Page 17 of Gang of Roses: Rebel

So why was he looking at her like that?

And why the hell was she smiling so damn hard?

I was the dumbass who’d set this whole thing up. I wanted Rebel to meet a good man. Somebody who could give her the life she deserved. So why the hell did watching it happen make me want to throw the whole damn plan in the trash? I clenched my jaw before forcing myself to relax just as Jenay walked over and wrapped me in a quick hug.

“It’s good to see you.”

“You too.”

The four of us slid into the booth, with Jenay taking the seat beside me and James settling in next to Rebel. We looked over the menu and placed our orders. Rebel and I ordered the exact same thing, ten-piece honey lemon pepper wings with potato wedges. We didn’t even have to ask what the other wanted. After all these years, we already knew. Once the waiter took our order, the conversation flowed as easily as the drinks.

“I ain’t gonna lie. It feels good seeing everybody again.”

“It really do,” Rebel agreed.

James nodded as he rested his forearms on the table.

“It’s crazy how life pulled everybody in different directions.”

“It definitely did,” I said before taking another sip of my bourbon.

As Rebel talked about one of her latest tech certifications, James listened closely, asking questions and genuinely showing interest. Every now and then he’d nod or laugh at something she said. I found myself watching him more than I should have.

A waitress stopped by to refill our drinks before disappearing just as fast as she’d come. Rebel reached for her straw, absentmindedly stirring the ice around in her glass while James asked another question.

“So, what made you wanna get into computers?” James asked.

Rebel shrugged. “I’ve always loved figuring stuff out. Now I’m trying to build a tech company.”

James smiled. “I can see you doing that.”

Before Rebel could answer, I spoke up. “She gonna do it.”

Rebel shot me a look. “Crow...”

“What?” I smirked.

“You ain’t gotta answer every question for me.” Rebel rolled her eyes.

“I know,” Crow agreed.

“So, stop,” Rebel was annoyed.

Jenay laughed into her drink. “He always like this?”

Rebel didn’t even hesitate. “Unfortunately.”

I clutched my chest. “Damn. That hurt.”

“You’ll live.”

The whole table laughed.

A few minutes later, our food finally arrived. The smell of honey lemon pepper hit the table before the plates even touched down. The waiter carefully passed everything out before wishing us a good meal. Without thinking, Rebel reached over and stole one of my potato wedges. I slowly looked from my plate to hers.

“Really?” I asked.

Rebel looked back at me like she had done nothing wrong.