Gabriel extends a hand. “It is good to finally meet you. Josh talks about you like you’re some kind of legend.”
I let out a short laugh, dry and a little bitter. “Yeah, a legend who disappeared for a while.”
“Well, I know how that goes. Life gets complicated. Doesn’t mean it’s too late to come back.”
Something about his tone makes me pause. He’s not just being polite. He’s been on the outside too. Perhaps not in the same way, but enough to understand that kind of weight.
Josh doesn’t miss a beat, leaning back into his seat. “Gabriel’s quiet until he’s not. But give it time, and you’ll see he’s the smartest one at the table.”
I chuckle, glancing at Gabriel. “Oh yeah? I’ll have to see that for myself.”
“Don’t oversell me,” Gabriel says mildly, and takes a sip from his glass.
I slide into the booth across from Andy, who’s still scrolling through his phone, his eyes flicking up at me but not saying much. He’s the guy who waits until you’re in the middle of a conversation before he jumps in, and I’ve never minded that. But I know he has a knack for reading people. He’ll catch what I’m not saying.
We fall into a kind of comfortable silence for a few moments, and I grab a soda from the bartender before leaning back in the booth. It feels good to sit with the guys, but there’s still a weight in my chest that Kenna hasn’t messaged.
The door to the bar swings open, and I glance toward it out of habit.
Then I freeze.
Reuben and Asher.
The twins stride in like they own the place, just like they used to back in high school. Reuben’s taller by a hair, broader across the shoulders, and still walks with that quiet confidence that used to pull people in without him saying a word. Asher is the one with sharp edges, sharper eyes, always the observer.
My gut twists.
Reuben spots me almost immediately, and I feel my stomach twist. He motions to Asher, and they start toward our booth. My heart picks up speed.
“Cole,” Reuben says, his voice a little gruffer than I remember. He pulls up a chair and sits down without waiting for an invitation. “Didn’t think we’d see you out.”
Asher lingers behind him, arms crossed, eyes locked on mine. There’s no warmth there. Not hostile exactly, but a coldness born from knowing too much.
I force a smile, trying to keep things casual. “Yeah, needed to get out of my head for a bit.”
Asher stands off to the side, arms crossed, studying me with the same intensity he always had. His eyes are sharp, like he’s trying to figure me out all over again.
“We’ve been talking to Kenna,” Reuben says, his gaze steady on me. There’s no small talk, no preamble. Just straight to the point.
My pulse jumps.
“She’s not the same,” he adds, voice low. “You leaving? It did something to her.”
I feel the guilt slam into me again, heavier this time. It hasn’t let up since the day I left her standing in that courtroom.
“I never meant to hurt her,” I mumble.
“I know you didn’t,” Reuben replies, his tone softening just slightly. “But it doesn’t change the fact that you did, even if you didn’t have a choice in the matter.”
Asher speaks up, his voice quieter, but it carries weight. “She’s lost something, Cole. We can all see it. She doesn’t let people in anymore.”
His words land like a punch to the gut.
“So, what do you want me to do?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. “I can’t just walk away from her.”
Reuben’s eyes soften, just a little. “No. But don’t expect anything from her. Be consistent. If there’s even a chance for her to let you in again, she has to know it’s for real this time.”
I nod, swallowing down the tightness in my throat. “I can do that.”
