Page 97 of Forever Always

I nodded. “Yeah, just a little overwhelmed.”

“Me too.”

We’d lived in a real house when we were younger, before Mom died, but it was so long ago I didn’t remember much about it, and it wasn’t like there were any pictures of it. The garden was really the only thing I could recall clearly. After that our current apartment was one of the nicest places we’d ever stayed.

Wesley’s place wasn’t even showy or over the top, and in a way, that annoyed me more. It was a regular place. Nice, clean, probably in a good neighborhood, but something that pretty much any middle-class person in the city could afford. Yet, it just seemed like so much. What was my life that having a balcony seemed like such luxury?

I cleared my throat and forced myself to walk to the small dining room table where Wesley and Dakota had placed a bunch of food. I knew I shouldn’t feel jealous. It was such a weird fuckin’ reaction. Wesley was helping us when he didn’t have to. He was likely keeping me outta jail, had let us stay here for days, and was now even feeding not just us, but our friends too. He was a good guy, and I should be grateful. I was grateful. I was also just a little salty.

“It smells amazing,” I heard myself say, and it felt good when Wesley smiled.

“Thank you. I love cooking but rarely have a chance.”

“Oh, hey, Riley loves cookin’ too,” Jay added unhelpfully. He was already sitting down and scooped some kind of casserole looking thing onto his plate. I glared at him, especially when Wesley’s face lit up with hope.

“Oh really? Maybe once all this dies down, we can cook together, or even swap recipes.”

My stomach tilted but I forced a smile. “I don’t really have many recipes. But maybe.”

Wesley kept his expression schooled. “Of course. Now eat up. I asked Luca to come by after we’re done, and we’ll fill you all in.”

The food was really good. To the point that by the time I was finished, I was asking Wesley questions about what he did and what seasonings were in the casserole. I’d never made one of them before, but now I wanted to try.

I got so lost in the conversation, I didn’t even realize how long we’d been talking until there was a knock on the door.

“That’s Luca,” Wesley said, clearing his throat. “Excuse me.”

I looked down, suddenly embarrassed. Beckett reached out and squeezed my hand. He was staring at me with this goofy look on his face.

“What?” I whispered-snapped.

He grinned, the asshole. “Nothin’. That was just nice.”

I flushed. “Shut up. I was just bein’ polite. And the food was good.”

“Mm-hmm.” Becks kissed the side of my head.

We all quieted down when Luca walked in.

I had heard so much about him already, it was nice to put a face to the name. Luca looked like a Luca. I didn’t know how else to explain it. There was something very Mediterranean about his features, from his olive skin tone to his thick brows and dark brown eyes that were assessing all of us. His hair was also dark brown, and he had it pulled back into a small ponytail at the nape of his neck. I could see a few gray streaks.

“Guys, this is Luca. Luca, this is Riley, Beckett, Jay, and Dakota.”

It felt like Luca was able to see my whole life in just one glance. He took all of us in, and made a mental picture before he smiled in greeting. It was a little unnerving.

“It’s nice to finally meet all of you in person.” He sat down in the chair Wes had just dragged over and looked at us. “I don’t want to ruin the mood, but I’m guessing you all want an update.”

Becks squeezed my hand. “Yes, please.”

Dakota excused himself before we started, saying he was going to run a few errands, which I appreciated. I was sure he knew what had happened, but while he was quickly becoming family, I wasn’t sure I was ready to share these details. Once Dakota left the apartment, Luca began.

“The simple explanation is that everything is handled. Mr. Chase won’t be found. Your landlord might have questions about the new carpet, and your couch was a goner, but we’ll handle those things.”

Fuck. That was it? Was it really this simple?

“There’s no chance this comes back to Riley, right?” Beckett asked, his tone intense.

Wesley shook his head. “No. We’re good at what we do. Riley is safe.”

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