Page 51 of Extra Witchy

To her surprise, Trev slung an arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. “Nah, she knows me better than that. Sustained bickering takes too much energy.”

“It’s true.” She added to Titus, “Your house is so inviting. Thanks for having us over.”

“My pleasure. And Trev’s right, I made chicken marsala. There’s also roasted potatoes, a green salad, and some fresh-baked bread. I thought we could have it with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. But if that’s too many carbs—”

“It sounds delicious,” she cut in with quiet amusement.

She could practically smell how nervous Titus was. The poor man was nearly wringing his hands, and now she got why Danica liked him. For her part, he wasn’t her type physically, as she wasn’t a fan of burly or bearded, but that wide-eyed earnestness and eagerness to please, yeah, she saw it. At least his beard was well-groomed. She’d seen a few where the owners appeared to be storing food for winter or something.

As predicted, she enjoyed the meal down to the last bite. In fact, she ate until the band of her skirt pinched at the waist, and she didn’t even finish a whole slice of cheesecake on her own. She nibbled a few bites then gave the rest to Trev, while Doris looked on with huge, sad eyes. At first, Leanne wasn’t sure what to make of such a huge dog. Truthfully, she was a little scared of them, but Doris seemed docile enough. Leanne gave her a wide berth anyway, just in case.

And, of course, Trev noticed. “Does she freak you out?” he whispered, once the other pair headed to the kitchen with their plates.

She eyed the dog who was currently lying on the rug in the kitchen, watching while Titus and Danica tidied up after the meal. “A little,” she confessed.

“Did something happen?” he asked.

How does he always know?

Normally, she wouldn’t share a story like this. What was the point? But she found herself saying, “When I was eight, I was walking home from school. It took forever if I stuck to the sidewalk, but if I cut through people’s yards, it was much faster. Hardly anybody had fences in that neighborhood, and…” Her heart lurched with remembered fear. “The dog was huge, and it came out of nowhere. Baring its teeth, chased me all the way home. I didn’t get bitten, but…”

I did wet my pants.

That was how scared she’d been. As usual, Junie wasn’t home. She’d spent the night with a guy who wasdefinitelythe one. Left a note on the fridge that had no food in it. Leanne had dug in the couch for quarters, bundled up her clothes, and dragged them all the way to the laundry building, about a block away inside the crummy apartment complex they’d lived in at the time. She’d learned a long time ago that it was a bad idea to rely on other people, even if they were supposed to be there for you. In theory anyway.

Her husband rounded the table and wrapped his arms around her, giving her a gentle hug from behind. “You were terrified, and you’re still nervous. I get it. I won’t push you to pet Doris or anything, but she’s a sweet dog. She’ll be there when you’re ready.”

Before she could reply, Titus came out of the kitchen with a big smile. “Who’s up for some Spirit Island?”

***

Trev had never seen this game before or heard anything about it from Titus.

That meant his friend had bought it special for this occasion. And it wasfun, not just a board game. It also had cards and lots of backstory. While he still preferred video games, it was hard to find one that made sense for four players, and the physical logistics would be tough too. This allowed everyone to participate, gathered around the table to learn all the rules, and Leanne seemed to enjoy it as well.

Before things kicked off, Trev got up, ostensibly to help Titus make coffee, but as soon as they reached the kitchen, he said, “Look at you. How long did you hunt for the perfect game?”

“Not long,” Titus said defensively. “Just a simple online search. And the reviews were glowing, it’s supposed to be—”

“Thanks for making the effort,” Trev cut in.

“I just wanted us to have fun. I can’t believe you’re married!” Titus hugged him around the shoulder, his smile so wide, it looked like it might crack his face. “You owe me since I’ve decided to be the bigger man and get over being left out of the loop.”

“Leanne only told Vanessa and Margie,” he pointed out. “So does this mean we don’t need to have the serious heart-to-heart you mentioned before?”

Titus sighed softly. “I just want to be sure you know that I don’t call you only because it’s convenient. We’ve been friends since high school. You were the first person who spoke to me after I transferred, and you were popular, dude.Everyoneliked you—have you forgotten that?”

In all honesty, most of high school and some of college was a blur. To quiet his anxiety, he’d gotten good at substituting booze and weed for confidence. Titus and Trev had gone to the same university briefly, but then Titus left because his mom got sick, and Trev partied nonstop until he met Sarah. Two paths diverged, and—he couldn’t remember the rest of the quote. Something about the woods, which didn’t apply to their situation anyway.

“It’s not comforting to hear my best days might be behind me, you know?”

“Bullshit,” Titus said. “You lost your way for a bit, but you’re finding the path now. In the beginning, I had my doubts about the two of you as a couple, but you and Leanne look great together. I’msohappy for you, seriously.”

This was the moment when he should confess his relationship with Leanne wasn’t what it seemed. But, as he warmed the milk, he couldn’t bring himself to do that. Trev kept quiet while Titus filled the tray with coffee supplies and carried it out.He wouldn’t understand. And I don’t want him thinking badly of Leanne.

Whatever. Let’s live in the moment.

He surprised himself by letting go of all the worry and just enjoying the evening. Spirit Island was genuinely entertaining as well as incredibly challenging, and he lost himself in the game for several hours. In fact, it was later than he expected when Leanne yawned. Trev didn’t think it was a “wow, I’m tired of being here” cue, but she must be sleepy after the stress of dealing with Dan Rutherford, her first speech, and then all those carbs.

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