Page 6 of Come Back to Me

“No. I am. Very annoying.” I bite my lip, knowing that his generosity deserves zero sugarcoating. “I’ll try not to be, but it’s who I am. Some people are assholes, you know? That’s me.” I shrug when Zee snickers in my ear but doesn’t disagree. “I play music at weird hours. I’ll eat all the cereal, and I guarantee I’ll say the things no one should talk about at the dinner table.”

“Okay?”

“He means it,” Zee repeats. “You can come and live with us.”

The words sink into me.

The promise, the hope, the joy?—

“You need to move away so I can squeal,” I warn, heart flowing to overfull when she laughs but slips out of my hold and lets me release a big, “Whoopppeeeeee!”

Colton jumps when I grab his hand and drag him in for a hug too.

“You will totally regret this, Colton, but I’m so freakin’ thankful!” I crow as I wiggle him from side to side. (My dude needs to work on loosening up the tension in his hips.) “I’m going to write a song for you. That’s what I’ll do. No, not a song. An opera. Do you like opera?”

“Not particularly?—”

“How about an EP?”

“Tell her what you want, Colt. She’ll do it.”

His brow furrows when I peer all the way up at him—bitch, I know I’m short, but he’s like a palm tree. “You’ll make an EP for me?”

“Sure. It’ll be great. I need to study you for a little while. Get to learn about the man behind the Korhonen.”

“Is that necessary?” He grimaces. “You don’t have to?—”

“Sure, I do! You’re giving me my best friend back.”

“I’m loaning her to you.”

“Okay, we’ll work out a schedule.” I pat his chest. “It’ll be fine. I promise it’ll be at least 60/40 in my favor.”

That he bursts out laughing tells me he thinks I’m joking. Well aware I’m not, Zee hides another smile as she tucks her arm around his waist. When he kisses her temple, it’s so high-fructose sweet that I have to sigh.

“50/50.” I beam with happiness as I dart forward and pinch her cheek and then his. “You two are so cute, and we’re going to have the best time!”

“I’m sure,” Colt drawls. “Now, I have some work to do, ladies.”

“Yes, you go work and make money, Colton, and I’ll entertain Zee,” I exclaim.

“You’re too generous,” Colton retorts, but he’s shaking his head as he leaves this mahoosive room they call a ‘den.’

Honestly, it’d fit ten hibernating grizzlies.

Both of us wait until he’s at the doorway before, having watched him leave, we tunnel into each other’s arms and dance in a circle, making a racket as we squeal with joy.

Once we pull apart, I get the strangest feeling that someone’s watching me, but when I twist and turn, the den’s empty.

Zee beams with happiness, and I’m big enough to admit that that’s only partly me. Not only is Colton doing a good job of dicking my girl down (a feat well deserving of kudos), but my melancholic best friend is constantly smiling. Even if I had anoriginal problem with Colt for stealing her away from me, how could I begrudge her this level of joy? Whatever he’s doing, it’s making her happy, and that’s all I want for my BFF.

“Pinch me,” I order.

She does. Hard enough to make me squeak. “Seem real enough?”

“Do it again.” This time, I know she’ll leave a bruise, but it has me sighing in delight. “This is real.”

“The Witches of Bitchwick are back!”

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