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Golden comes out of bunk alley and drops down opposite me. He glances over his shoulder at them. “Hard to watch, isn’t it? When we’re on the outer?”

“Hmm.” I nurse my beer instead of drinking it.

“I don’t know that it will help my cause.” He takes a small box—the kind from a jewelry store—from his hoodie pocket and shows it to me. “But I got her something pretty. It can’t hurt, right?”

“That depends.” Because it’ll have to be something special when it comes to things that come in boxes like that. Something unique. She was so angry at all of us for not believing in her. I’m not sure unique would be enough to gain him points.

And I really can’t blame her for not talking to us.

Heartbreak and anger clouded my judgment for such a long time. I ignored everything I knew about her in favor of some reason I could grab onto for why she left that wasn’t me. Because I didn’t want to face that I was a shit boyfriend. Or that our arguments didn’t mean she was acting insecure and irrational.

Her punching Sonatina in the face had just been the icing on the whole shit cake. A reaction I don’t blame her for anymore. I understand it now.

I was the one who convinced Golden and Bronx that Kelsey had done what Carmine had said she’d done. They’d bought into the lie because I needed them to. Because she hadn’t just hurt me when she walked, but them too.

If we hadn’t... if we’d tried to see her... talk to her... things could have been so different. That’s on us. That’s why we deserve to be iced out.

If Neil hadn’t been in rehab while all this was going on, he would have been the voice of reason. He would have believed in her. Told us all to go talk to her.

He’d tried to convince me when he came back. But I hadn’t wanted to hear it. I should have listened to you, man. “What is it?”

“It’s a fidget spinner of a sort,” Golden says cryptically.

Kelsey isn’t really the kind of woman who goes for a fidget spinner. That’s not the type of toy she keeps on her wish list. “You’re going to give it to her now?”

“Yeah. I thought I might.”

“Good luck.”

“Thanks.” He crosses the threshold and the invisible line between them and us. He stops in front of her. “Kelsey, I know this doesn’t fix anything. But I bought you a peace offering.”

She stares at him intently before she holds out her hand.

Placing the box on her palm, he stuffs his hands back into the pocket of his hoodie. Head bent, he waits while she undoes the ribbon holding the lid to the base. She eases the lid free and hands it to Bronx.

Bronx looks in the box and then sends me an apologetic look.

“You bought me knuckle rings?” She picks up the rings. There are four rings attached to each other.

So that’s what Bronx’s apologetic look was about.

She slips her fingers through the rings and makes a fist. Taking them off, she folds them into one chunky ring and slips it onto one finger.

First the shoes from Willa. Now these rings. I don’t know who they’re hoping she’ll kill first. Me? Sonatina? Or Marco?

“Can we talk?” Golden asks her.

She straightens from her spot between Bronx and Kodiak. Nods.

He follows her into bunk alley and into the far lounge. The setup of his bus sticking with bunks and not the bedroom I went with when I’d hoped Kelsey and I might need a private place of our own for the many tours to come.

Just another thing Sonatina has stolen from us. When this tour is over, I might put my Zippo to whatever will light and burn the whole fucking bus out.

I glance down bunk alley at the shut door between them and us.

I hope she’s forgiven him by the time they come out. Or at least is willing to give him a chance to make things up to her. He should be right there with the others. Being one of the reasons she smiles. Earning her laughter. Hanging out like old friends again. Probably more.

I hope one day she’ll forgive me too. Let me be her friend again. Give me the chance to be so much more.