“Oh, these are great, check them out!” Brandon eagerly pushed his chair back and pulled up his pant leg to show me. Randomly placed on the bright blue socks were sharks with their mouths open and teeth exposed.
“Those are awesome, Bran,” I said as he pulled his chair back to the table. “Where did you get those?”
“James got me a sock subscription,” he proudly announced.
“James should be flogged for supporting your addiction,” Josh teased. Brandon was a good sport about the jokes, though.
“James likes my socks.” Brandon proudly smiled.
“I don’t know if it’s the socks he likes,” Josh said. “I think it’s more that he loves you and wants to see your goofy smile.”
I couldn’t keep the grin off my face when Brandon’s cheeks turned a pale shade of pink.
“Yeah, he seems to like me,” Brandon said quietly. He knew better, though.
“Likes you?” I questioned and looked at Josh while laughing. “I’d say he more than likes you,” I said and reached out to jostle his arm.
“If you told James you needed a new reading light, he’d lasso the fucking moon for you,” Josh joked.
“Or if you told him you were cold, he’d find a way to harness the warmth of the sun for you,” I added.
When the breadsticks were delivered to the table, Josh put one on my plate and told me to eat it.
“You’re seeing the attorney tomorrow?” Josh asked, and his tone had grown serious.
“Yeah. The appointment is in the afternoon.” I sighed. The breadstick I had eaten felt like a brick in my stomach. “Elise is apparently pleading not guilty.”
“The woman has screws loose, man,” Josh murmured.
“That fucking cunt is trying to say she didn’t do anything?” Brandon said in surprise as his fork clanged on his plate.
“Dude! Language, Bran,” Josh reprimanded Brandon for his choice of words.
“Sorry … that cunt is trying to say she didn’t do anything?” Brandon repeated his original statement, minus the word “fucking.”
“Much better, Bran,” Josh complimented him. Neither Josh or Brandon, or anyone that I knew, had approved of Elise. Maybe they all had seen the writing on the wall when I was too blind. I was already not feeling great and then Josh threw another dose of gas onto my fire. “The bitch better not dare play the victim.”
I stared at Josh for a moment, trying to conceal my panic. Oh my fucking god.What if she tries to say it was self-defense?
“What … what do you mean?” Brandon asked as he looked between us. “Huh?” He was waiting for Josh to elaborate on his comment. Josh’s face suddenly paled, and I could tell he felt bad for even vocalizing the possibility. Brandon grew impatient, and I realized he was at the beginning stages of unraveling. “I don’t understand. Why won’t you tell me?”
As Josh started to explain, I cut him off and looked at Brandon.
“Josh meant that he hoped Elise wouldn’t try to play the victim and say that I did something to warrant her actions,” I said calmly to Brandon.
“What? That’s just fucking dumb.” Brandon slumped back in his seat with a scowl on his face.
“I’ll find out what’s going on tomorrow, and I’ll let you guys know.”
“You better,” Josh threatened. “I know where you live,” he joked.
“James said he’s going with you tomorrow,” Brandon added.
I nodded, agreeing with Brandon.
I’d made it through dinner with them and then went back to my place—which was really Josh’s. Since he’d moved in with Ali and Sam, and I was incapable of making sound decisions, I was staying there.
After I had taken a shower and my pain killer, I headed to the bedroom. I positioned the thinnest pillow on the bed where my lower back would rest against it. With my phone in my hand, I leaned against the pillow and opened my text string with James.
