“Don’t ask me what it’s all called.” Rubi flopped into his seat. “I was worried about Em, so I smoked six joints and fell down a Pinterest hole.”
Folk darted a bemused glance around the decorated chapel and laden table. “You didn’t have to do all this for me.”
Rubi scoffed. “You’re worth it, bro. Nashie, give him his presents.”
Nash produced two newspaper-wrapped gifts from behind his back.
Liliana snatched the first and thrust it in Folk’s face. “It’s from everyone.”
“Everyone?” Folk took a seat and considered the present. His gaze slid to me for a hot second before he returned his attention to theDaily Starwrapping paper.
Newsflash: the gift he was about to open had nothing to do with me. I didn’t even know what it was, save that Liliana, Nash, and Rubi had planned it together.
His present from me was at home—at my house. Whatever. It was wrapped on Ivy’s pillow so she could give it to him tomorrow when she got home from school.
Folk opened the present as Saint and Alexei slipped into the chapel.
Alexei went to Cam.
Saint loitered near me, giving them a moment, perhaps. I had no fucking idea. Didn’t care. I was too distracted watching the kaleidoscope of emotions pass through Folk’s face as he peeled back the newspaper to reveal a mounted charcoal sketch of a lone wolf howling at the moon.
It was Liliana’s signature style. Intricate detailing against a fantasy backdrop. I’d never associated wolves with Folk, but I knew the second he saw it that it meant something to him.
He was red-eyed and silent for a long moment before he gave Liliana a hug. “Thank you,everyone. But especially you.”
Liliana smiled like he’d hung the moon she’d painted. Then she grabbed the other present. “This one was Rubi. He said if you don’t like it, Locke has to listen to Nickelback for a week.”
Folk winced. “I’d pretend to love anything to save Locke from that.”
“Amen.” Rubi moved closer. “But you should totally do him like that if he was winding me up.”
Intrigue had me leaning forward, a dangerous game while Saint was so close, but I did it anyway. What was the worst that could happen? It wasn’t as if he could hear the crazy skip in my heart every time Folk glanced my way. Or feel the rush of my blood.
He stared at me all the same.
I ignored it and watched Folk unwrap the last gift. Absorbed his low laugh like it was air for a drowning man.
“Mike and the Mechanics?” Folk held up a faded vinyl record sleeve. “They played this on the Chinooks before they dropped us in the Helmand River.”
Rubi frowned. “Where the fuck is that?”
“Afghanistan.” Folk caught my eye. “Where were you?”
“Kabul. But it was Hawkwind for us in the beat-up Jackals, for eight fucking months.”
For a fleeting moment, we shared something no one else in the room would ever understand.
Then he turned back to Rubi. “Thank you. I’ve never owned a vinyl record in my life.”
Rubi grinned and gave him a one-armed hug. “Well, now you do. It was my dad’s, but it’s been gathering dust for a thousand years, so I figured you could torture Deeky with it while you’re embedded in his life.”
Folk chuckled. “You’re just full of good ideas, aren’t you?”
Rubi grinned, but honestly, he had no fucking clue. Just good intentions and the heart of a cuddly lion.
He badgered everyone to eat their dinner.
As the hum of conversation struck up around him, Folk took a closer look at the sketch he still held.
