“Maybe we should come back later?”
“No! He’s not celebrating, something was off last night. We need to check on him!”
Kieran swung the door open wide. Bowen, Eric, and Aaron all stood before him. Eric had a six pack of beer balanced under each of his arms. Aaron carried several grocery bags that were overflowing with various snack foods. Bowen had an old, pink Nintendo 64. He held it up as though it were a sacred offering.
“GoldenEyeheals all,” he said solemnly. Eric and Aaron both nodded. Kieran quirked a brow.
“And I need to be healed?” Despite the mask offinethat he’d clicked firmly into place before letting them into his apartment, Kieran’s heart swelled. He didn’t know how, but his friends had showed up just when he maybe,maybeneeded them the most.
The guys pushed past him, spilling the grocery bags onto the counter and sorting through the snacks.
“You weren’t happy enough last night,” Eric said simply, clearing space in Kieran’s fridge for the beers. “Quiet. Morose.Sad. Not exactly what one typically feels after earning a spot in a national championship tournament.”
Kieran frowned. “I’m happy.” All three men stared at him. Aaron’s lips twitched as he held back a smile. “Super happy.”
“Yeah, no.” Bowen threw the words over his shoulder as he crossed the room and began to set up the game system. “Not gonna work on us, you can stop pretending.”
Eric shoved a beer into Kieran’s hand before leading him back to the couch and pushing him down onto it. “You don’t have to tell us what’s going on,” he said, taking the seat next to Kieran, pulling his legs up onto the couch as he sipped from his own beer. Were thosepajamasthat he was wearing? A pastel red that brought out the rosiness in his pale cheeks. They were covered in volleyballs, because of course they were. Kieran finally noticed that all three of them wore clothes made for relaxing. Bowenin gym shorts and a t-shirt, Aaron in joggers and a hoodie that made Kieran sweat just thinking about the summer heat.
“But we all worked hard for that win last night, and we deserve a day to celebrate.” Aaron plopped down onto the floor, crossing his legs as Bowen passed him a controller. “You’ve seemed off for a while, and like he said”—Aaron pointed toward Eric—“you don’t have to tell us what’s up. But youdohave to let us try to make you feel better. It’s in the team handbook, I’m pretty sure.”
“Fuck that.” Bowen sat back, running a hand through his hair, leaving it a spiky mess. “I’m nosy, I want to know what’s going on.” Eric stretched a leg out and kicked him in the back of the head.
A lump formed in Kieran’s throat as the realization of what was happening washed over him. Somehow, over the last two years, these guys had become his family. They’d weaseled their way into his heart and taken root there. Kieran’s nose tingled as he cleared his throat. He took the controller that Bowen was holding out for him.
“Let’s play,” Kieran said. The words were shakier than he wanted them to be, his mask slipping in front of his friends. “And I’ll tell you all about it.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
“I’M NOT FIRING Luz.”
Sammie stood in the doorway of Robert Everly’s office. Tension lined her shoulders and a vicious rage seeped into her quiet words.
Robert looked up, his lips a thin line. He squinted at her. “Yes, you will.”
“No.” Sammie stepped fully into the office. The place was meticulously arranged, everything perfectly placed. Emotionless minimalism.A stark contrast to her cluttered, tiny desk in the brewhouse. “I won’t do it. Luz has worked hard for this company. She’sgoodat her job. If anyone is being let go, it needs to be Carson.”
Robert watched her for a too-long moment before a sharp chuckle left him. “You don’t get to make that call. Carson stays, Luz goes, end of discussion.”
Sammie leaned forward, resting her hands on his desk, towering over him. Robert shrank back, a small movement that he tried to hide with a dismissive shrug. But Sammie could see it there, in his eyes, in the way his white skin went a couple shades paler.
“Carson isn’t good at his job.” Sammie dropped her voice lower, letting her words sink in, waiting for Robert to react. He held her gaze, but Sammie knew how to dig in her heels with the best of them, and bit back a grin when he finally looked awayfirst. “Luzisgood at her job. I don’t give a fuck if he’s your nephew, if one of them has to go, it’s going to be him.”
Robert picked up a pen from his desk, spinning it slowly between his fingers. “Samantha.” The name grated, and Sammie felt a muscle in her jaw twitch. “If Carson is so terrible at this job, I think that speaks more to your failing leadership than his skills. I know this might be a novel concept for you, but as the owner, Idounderstand what goes into the work done here.” He paused, and Sammie opened her mouth, ready with a rebuttal, but Robert held up a hand. “Any idiot can do this job.”
Sammie froze. Every sound around her intensified. The struggling AC unit in the window. The distant ring of the canning line. Her own pounding heartbeat.
Any idiot can do this job.
All the time she’d spent in this place, perfecting her recipes, helping to build a successful brand. All of the long days, the early mornings and the late nights. Literal blood, sweat, and tears spilled for a company that didn’t care about her in the least.
“Okay.” Sammie rose to her full height, letting her hands fall to her sides. Robert had the gall to look smug. He really thought he’d won. Sammie fought past the fear of speaking out, the fear of an unknown future.
Any idiot can do this job.
“You fire her.” Sammie jabbed a finger toward the bastard sitting behind his desk, comfortable in the air conditioning while her people sweat through their clothes to make the product that kept his nails perfectly manicured and his wallet fully padded. “I quit.”
Robert blinked. Sammie turned and walked out, letting his cry of “Sammie, wait!” fall on uncaring ears.
