“Oh, fuck you.”
He chuckles as we both sit on the bottom step of the black metal fire escape.
“The trip was good. I…” He rolls his eyes. “I needed to get away from all of this for a while, you know?”
I nod, putting my hand on his arm. “I get it,” I say quietly.
Val sighs. “I really need to apologize for the last time you saw me.”
“Uh, no, you definitely do not.” I shake my head. “Like, actually. That was…”
“A lot to take in?” he finishes. “Which is putting it mildly.”
My mouth twists as I turn to him. “You okay?”
He nods. “I am. A week away in the desert, alone with my hot boyfriend?”
I make a gagging face. “You can spare me the details.”
He laughs. “Deal. But no, it was great. Cleansing, you know? A reset.” He exhales. “Still, it’s good to be back.”
“It’s good tohaveyou back,” I sigh, resting my head affectionately on his shoulder. “I really did miss you, you know.”
“Missed me because I wasn't around to be Madame Kuzmina's usual emotional whipping boy, so the rest of you got a taste of what it’s like?”
I snort. “You bring that on yourself, dude.”
“Holy victim-blaming!”
I roll my eyes. “You know what I mean. You antagonize her.”
He grins. “Yeaaah. I do.”
“Well, to answer your question, Iactuallymissed you, shocking as that may be.”
“I missed you too, Eves.” He winks at me, then clears his throat as his brow furrows. “So, uh, how is he?”
I roll my eyes. “You couldcall him, you know.”
He shrugs. “Yeah, I know. I mean, I will. I just…” he frowns. “I know you’re not supposed to shoot the messenger. But sometimes…fuck.” He exhales. “I don’t know if I’m madder that he dumped all that on me, or that he was right.”
I already heard the story. A little over a week ago, right after that dinner, sure enough, Morgan reached out to Val to “talk about something important.”
To no one's surprise, it was about the kidney donor match.
Val and Roman left New Yorkthat very dayto go camping near the Grand Canyon for a week. And apparently, Morgan got the message loud and clear, because he’s disappeared off the face of the Earth again, and his number has been disconnected.
I mean, really…Fuck that guy.
“How is he, though?” Val mutters.
“Vaughn’s good,” I smile. “Misses you. Wants to talk to you.”
He nods, looking away. “Yup. Noted. While we're on the subject…”
Val and Vaughn aren’t the only siblings locked in a little bit of communication gridlock. Roman and I havealsonot been on the friendliest of terms, mostly because he can’t—or won’t—see why I’m with Vaughn.
But we’ll get there eventually. Just like I know Val and Vaughn will.
