When I’d gotten through almost a hundred emails and it was getting close to midnight, I shifted in my seat, getting restless. The guys should be back soon.
My phone buzzed on my lap, and Quinn’s name flashed on the screen. I picked up immediately, walking out of the room.
“You said you’d explain,” my friend’s irate voice greeted me. “Yet here I am, standing in my restaurant, still waiting for my friend to show up. Or at least call me.”
“I’m sorry, Quinn. Things were kind of busy.”
“Too busy to call your friend?”
Now she sounded hurt. Damn it, I was messing this up.
“I’m back in Chicago,” I said, deciding to start with something safe.
“What? Why?”
Okay, not as safe a topic as I’d thought.
“My family lives here. And I’m visiting them.”
She took a deep inhale, and I knew she was also pinching her nose, something she did when she was annoyed.
“Do you want me to take care of Killer?”
“I brought him with me,” I said.
“You took him with you,” she whispered. “Are you staying there?”
“No. Absolutely not.”
“Then why did you take him with you? I would have been happy to have him while you were away.”
There was hurt in her voice again.
“I didn’t really have a choice,” I said. Liam had taken Killer hostage and told me if I wanted my baby back, I had to come with them. He’d packed up my little fluffball and, as a result, bought my compliance.
“But we’re besties for life.”
“And that will never change. There’s nobody else I’d rather have next to me when getting a guy down from a sex swing,” I said and meant it. Meeting Quinn had changed my life.
There was noise in the background, and Quinn swore. “I need to get back. We had a big event tonight, and the kitchen is still a disaster, and one of my busboys just dropped a full tub of plates.”
“We’ll talk more when I get back.”
“Promise?”
“Pinky promise.”
We hung up, and I got back on the couch.
“Who was that?” Mom asked.
I jolted since I thought she’d fallen asleep.
“A friend.”
She took a seat next to me, putting her arm around my shoulder. I leaned into her, glad things had gone back to normal. Well, almost back to normal.
She placed a kiss on my head and sighed. “I missed you so much when you were gone.”
