Page 148 of Best Served Cold

“Ooooh, play some Radiohead.” He bounded over and sat on the floor on the other side of the coffee table.

The opening bars of “Creep” filled the room.

River flipped open a notebook and picked up a charcoal pencil.

“How’d today go?” Zane asked.

“Good.” River bent over his notebook and started sketching. “Quinn’s a machine. We were out of there early.”

“Who’s Quinn?” I asked, sneaking a glance at the twins as I started sketching again.

“Our buddy from Crimson. The pornstar,” River answered.

“The hottie from your sketchbook?”

A loud mess of notes rang out as Zane’s hand slipped.

River snickered but didn’t look up. “Down, boy. Even you can admit Quinn’s a snack. He’s got that pornstar rizz.”

I met Zane’s eyes. “He’s not as hot as you.”

Zane smirked as River laughed.

“Shut up,” Zane said to his brother, resuming the song he’d been playing.

River launched into a story about how Bubbles bet Tiny that he could drink his coffee faster, but didn’t know Pops had locked the port-o-johns and he’d done an epic potty dance as he raced around trying to find somewhere to pee.

Sitting with them like this felt right, and the way they’d seamlessly accepted me into their nightly routine touched something deep inside me.

I felt wanted. Like I belonged.

Even with the dark cloud of depression hanging over me, I could feel my psyche healing.

Zane was right. Blood didn’t mean shit if people didn’t back it up with actions. My family was a lost cause, but that didn’t mean I didn’t have a family out there waiting for me to find them.

Even if Zane and I never hooked up again, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that he cared about me. He wanted to be part of my chosen family.

I wasn’t alone.

And that meant the world.

22

ZANE

I sat on my bed waiting for Noah to finish up in the bathroom.

I was about to spend the night with someone for the first time.

We’d passed the evening hanging out in the living room with River. Watching him and Noah geek out over art was some of the most fun I’d had in a long time. I loved how close they were, and it felt like Noah fit into our lives. I couldn’t be with someone who didn’t get along with River. He was my best friend, and maybe it made me an asshole, but I would choose him every day of the week if it came to that.

But I didn’t have to worry about that with Noah.

Now we just had to have the talk.

I groaned inwardly.

“You okay?” Noah asked, closing the door behind him.

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