Page 107 of Your Side of the Offense

All eyes turn to us when I get to the living room. Caleb, Harv, Jaden, and Martin.

"Hey, pretty girl." Martin beams at me, and I can't help the smile.

"Martin, hello." Me and him have met here and there in our social circles. We have only conversed with others. I know he is more friendly with them, but he was a friendly to Logan's camp too. And after last night, I don't even know the kinds of things that have gotten to Logan's ears. Not that it matters anymore.

"Um, can I make myself food?" I gesture behind me to the kitchen when they won't stop looking at me like they are expecting me to say something.

Arch wraps his arms around me from the back. "Come," he says to my ear, and I can see their reactions to my body's reaction to Arch.

"Marty, beat it," Caleb says.

I turn before that gets deeper but not before I see Martin's wide grin. I let Arch lead me to the kitchen and watch him prepare to make my latte.

"Bye, Summer." I hear Martin's amused voice as he exits the house.

"Bye, Martin." I can just imagine what he thinks is going to happen. I sigh as I stand there and watch Arch turn on the coffee maker before he proceeds to take out things for breakfast.

It seems no one started on breakfast, so I guess we are doing that. We work in silence as I help him make breakfast. The other guys continue talking amongst themselves on the couch watching TV.

You'd swear I don't have a third degree pending. But I decide to just keep calm, knowing whatever is going to happen is going to happen anyway.

32

DROP IT LIKE IT’S HOT

Caleb

Jaden, Harvey, and I watch Arch and Bumble make food and set the table. None of us want to disturb the domestic porn that's happening right in front of our eyes. I don't know what it is about watching her just existing that is so satisfying. Adding to that the fact that she probably isn't seeing that loser. Maybe today is looking up.

Her and Arch seem less inclined to hide their little touches and the looks they share. And I am too curious about what happened.

Are her and Logan really over because he doesn’t think so, but she's acting very single right now and knowing Summer it’s not unprovoked.

We get up and sit at the table when they are done.

"The food looks great, Sunshine." Jaden breaks the silence.

Arch glares at him. "I made it too."

"We don't care," I say as I fork the bacon.

"Come on, Arch…helped too." Bumble shrugs and we chuckle. Arch smiles because she is saying it. Out of all of us, Arch is most attached and dependent on Summer. She is like the air he breathes. Watching their love has always fascinated me. And how Summer can match his intensity and even quail it.

If Summer is the Joker, then Arch is Harley Quinn because there will only ever be one right side, and that is Summer's. If Summer was running a cult and she said everyone must go jump in the volcano, Arch would be the first to follow her.

Not even because he believes there would be any reward, he just stans Summer and if he could live under her skin, he would. That kind of intensity is beautiful to witness but when things get bad, then it’s bad.

Before it would make me feel like what I bring to the table for her wasn't adequate, but Summer had enough heart for all of us and what she gave me was also beyond what I thought I could get.

I mean, the sex stuff is great, she's liberated, but with Summer the real treasure is when you look underneath. A lot of people probably wonder why all of us have clung to the idea of her for so long when we could move on, but she feeds our souls. And that's the sum of it.

"Your boyfriend came here last night looking for you," Harvey says casually as he slices a piece of grilled tomato.

"He is not my boyfriend anymore," she says with gritted teeth.

All of us stop chewing. I mean, we had hoped it was over, but we couldn't be sure.

"Really?" Jaden's voice comes out chirpier than I think he intended, and she snorts.

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