Her eyes meet mine. “What exactlydoyou want, Rider?”
My throat feels tight. I take a breath. For some crazy reason, I feel like I’m trying to throw for a touchdown. “Just… I need us to be friends again. I miss you, Gabby, and I regret how I treated you. And with everything with Poppy, I’m being reminded of how amazing you are.” I shrug. “I miss our friendship. Don’t you?”
My heart feels like it’s gonna beat out of my chest with that confession.
“And that’s all you want?” she asks warily. “Friendship?”
Yes.No.Fuck, I don’t know.
“That’s all I have time for right now.”
Do I miss our friendship? Absolutely. Do I want to fuck her until I can’t walk anymore? Definitely. Can I handle anything beyond sex right now while I juggle all the other shit in my life? Probably not. So yeah, I guess I’d better keep my damn hands to myself.
“And you’re not going to ghost me again?” she asks. The vulnerability in her voice kills me, and I reach for her hand again. “Because it sucked to open up to you about being in foster care only for you to disappear on me.”
I close my eyes.Christ. No wonder she thinks I’m a douchebag.
“I promise I won’t disappear again. You’re officially stuck with me now.”
She tries not to smile, but her lips reluctantly tilt up.
I give her my best puppy-dog face. “Does this mean I’m forgiven for being an epic asshole?”
She studies me for a moment, and I wonder what she sees. Does she see trailer-park trash? The kid of an alcoholic? A meathead jock? A guy who’s just barely hanging on some days?
But her eyes turn playful. “I feel like I should make you work for it.”
The relief that floods me is overwhelming. “I’m willing to put in the hours.”
We stare at each other as we laugh, and even though I won my game today, this somehow feels better.
24
GABBY
My eyes crackopen against the early-morning sun, and I come face to face with beautiful, big green eyes.
“Hey, girlie.”
Poppy smiles and coos at me and holds up her arms to me so that I’ll lift her out of her playpen.
After a quick diaper change, I hoist her onto my hip and we head into the living room, where I find Ramona and Sienna staring at Rider, who’s sleeping soundly on the couch.
Ramona shoots daggers at me, but I shrug. “What? You’re moving.”
Twenty-four hours ago, I never would’ve considered letting an overnight guest crash on our couch without running it past her, but then she leveled me with a breach of contract.
Okay. Maybe it’s not a breach of contract. More like a breach of friendship.
Whatever the case, it still stings the morning after, and I’m in no mood to deal with her attitude.
My attention shifts to Sienna. “I already know you don’t care.”
“Oh, my God, I totally don’t!” she whisper-squeals.
“He didn’t realize his roommates were throwing a party, and he obviously couldn’t take Poppy back there until…” My voice falls away so I don’t say what I’m thinking.Until they’re done fornicating in his living room.
I almost laugh. That voice in my head sounds like June Miller, the foster parent who made me say a rosary every night before bed. Really, that wouldn’t have been a big deal if she hadn’t made me kneel on her concrete floor to do it.
