Page 35 of Bad Luck Club

“This isn’t about you,” he said, pulling his arm free and walking around her to the door. “But I realize you’re right. I do need to work on myself, and there’s someone I have to see so I can start making amends.”

“Lee,” she called after him as he walked out the door.

The pleading in her voice stopped him and made him turn around.

“It’s good that you’re already recognizing the areas of yourself that need healing, but the Bad Luck Club can help you even more. I really hope that…” She looked at a loss for words and then settled on, “I hope that what happened tonight doesn’t screw up the possibility of you joining.”

He knew he should tell her no, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He couldn’t bear the thought of not seeing her again, even if he was playing a dangerous game. So instead, he said, “I’ll think about it.”

She started to say something, then stopped and nodded. “I’ll text you the address.”

He gave her a little wave, feeling something wrenching inside of him, and then left. When he was a block away, he pulled out his phone and sent a text.

Can you come over? We need to talk.

The response was immediate.I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.

* * *

When he got home, he was relieved to find the house dark and quiet. He’d anticipated that—Adalia and Tyrion would be at Adalia’s studio tonight since she was still working on the final piece for her art show, and Jack and Iris were supposed to stay over at Maisie’s—but he’d learned not to rely on things going as planned. He let himself in the house and pulled a pot out from under the stove, filled it with milk, and turned on the burner while Jezebel the devil cat watched him from the top of the cabinets, occasionally hissing to let him know he was only there because she allowed it.

He heard a knock at the door, and then Georgie’s voice called out, “Hey, Lee. It’s me.”

“I’m in the kitchen,” he answered.

She walked in, shrugging off her jacket, and dropped it over the back of a kitchen chair. “What are you doing?”

He reached into the cabinet for the container of cocoa powder. “I had a sudden craving for Mom’s hot chocolate.”

Her lips lifted into a smile, but sadness filled her eyes. “I haven’t thought of that for years.”

“Yeah, I hadn’t either, but I’ve been thinking about her a lot the past day or so.”

She watched him pull out the ingredients—sugar, vanilla extract, salt, and cayenne pepper.

“Do you remember the amounts of everything?” she asked with a small laugh.

“No,” he said, giving her a grin. “But I figure we can experiment. That’s what River does with beer, right? Plays around with the quantity of each ingredient to get the best flavor? Maybe Buchanan can start a hot cocoa line.” He’d been teasing about the last part, but he shot her an uneasy glance. “I owe you a massive apology, Georgie.”

“You’ve been under a lot of stress,” she said, worry filling her eyes.

“That’s no excuse.” He grabbed a wooden spoon and started to stir the milk. “You know, I made this soon after I started dating Victoria. I was missing Mom something fierce, missing you and Addy too.” A lump filled his throat, and his eyes stung. Panic swelled. He hadn’t cried since before his mother died, and he wasn’t going to let himself fall apart now. He couldn’t lose control.Keep it together.

“I take it you didn’t get the flavor combination right then, if you’re still working on it now,” she teased lightly, but he heard the concern lacing her words.

He released a bitter laugh. “No.” He took a breath, letting his emotions settle back into their familiar heaviness beneath the surface of his control. “No. Victoria couldn’t understand why I was making hot chocolate, a children’s drink. I tried to explain that I make it sometimes when I’m missing Mom, but she didn’t understand.” Talk about an understatement. She’d turned up her nose, but they’d still been in the early stages of their relationship. Which meant she’d started stripping off her clothes to smooth things over with sex, and he’d turned his back on the hot chocolate and let her.

He’d told himself she was right. That a man shouldn’t crave sweet things or comfort.

Georgie joined him at the stove, smiling at him. He’d been a shitty brother—beyond shitty—but she was still there for him. That had to be some kind of miracle. “How about we make a few test batches together?”

Out of nowhere, the lump was back, unshed tears stinging his eyes. He engulfed her in a hug, needing human contact. “Georgie,” he pushed out, his breath ruffling her hair. “I’m sorry.”

“I know,” she said into his shoulder as she hugged him back. If she was surprised, she didn’t let on, just held him for several seconds as he soaked her in.

This felt so different than holding Blue, but it was just as meaningful…and in a strange way, that hug had allowed this one. His father had discouraged physical affection, saying it made men weak, and consequently, Lee hadn’t shown any toward his sisters. This must have come out of nowhere for Georgie, and when she pulled away, she found and held his gaze. “Are you okay?”

He released a bitter laugh. “I am sonotokay.”

---