They all share that look, and I grin because I get it.
“I don’t know why you ever wanted to leave here, Mercs,” Andi says.
“That’s because when you grow up here, you know everyone. And when you know everyone, you can’t escape anyone.”
They nod knowingly.
“Well, I’m glad you left,” Andi says, bumping my shoulder. “Our bubble girl wouldn’t be happy without you.”
I glance at Effa and smile. “I’m glad I left too. It’s nice coming home, but I love being on tour with you girls more.”
Effa loops her arm through mine as Casey suddenly sniffs the air.
“Do you smell that?” she demands.
I frown. “Smell what?”
“Cheesesteaks. Fuck, yes,” she declares, taking off on her skates and nearly toppling over in the process.
Andi laughs. “Guess we’re getting cheesesteaks. Catch you later!”
“Bye,” Effa and I call together as we watch them roll off.
She settles beside me again, practically glowing. I take her hand, and she studies me with that open, honest smile that undoes me every time.
“There’s something I wanted to talk to you about,” I say.
She raises a brow. “Oh yeah?”
“I want you to know, without any doubt, that the way you treated Jett, your friendship with him, none of that led to what he did. What happened wasn’t your fault.”
Her gaze drops, and she swallows. “You heard that?”
“I did. And I suspected you might be thinking that way. That’s part of why I brought you here… to face it. But we both have to let go of Jett and what he did. He’s the one who made that choice. Definitely not you.”
She looks up sharply. “You think you’re to blame?”
“I kept pushing him. Kept telling him you weremine. Maybe he wanted to make me pay. But if we keep dissecting it and blaming ourselves, it’ll destroy us. He’s out of our lives, for good. It’s just you and me, and I won’t let anyone hurt you again, Vespa. That I promise you.”
She smiles softly. “I believe you, Kaden. I don’t want to live my life thinking about that asshole. Let’s make a pact… from today on, we wipe him from our minds.”
I pull her into me, our legs brushing. “Agreed. He’s gone. We move forward, together. I see good things for us, Effa.”
She rests her head against my shoulder. “You think so?”
“Iknowso.”
“So… what’s next?”
I straighten slightly. “I wanna show you all the hot spots this town has to offer.”
“Sounds epic.”
“Oh, it will be.” I lift my brows suggestively.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out, still smiling, until I see the name on the screen.
Vex.
