Page 111 of Encore
I grabbed a box and headed for the back door.“No, I was the one who didn’t want everyone knowing our business.”
“Uh, excuse me.”Lark ran after me and grabbed my arm, stopping me.“Since when areweeveryone?I thought we were tight.What the fuck?”
“What’s going on?”Bailey came over to where we were glaring at each other.“I thought you two were pissed at me.It’s a little early in the game to be this fractured, don’t you think?”
“I don’t know,” Lark bit out.“How about you ask Alice here?Apparently she doesn’t think we merit being in the know about what’s going on in her life.”
“What?You mean how she’s with Noah?”Bailey cocked her hip to rest the box she was holding.“Or is something else going on that she’s not telling us about?”
“At this point, there’s no telling.”Lark scoffed.
I groaned.“That’s not fair, Lark.I just, I’m…I got burned pretty badly with Parker —you guys know that—and I’m not really eager to put myself out there like that again.”
“With guys or with us?”Lark raised her eyebrows.“Because from where I’m standing, it feels like you don’t want us in your life like that either.”
It felt like she’d landed a physical blow.“What the hell are you talking about?”
“I thought we were family!”Lark shouted.“You’re my girl.And Bailey’s my girl.Sure, I’ve got my mom and my sisters, but it’s not the same, and you know it.We’re supposed to be tight.We’re supposed to be family.What the fuck is going on with you?”
“Seriously?”I shook my head, incredulous.“Do you know how long it took me to get over what Parker and the guys did to me?They took my whole life away.I went from having a boyfriend and a family we put together with the band to having nothing.Nothing.I lost my boyfriend, my boys, my band, my home—everything that made me feel secure.I don’t, I wouldn’t survive if that happened to me again.It’d break me.”
“But we’re not them.”Bailey dropped her box and put her hand out like she wanted to touch my shoulder but was afraid I’d turn rabid and bite her.
“And you can count on us.”Lark tilted her head, sympathy shining from her eyes.“We won’t turn into douchey guys who bitch about one of us getting more attention than the others.”
“Mostly because we’re happy for Lark to take that bullet,” Bailey snarked, making me laugh reluctantly.
Lark shot her a fake glare.“All for one.Always.”
“Always,” Bailey repeated, putting her hand in the middle of our group.
Lark put her hand on Bailey’s and they both looked at me, patiently waiting.
I sighed and dropped my box then put my hand on theirs.“Always.”
“Monarchs soar!”Bailey yelled, lifting her arms in the air.
I laughed wetly, then swiped at my eyes.
“So seriously, what’s going on with you and Noah?”Lark asked again.
Bailey’s wide-eyed gaze bounced between us, but she didn’t say anything.
“A lot.”I sighed.“It started out platonic after he apologized for being a dick.We hung out, and he came to the shelter a few times when I was volunteering.But somewhere along the way, I started falling for him.And now…”
“Now you don’t know how to handle it because everyone leaves you,” Bailey finished for me.
I swung an incredulous look her way.I knew she had depth, but I never expected such a nuanced take from her, and especially not after three drinks.
“What?”Bailey shrugged.“You kinda use your insecurities like armor.You got don’t fuck with me vibes for days.It’s one of the reasons guys hit on you so often.They like the challenge.”
“Not to mention you’re gorgeous,” Lark tossed in.
Bailey lifted a shoulder.“I thought that went without saying.”
“When does a woman ever not want to hear that she’s gorgeous?”Lark asked incredulously.
Bailey tipped her head.“Touché.”
