Page 133 of The Nerd & the Ex-Con

“Sure.” I would need to make up an excuse to tell Griff. “I can do that. What…what else will happen?”

“When you’re here, we’ll go over everything. We’ll discuss the evidence, any documentation of injuries, and talk about the legal proceedings. It’s important to remember you’re not alone in this. Our team will support you every step of the way.”

“Thank you,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “Thank you for helping me.”

“It’s what we’re here for,” Malloy said. “I’ll be waiting for you at the station. Take your time. Gather anything you think might be relevant. We’ll take care of the rest.”

I thanked him for his kindness and exhaled slowly. I’d finally made the first step toward escaping the nightmare that was David.

“Scottie!”

I jumped off the bed and hurried to Griff. Behind him was Jay. Jay!

“What’s going on?” Why were they together? My stomach fluttered with nerves.

“Something smells good.” Jay walked into the kitchen. “Damn, Scott. You made a whole breakfast spread. How come you never cooked like this when we were living together?”

Griff followed Jay, and I ran after them, still confused. Why were they acting like friends? They were supposed to hate each other.

Griff took out three plates and handed one to Jay. “You eaten yet?” he asked me.

I shook my head. “I was waiting for you.”

“Come on up, then.” He pulled out a chair. “You made all this food. Sit back, and let me make you a plate.”

“I didn’t warm up the pancakes yet.”

“I’ll do it.” When I remained standing in the doorway, he came over, took me by the arms, and guided me to sit. He put the pancakes into the oven and popped four slices of bread into the toaster. Jay was already forking eggs into his mouth.

“Not bad, Scott,” he said.

“It’s just eggs.”

“Last time you made them, they had shells in them.”

My face blazed. “That’s a bald-faced lie. Will someone tell me what’s going on?”

“What do you mean?” Griff opened the fridge and took out the pitcher of orange juice.

“Why are you two sitting in my kitchen?”

“Technically, we’re standing.”

“Griff!”

He tipped my chin up and placed his lips on mine in a swift kiss. “Like you said, this isn’t the norm for us. Let’s enjoy breakfast, and we can talk after. Okay?”

“Okay.” But their presence together left me feeling uneasy.

Despite them appearing together, the strain between them hadn’t dissipated. They never got too close to each other, and Jay looked away every time Griff touched me, which was every other minute. He was even more attentive than usual.

“You know, you’re a terrible influence on Scott,” Jay said. Griff was sitting so close to me I all but sat on his lap. When I didn’t eat, he picked up my fork and fed me eggs.

“How so?” he asked.

“Scott never missed a day of work before you came along,” he said without malice. “Never went to bed after ten either. And suddenly, he’s sneaking in at odd hours of the night covered in hickeys. Really, you two should be more responsible.” He waved his fork between Griff and me.

“You were the one who said I needed to have more fun,” I said.

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