Olivia: Spoken from experience, I imagine, Bradford.
Callan: Liv, get your ass over to Ethan’s if you’re not yogaing.
Hayden: It’s clearly a word now.
Gage: Are you two watching the game?
Callan: Yeah. You should come over if you’re not busy.
Olivia: Liv is absolutely yogaing and now I’m confiscating her phone. I have no idea why she would even think it okay to text while down-dogging. If we get barred from this class, Callan, you better run the next time I see you. Not love, Blair.
Callan: Fuck, I just worked out why I’m a single guy again for four Thursdays. You’re there for a dude, aren’t you, Blair?
Kristen: OMG WHY WASN’T I INVITED FOR YOGAING?
A text comes in from Madeline and I can’t get out of this group chat fast enough to check it.
Miller: {My filthy mouth wants to do nasty things to you, Black. Let a girl up to your condo.}
I frown.
Me: You’re here?
Miller: Yes, this is not a test to see how you react to a spontaneous visit from your girlfriend.
Me: I’m hard now that you just called yourself that and fuck me, my entire fucking family is about to arrive.
Miller: *laughs* I can’t wait to see how you handle that.
Miller: Hurry up! It’s been too many hours since I’ve checked out that ass of yours.
Callan eyes me questioningly when I move off the sofa.
“Madeline’s here,” I say, “So it’s on you to entertain if every fucker in our family shows up here.” With that, I go and let my girlfriend in.
She steps off the elevator into my condo and moves straight into me, her arms coming around me, her body pressing hard to mine, and her face angling up for my mouth that’s instantly on hers.
“Fuck,” I growl after I kiss her for longer than I’ve ever kissed her. “I needed that.”
Her eyes are filled with heat. Her arms tighten around me. “Me too.”
I hold her face, running my thumb along her jaw. “Why aren’t you in LA singing songs?”
“Well, it seems I have an ex who really doesn’t want me to sing songs anymore. He had me removed from the concert lineup.”
“The fuck?” The fury I always feel over this dickhead thunders to life. “I didn’t think he was a part of this concert.”
“He isn’t, but still, his reach is far and wide.”
“Why don’t you sound angry about this?”
“Oh, I’m angry. I screamed. I shouted at some people. I threw a tantrum that you’d be proud of. And then, after Leigh dragged me away from those people, I got on a plane and came to see you.” She pulls my face down to hers. “I’m looking at you, Black, so that’s why I’m smiling now.”
“Callan’s here. We’re watching a game. I’d kick him out, but he’s invited Gage over, and I’m pretty sure Liv will arrive at some point too.”
“So, what you’re saying is that there’ll be no filthy mouth for you tonight.”
“No, what I’m saying is that I’ll have to wait for that filthy mouth.”