Ares just exhales through his nose. “This is going to be the hardest part. I don’t imagine she’s going to take it well.”
“Let’s get it over with then,” I say as I get up and head for the bathroom.
We move through our morning in sync, brushing our teeth side by side, getting dressed. I comb through my hair, and when I walk out into the kitchen, Ares hands me a blood bag. I drain it in just a few gulps. Ares takes a minute longer as he drains four entire bags.
“Ready?” he asks as he dumps the plastic in the trash.
“Yeah,” I confirm as I sling my bag over my shoulder and pull the door open.
I nearly jump out of my skin when something… someone, moves on the ground.
“Sysco!” I say as I place a hand on my racing heart. “What are you doing?”
He’s sitting in the hallway, his elbows resting on his knees. His eyes are a little bloodshot, dark bags beneath them like he hasn’t slept. He looks like he’s been out here a while.
“Couldn’t sleep, had a lot of shit to think about,” he says, sounding exhausted.
“What’s going on?” Ares asks him as he extends a hand to his best friend and pulls him up to his feet.
“What are you thinking about all of this shit?” he asks. His brows are furrowed, and he looks like he’s been mulling all of this over the entire night. “Is… is it worth it? Cause I’m not so sure it is anymore. I mean, New York has always been my home, but lately, that doesn’t feel like the right word anymore.”
“Sysco,” I say in sympathy as I step forward and wrap him in a hug. He seems… pained. Confused. He wraps his arms around me as well, hugging tighter than I expect.
“We’re leaving,” Ares says, and his voice is a little tight. The words come out sounding a little surprised or dazed, like he can’t quite believe he’s saying them. “We’re moving to Chicago.”
Sysco lets go of me, backing up as he grabs my upper arms. “Really? You’re not fucking with me?”
I shake my head and chuckle. “No, we’re not fucking with you. We just decided this morning. We’re on our way to tell Florence.”
A wild grin takes over his face. “Thank fuck. I’m ready to leave, too, but I didn’t want to do it alone.”
“Wait, really?” Ares asks, the excitement picking up in his tone.
“Hell yeah,” Sysco says as his brows furrow and a manic grin takes over his face. “New York has lost its damn mind. Time to move on. But I wasn’t going to do it without my best friends.”
Ares steps forward, wrapping his arms around Sysco and smacking his back in a hug. “You have no idea how glad I am to hear it. You ever been to Chicago?”
They release each other, and it’s kind of adorable how excited they both look. I can’t help but smile too. “No, you?”
“No,” Ares says with a laugh. “But it’s got to be better than here.”
“I think anywhere has to be better than here,” Sysco agrees as we walk down the hall. He presses the call button, and the elevator immediately opens. We all step inside.
Ares nods. “I’ll send you our flight info once it’s booked.”
“Perfect. I’ll start figuring out my shit.”
And for the whole elevator ride down, the two of them talk about what a mess this is going to be, trying to untangle their lives from New York.
I text Juliet.
We’re doing it. Me, Ares, and Sysco, we’re moving to Chicago.
She replies with a series of excited expletives.
You’ll love it, I promise. Roman and I will head to the airport when we’re done packing. See you in the windy city in a few days!
I grin at my phone as we step out of the elevator and cross to the doors. When we step outside into the brilliantly sunny day, they both slip on their special sunshades. “I’ll text you,” Ares calls as Sysco points in one direction, us in the other.
