Page 22 of Meet Me in the Blue

“Fuck.”

“Do you fold?”

“Wrong game, asshole.”

Ron chuckled.

Will checked his watch again and nodded. “Shit, we better get going.”

“Why is it that we never finish an actual game?” Travis stood and stretched his arms over his head. “Isn’t it the point to be the last man standing? We never have a winner. I feel like we’re doing this wrong.”

“Next month, we should play on a Saturday and maybe we’ll actually finish this time.” Will gathered his deck as he stood too.

“Well, I had the most hit points left so I’m the winner.”

“Fuck off, Ron.”

Ron threw Travis a kiss. “Always the sore loser.”

Luka stood, tangling his fingers together while he watched us clean up the game. His red deck was neatly piled on the kitchen island next to his car keys. It was his deck from when we were kids. I’d kept it for him all this time.

“Stay a minute,” I asked him as the guys started for the front door. “If you can.”

“Yeah… okay.”

Ron gave Luka another hug, while the other guys gave him a nod as they left the kitchen. On my way to say goodbye to my friends, I thought I heard Luka ask Belle if she wanted to go outside.

“Next month I’m winning this shit,” Travis said as he pulled me into a hug, smacking my back, like some men did, hard enough I almost coughed. “Talk soon, man. Come on, Will, or I’ll make you walk. Lord knows you could use the exercise.”

“What a dick,” Will said, laughing as he waved at me. “See you later. Thanks for having us.”

Ron lingered, looking over my shoulder through the open door. Once the engine on Travis’s truck rumbled, he said, “Luka is different now.”

“I know.”

“He’s hurting. Go easy on him, even though he doesn’t deserve it.” Ron rested his hand on the back of my neck and pulled me in for another one of his big hugs. “Don’t forget what I said. We all love in our own way, and that man loves the fuck out of you.” I didn’t move, needing to breathe, needing to take a few minutes to gather my thoughts. “It’s going to be okay.”

“I’m nervous,” I admitted as I pulled away. “I want to stay mad at him, but I also want things to be like they were.”

“You’ll figure it out.” He bumped his fist lightly into the center of my chest. “Call me this weekend. Maybe we can go fishing.”

“Sounds good.”

I waited till he was pulling out of the driveway before I went back inside. The house was empty, but the back door was cracked open. Luka was in the middle of the yard, eyes to the sky. A tan, fluffy smear of color ran through the woods toward the dock, barking happy little barks, most likely chasing another poor small animal.

“How many did you find?” I whispered, staring up at the stars as I stood next to Luka.

“Only twenty so far.”

I pressed my lips together, fighting myself, fighting the words I wanted to say. We were kids again, counting stars, and like he could read my mind, he reached out and looped his pinky with mine.

“I’m glad you have the guys,” he said, and I turned my head and faced him. He didn’t look back, his throat bobbing as he spoke. “I didn’t have friends in California. I went out to the clubs sometimes with some of the waiters I worked with when I needed to get out of my head. But I didn’t have friends. I’m glad you weren’t alone.”

“I wasn’t alone. But I was lonely.” That got his attention. We stared at each other, his silver-blue eyes sparkling under the low light of the moon. “I’m lonely, Luka. I think I’ve been lonely for a long time.”

“You and Ron seem… close.”

“He’s been a good friend.”

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