She laughs.
“I think we’ve made enough of a spectacle today. Hot flashes, reunions, Hollywood kisses… that’ll feed the town gossip for weeks.”
Effa grabs my hand and drags me back to the others. “Hey guys, how are things going?”
Raoul’s holding a small box of flowers and some other junk, looking weirdly domestic. I clock it and file it away.
“We’re about done,” I tell them. “We’re gonna head off.”
“Sure,” Alana says. “Effa’s had a big day. Coop can stay with us.”
“So, who was tall, dark, and handsome?” Tank asks me.
I watch as everyone turns to face me, wanting to know the inside gossip. “He’s my ex-best friend.”
“And I’m guessing he’s an ex for a reason?” Andi asks.
“He slept with my girlfriend.”
A resounding “oooh” filters through the air.
“When she was an ex… or?” Kristy asks, and I wince.
“Very much not an ex at the time.”
Effa moves in, taking her hand in mine as she rests her head on my shoulder.
“Bro, that’s fucking harsh,” Tank consoles as he screws his face up.
Clearing my throat, I nod. “Yeah, it fucking hurt, but it worked out for the best. If not, then I wouldn’t have left, and I wouldn’t have met you crazy bunch of fuckers.”
They all chuckle, and it’s Casey who surprises me when she sniffs, wiping what looks like a tear from her cheek. We all turn to her, and I wince. “You okay, Case?”
She nods and weakly smiles. “I just… I feel bad.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m so happy they cheated on you.”
Jolting my head back, I take a deep breath. “Okay?”
She shakes her head, wiping another tear. “No. I mean, because we get to have you. And Effa’s so happy. I can’t imagine not having you with us. Promise you won’t leave us, Mercs?” she asks her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
My chest fills with pride, and it feels pretty fucking good to be appreciated, not only by Effa but by the others too.
“Yeah, we kinda like having you around,” Tank adds.
“Enough of the mushy stuff.” I look down at Effa and lean in to kiss her head gently, then look back up at everyone else. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“You guys are getting soft,” Luke quips with a rare smile, and I chuckle as he nods to me.
“We’re not soft, Luke, it’s just your heart is impenetrable. You’re a man of steel,” Andi teases, and he raises his brow and turns up his lip with a smirk.
“Feelings are for the weak. Emotions get you in trouble. Keeping a level head will keep you on the right path… always,” he retorts, and Andi rolls her eyes.
“You’re so damn boring,” she mocks.
We all laugh, but he shakes it off, and his head goes back to his cell.
