity in my voice. “There’s so much here too,” I added, before I lowered my voice again, dropping it down from a cartoon character with an “excited” speech bubble over their head.
She finally chuckled before grabbing my arm and all but pulling me into the space next to her. “I get so hungry after shows. We burn like a thousand calories dancing, singing, and playing our instruments under all of those lights. This is my version of a miniature buffet—which is my favorite way to eat.”
My favorite way to eat was anything not from the garbage, but I wasn’t about to say that out loud. No doubt she would think I was trying to gather up sympathy points.
“Thanks, Florence,” I said instead. “It looks amazing.”
She turned to examine me once more, and I was starting to get her personal popularity in Bellerose. She had a piercing sort of stare that somehow looked right through you, but also made you feel like her best friend.
It was weird, but I kind of liked it.
“Call me Flo,” she said as she released me from her gaze. “My friends all do.”
I nodded, unsure why the hell my throat was all clogged up like I’d just been given a puppy. This was how sad my life was, that the simple act of friendship was enough to bring me to tears.
Thankfully, the food was a wonderful distraction as Flo dove in and I followed just as quickly. I watched the way she piled up food on a cracker, starting with dip and then cheese and meat, eating it up like a little cracker sandwich.
We took our time trying out the various selections, and for the most part, focused on food rather than chatting. But the silence wasn’t uncomfortable.
“So, what are your plans once you reach New York?” Flo asked as she chewed on a piece of apple, a second piece in her hand ready to go when she swallowed the first. For a tiny chick, she could impressively put the food away.
“The city itself is too expensive for me to stay in,” I said, knowing this without even having to check. “I’ll head for a fringe area with enough population to blend in and enough jobs that don’t ask for identification or social security. It might take a few days, but I’ll find something. I always do.”
“You really think that Angelo would track you half way across America? I mean, why would he bother?” She didn’t sound skeptical exactly, but I could see her confusion.
Playing with a dried apricot, I started to tear it between my fingers, my appetite gone now. “Hopefully not, but I won’t underestimate him. We have a checkered history too, and I’m not sure he’ll just let me walk away this time. Or his family. They’re powerful, and Angel wasn’t the only one to see me that night.”
My nickname for him slipped out before I could help it, and I swallowed down the bitter memories of the days I had his love and protection as well. Just like with Jace, there was no going back to those happier days. None of us were the sameinnocentpeople any longer. And in no way did that refer to sexual innocence… Nope, that wasn’t the case. It was our souls that had been innocent, without the tarnish and scars we all wore now.
Just like with Rhett, not all of my scars were visible.
“We’ll help in whatever way we can,” Flo said, breaking me free from the darker thoughts. “You don’t have to do everything alone. I doubt Rhett would even let you go it alone.” As she leaned over and grabbed more food, it sounded like she muttered, “Or let you go at all.”
Deciding to answer as if I’d heard her correctly, I was completely honest for once. “I’d love to stay here in the protective embrace of Bellerose. Rhett was right when he said you might be some of the few people in this country who could stay out of the Ricci family's control. But…” I shrugged as I took a deep breath. “I can’t do that to you all. Not to Jace or Rhett, who will probably beat the shit out of each other on a daily basis. Or the rest of you, who might end up in danger because of me. I’m no saint, but even I couldn’t live with the guilt if any of you got hurt because of me.”
Flo waved me off. “Girl, we’re Bellerose. We thrive on this drama and have a shit ton of security. You should at least think about it—”
“Florence,” the whiny snarl cut her off mid-sentence. “What the fuck are you doing?”
The animation in her face died off a touch as Tom stumbled into the kitchen area wearing just a pair of sweats, showcasing his skinny frame. Why the hell a chick as awesome as Flo was with a fucking loser like this was beyond me, but I wasn’t about to judge.
