Page 54 of The Grief We Hold

They link arms as they wobble down the hallway in tall heels. I envy their easy, unapologetic confidence.

“You think Wraith fucked that bitch he brought with him?” the other girl asks.

Karlie chuckles. “She looked like she had a broom stuck up her ass, so I doubt it.”

“She’s so old, I bet her coochie has cobwebs.”

I’m annoyed they think nearly thirty is old.

And any coochie cobwebs have been well and truly cleared out.

With a shiver, I think about the way Wraith’s piercing rubbed me in all the right places.

A part of me wants to say something to them, but it would be a childish, ego-driven reaction.

Let them think what they will of me.

But I follow them, hoping they are headed for the kitchen to get Butcher’s coffee. When we get there, women move around with ease, making different meals as kids run beneath their feet.

But the smell of coffee and fried food is undeniable.

“Morning, Raven,” Ember says when she sees me. “You want some bacon?”

“I’d love some, please.”

The two girls I followed in turn around and gape at me for a second. Trying to be the bigger person, I ignore them.

“You wanna take Wraith some breakfast? I think I saw him headed to the armory,” Ember asks.

“If you think I should.”

She nods. “You should. That man forgets to eat in the morning. He just mainlines coffee.”

I wonder for a second how she knows. It would be supremely awkward if she had slept with him.

Ember throws together two plates. One is stacked with eggs, bacon, toast, and pancakes. The second is a little smaller with the same assortment. “There you go. Go into the bar and take the immediate left. Cutlery is in the drawer.”

Now that my hands are full, I realize I’m not going to be able to carry coffee. But the food gives me a reason to talk with Wraith.

The bar is a hive of activity as people try to pack up the temporary sleeping situations.

I turn phrases over in my head as I walk.

Hey, I grabbed you some breakfast.

Ember said you hadn’t eaten yet.

You wanna grab some breakfast with me?

I wonder if any of these suggest I’m failing at a one-night stand.

The door to the armory bursts open as I approach it, and Grudge steps out still talking to whoever is inside. “And we need to find out what made them turn around instead of coming straight here,” he says before he turns and grins at me. “Morning, Raven. One of those for me?”

“Oh, no… I mean, sure. I can get another.” I offer him the plate with the least food.

“Just teasing you, Raven. Go feed your man. He’s like a bear with a sore head this morning. Gets hangry when he hasn’t eaten.”

My man.

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