But moving forward—together, carefully, and on purpose.
Chapter Forty
DEREK
When I get home,my lights are on.
That’s the first sign someone's up to no good..
The second is the sound of laughter coming from my kitchen. Not loud. Not drunk. Familiar.
I pause inside the doorway, jacket still on.
“Don’t,” Alex calls. “If you turn around, I will absolutely chase you.”
“I live here,” I say.
“Yes,” Mark replies, calm as ever. “Which is why we let ourselves in.”
I step farther inside.
They’re both at my island. Alex has a beer. Mark has one of my good glasses and zero shame about it.
Alex looks me over. Slowly. Thoroughly.
“Well,” he says. “You look… upright.”
“That’s generally my goal,” I reply.
“Alive,” Mark adds.
“I was earlier too.”
Alex grins. “Hard to tell lately.”
I drop my keys on the counter and loosen my tie. My shouldersfinally come down an inch.
“Sit,” Alex says, already pulling out a stool. “Tell us everything.”
“I’m not telling you everything.”
“Then tell us the important parts,” Mark says.
I sit.
“She invited me to dinner,” I say.
"So that's where you were," Mark says.
Alex freezes. Beer halfway to his mouth.
“Oh,” he says reverently. “She invited you.”
“Yes.”
Mark nods once. “That’s significant.”
“I’m aware.”
