“You deserve that.”
“So you said.” He paused and added, “And so do you.”
Damon made a tired sound and shoved me off of him. “I don’t want to talk about me anymore.”
“Alright.” I laughed. “Then I’ll go back to work.”
He sobered somewhat, a rare flash of honest emotion on his face.
“Thanks, Riggsy,” he said under his breath, like it cost him more to say out loud than the rest of it had.
Thankfully, I’d known Damon long enough to know the thanks wasn’t the issue, but the fact he’d been distressed enough to show up on my doorstep needing my ear.
“You have done more listening to me than I’ll do to you,” I reminded him.
The nights after Ev’s death had been long, the days after the funeral even worse. Damon had never left my side unless it was to get food or clean clothes. He’d done more for me in those first months than I’d ever be able to repay.
“It was nothing.”
“So is this,” I said.
Another rough exhale, and he inclined his head toward the door. “When do I get to properly meet your new boyfriend then?”
“I’ll talk to him this week.”
I hadn’t talked to him at all the day before, short of a quick good morning text. I’d been too tired and lost in my own head and knew I wouldn’t have been a good conversationalist, but Smith didn’t press my silence. He had a way about him, so easygoing and accepting of everything about me, but I found myself wondering about the thingshewanted for himself. He obviously wanted me, but what else?
“I look forward to it.”
“And you?” I prompted, opening the door and standing aside so Damon could step out onto the landing. “Are you going to talk to your throuple this weekend?”
“I fucking hate that word.”
“Me too, but they won’t be a throuple much longer if you get involved with them, so you’re doing all of us a favor.”
Damon closed the door behind him and trailed me down the stairs to the stop. Merrick wasstilltalking, going on about a trip he’d taken to Japan after high school and how it sparked hisinterest in tattooing. Holden was bent over his station, arranging bottles of ink by color, nodding along as Merrick talked.
“Happy first day, boys,” Damon said, raising a hand in greeting as he slipped back under the pass-through and into the lobby. “Best of luck and all that.”
Something in Holden’s stare wavered as he took a look at Damon, but it was gone as quick as it had been there.
“Thanks, man,” he said.
Damon stared back at him, swallowing hard before nodding at Merrick and scratching the side of his head.
“This week?” he asked me.
I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket and swiped through to Smith’s name in my contact list.
“This week,” I promised.
Damon stared at me as I typed out a message, only leaving after I put my phone away.
When can I see you again? My best friend wants to meet your properly, but more important than that, I think your tattoo is finally healed.
CHAPTER 25
SMITH
