Page 62 of Plum

“Adam Wade begs to differ.”

“Adam Wade’s out of his damn mind.”

“I don’t know.” Nevaeh’s smile doesn’t falter, but her brown eyes grow a touch warmer. “I always thought you had more sense than any of us. Except maybe Harper Ruth.”

I lift a shoulder. “Sense ain’t one of those things that catches or keeps a man.”

We share a moment of silent commiseration, the kind you can have with an old friend who knows where you come from. I had a junkie mom. Nevaeh had a creepy stepfather. We both escaped with the help of men too old and too fast for us, and turns out, neither of us got too far in the long run.

“How’d you catch him, anyway?” Nevaeh’s attacking her banana split again with grim determination. It’s almost painful to watch.

“Didn’t you hear from whoever told you the gossip?”

“It was Fay-Lee Parsons, and she didn’t know. She said you haven’t been around the clubhouse.”

“Because of the ankle.”

“You been out of work?”

“Yeah. Cue put me out on short term disability, and Deb hooked me up with some side work. She showed me how to do the bills for businesses. I can do it from home.”

“Deb trusts you with that?”

I shrug and smile. Nevaeh’s been gone almost ten years now. She left right before the shit went down with Deb’s daughter, and all the shit that happened after. She ain’t savvy to all the ties that bind us anymore.

Deb’s daughter Crista was attacked by some enemies of the club when she was walking home from school. It was real bad. The doctors didn’t think she’d make it, and it was touch and go for months. Deb’s nerves got shot, but she’s the VP’s wife, right? And even though nobody talks about it, she’s the money man. For the club and the businesses. She can’t be losing her shit.

So, I hook her up with some weed, a few Xanax here and there when Crista’s got a surgery or things are especially rough. I keep my mouth shut, and now when I need a favor, Deb’s got me. It’s how it works in the club. Nobody in the real world knows loyalty, but we do. We hold themselves to that. The menandthe women.

As far as the club’s concerned, Nevaeh Ellis ain’t loyal. She fucked around on Forty, although I got questions about that. The rest of the club, though, they convicted her a decade ago. It’s gonna be hard for her back here in Petty’s Mill.

“So why did you really come back?” I ask.

Nevaeh sighs and licks the back of her spoon. “I got into some trouble in the big city. I need a place to lay low for a while. Lou’s still living in Mom’s house. He said I could have my bedroom back if I cook and clean.”

“You’re a house mouse for your brother?”

“Don’t be gross. But yes.” She wrinkles her nose. “So, tell me about your whirlwind romance with Adam Wade. Let me live vicariously. Does he take you on shopping sprees? Buy you furs? Has he flown you to Paris?”

I roll my eyes, but my stomach kind of lurches. Except for that first dinner, we haven’t really gone anywhere. He comes over during the week when I have PT, and he always shows up Friday evening and stays until Monday morning. We cook, go for rides, fuck for hours. Do stupid shit like take baths together. He works a lot on his laptop, and then he gets restless and tries to fix things around my house. It sounds lame, but it’s…nice. Just nice.

“We don’t go anywhere. We stay in.”

“At his place in Pyle? I bet he lives along the river in some kind of penthouse. He does, doesn’t he?”

“No. We stay at my place.”

Nevaeh raises her eyebrows, incredulous. “You bagged a millionaire, and you hang out here?”

I shrug.

“Is he hiding you?” Nevaeh scrapes the bowl with her spoon. Looks like she’s found more room. “Oh, fuck that shit, Jo-Beth. You deserve fur coats and trips to Paris.”

“This trouble in Pyle. He buy you a fur coat?”

“I’m vegetarian.” Nevaeh drops her spoon with a clatter and a drawn-out sigh. “I know we haven’t seen each other in a long time, but I’m gonna tell you what I’d tell any friend. Don’t let a man treat you like his mistress if you aren’t getting mistress benefits. Pearls, at least. Something you can hock, after.”

My stomach lurches again and goes sour.

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