What? You guys want to know what happened, and your tiptoeing around will take way too fucking long. I haven’t had coffee yet.
Fallon
Careful drinking that from now on because I’m going to mix some ex-lax with your creamer.
Shep
You know you’ve stuck your foot in it when Fal is threatening you, dude.
Fucking great.It was clear my siblings had a side chat going where they were all worrying I was cracking.
Me
I’m okay, really. Marcus is a douchebag who deserves a broken nose. But I only bruised his ribs. And I’m reining it in. No more punching in churches.
Kye
Notice he didn’t promise not to punch elsewhere.
Fallon
You punched him in the CHURCH? I thought it was in the parking lot or something.
Shep
Fal has a point. You could get smited for that or something.
Me
You guys are giving me a migraine.
Rhodes
Seriously, Cope. Are you okay? We’re worried.
That just had more guilt digging in. My siblings didn’t need more stress right now, especially after everything Rhodes and Shep went through in the past few months. But I knew the only way to ease their concern was to give them something. A piece of the truth but not all of it.
Me
I’m not okay. Losing Teddy hurt like hell. And it messed with my head. But I’m pulling it together. Sutton helped.
There were no responses for a moment, and I worried I might’ve screwed up. With my family, admitting you weren’t okay could lead to eight people showing up on your doorstep.
Fallon
I like her.
Kye
Careful, dude. “I like her” is Fal code for her planning your wedding.
I couldn’t help a low chuckle at that. Fallon was the most hopeless romantic of us all, and nothing could quash that.
Fallon
Kyler Blackheart, I mean Blackwood, I am going to glitter bomb your office.
Fal followed up her text with half a dozen glitter explosion GIFs.
