Page 125 of It's Always Sonny

After the last cousin leaves, my family is in the sitting room of Nonna’s lodge. PJ has all the keys, and all of her friends have come back and are sitting together around the couches and on the floor. Everyone lives close enough to drive back tonight, anyway, and so my brothers decided to keep their kids up late so they’ll fall asleep on the drive home.

“Where did you disappear to when everyone was saying goodbye?” Mom asks.

PJ sits beside me on the couch, and although she tries to sit properly, I tug her into my side.

She doesn’t fight.

Man, having her next to me feels good. I should be answering my mom, but all I can think about is how right it feels to have her head against my chest and how good her hair smells. It’s like ginger and citrus, spicy yet sweet. A little like PJ.

“Sonny?” Mom repeats.

“Oh, sorry, I was obsessing over my girlfriend’s smell,” I say. Mostly because I want to say out loud that PJ is my girlfriend, even if the word is woefully inadequate.

PJ slaps my chest, and that only makes my grin bigger.

The Janes all trade looks, and PJ snaps. “That’s enough out of the peanut gallery.”

Lauren and Amber laugh.

“Sonny,” Sienna says. “What the crap were you on the phone about?”

“My agent called earlier and told me I’ve been traded to Seattle.”

My family gasps and groans.

“And I’m coming with him,” PJ says.

“No, you’re not,” I insist.

Everyone is dumbfounded. “You already let her go once, you idiot,” Anthony says.

“I was the idiot,” PJ corrects. “I pushed him away, and I won’t make that mistake again.”

“You didn’t push me away. You did the only thing you could do. I don’t blame you for that. But you’re not leaving your friends.”

“Sonny, it’s not like we’ll stop being friends,” Ash says.

PJ sits up and eyes me like she’s gearing up for a fight. “Thank you, Ash. And congrats on the maturity, Sunshine, but I’m coming with you. Where you go, I go.”

The happiness that was planted in my chest yesterday has already taken root and sprouted. A smile blooms on my face. “Will you shut that pretty mouth so I can tell you what the rest of my calls were about?”

Sauciest. Eyebrow raise. Ever.

“Pray tell,” she says.

“I really like her,” Sienna says in a stage whisper to Chris.

“Me too,” he stage-whispers back.

I slash my hands through the air. “Can y’all shut up, please? Sorry, Mom. You’re good.”

Mom gives me a look but everyone else keeps quiet.

“I was talking to Buster Jackson.”

“Bulldog?” Gabe asks. “I love that guy.”

“Me too,” I say. “I called him for advice, and instead, he gave me a solution. He’s supposed to retire from TSN next year, but they’ve had a hard time finding a replacement. He wants me to interview for his job.”

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