The conversation took yet another turn as the discussion centered around men and sex. God, I loved being with the girls again. These days wouldn’t last forever. Although I believed we would stay close through the coming years, I knew that life would change us. We would become engrossed in our jobs and families. These simple days would be gone. I cherished this moment.
As much as I loved my girls and savored every second with them, I couldn’t wait to get back to Auryn. He clearly felt the same way because he was already parked outside my apartment waiting for me to get home.
Our relationship had started with a drug hazed night. Now my mind was clear and I wanted him more than ever. Tackling our demons together had already started to bring us closer. We gained strength from our connection. Pushing each other to be better for ourselves and one another.
I knew there would be ups and downs as we both navigated this journey. There was no one else I would rather do it with.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
AURYN
“Nice of you to show up. How did you manage to separate yourself from Ripley?” Rebel greeted me with a punch in the arm.
“Ow goddammit.” I rubbed my arm where he’d hit me, waiting for him to let his guard down before I hit him back. “Can you blame me for wanting to spend as much time with her as possible? It fucking sucked being in that facility. Not able to touch her. I’m making up for lost time.”
It had been over a week since Ripley and I both checked out of the facility. We’d settled back into life on campus. Working on getting caught up on what we’d missed in our classes. Spending every spare moment together. Whenever Athena started to get sick of us, we went to my place to give her a break.
Today Ripley was working on an important assignment while I joined the rest of the guys to handle a supply drop at the graveyard. Later I would meet Ripley at the mall. She wanted my opinion on a dress for graduation.
Casper nudged my arm to get my attention before signing, “I think it’s cute. Seeing you like this. I also think it’s about damn time you say the words out loud to all of us.”
I frowned, pretending not to know what he was talking about. “What words?”
“That you are love’s bitch,” he signed. “Go ahead. Say it.”
“Yes, Auryn,” Dom chimed in. “I’d also like to hear you say it.”
He stood close to Noah, their fingers tightly entwined. Even though Noah and his best friend Damon had been brought into our group under strained circumstances, I knew that Dom loved having him around all the time. Part of the business.
We all stood around the graveyard, waiting for our supplier to arrive. Since the church had burned down, we had no physical dwelling to occupy. With the weather being so nice it didn’t matter now.
Pressing my lips together, I made an annoyed sound. The guys joined in together, harassing and cajoling me. Enjoying my discomfort. The only one who didn’t hassle me was Damon. The only single member left of our group.
He sucked on a cigarette, rolling his eyes at the ridiculousness. “Holy shit, you guys are too much.”
When they wouldn’t let up, I flung both hands in the air and shouted, “All right, all right. I am love’s bitch. I admit it. Are you happy now?”
They took turns punching me while laughing their asses off. I had no choice but to grin and bear it. Eventually, this would blow over, and they would stop busting my balls about it. I really had brought this crap on myself.
“Where the hell are those guys?” Checking the time on my phone, I glanced down the road, seeking any sign of our suppliers’ approach. “I’m supposed to meet Ripley in less than an hour.”
“No worries. I’m sure they’ll be here any minute. They’re only a few minutes late.” Rebel perched on a headstone, having no concerns.
We were supposed to get a large pharmaceutical drop today. A batch of much-needed meds that several buyers were waiting on. We didn’t always gather as a full crew for stuff like this, but since we’d experienced too many incidents of people trying to rip us off, we’d been taking extra precautions.
As much as I loved being part of what we did here, I was antsy to get going. I had to laugh at myself. There had been a time when the thought of watching a woman try on dresses would have had me running. Now I couldn’t wait.
Finally, our suppliers showed up. A van rolled down the road, pulling into the graveyard. On the edge of town with little traffic, there was nobody around to witness the exchange.
Three men got out of the van and began to unload cases of pharmaceuticals. Dom, Stray, and I promptly moved them into a waiting van of our own. We would take them to a safe location for sorting before making arrangements to meet with buyers.
We were all on edge, ready for something to go wrong, only because it had happened in the past. Thankfully, the exchange was done without incident. Everyone left happy and in one piece.
I was the first to take off. The guys harassed me all the way to my car. Getting in and closing the door, I flipped them a middle finger through the window before gunning the engine.
It didn’t take long to get to the mall. Ripley was already there. I entered a store packed with dresses of all kinds, feeling completely out of my element. Ripley met me near the entry, taking my hand as she pulled me along to the back where the dressing rooms were located.
“I think I’ve narrowed it down to three. I’ll try them on, and you tell me which one you like best.” She pushed me down onto a chair outside the dressing rooms before disappearing into one of the small changing stalls.
