Page 66 of Extra Witchy

All these years, and not one word.They needed to talk about it, but it made Trev’s chest hurt to think about bridging the conversation. Once again, he was alone, struggling with multiple problems, even though he was “married” and supposedly had friends.

Initially, he figured he had no choice but to wrestle this stuff solo, but then it occurred to him:Dante asked me for advice, right? I can do the same.Nothing specific, but maybe the guy would have some helpful insight. And if not, Trev could use the company.

As usual, he made breakfast for Leanne, packed her lunch, did a little cleaning, then worked in the afternoon on various socials. His classes didn’t require attendance; it was all modular work, augmented with forum support and video lessons he could watch at his convenience. Sometimes he marveled at how much his life had changed. These days, he worked freelance—his contribution to Leanne’s campaign spoke for itself—and he got paid enough not to feel like a total waste of air. Therapy was helping to deal with a lot of issues he’d tried—and failed—to handle alone, mostly out of shame and fear of judgment, especially from his old man.

Living in that house really was killing me.

Apart from his mom sending a few texts early on, his family hadn’t contacted him since he moved out, and it had been months at this point. He hadn’t bothered telling them that he was married. Maybe it was petty, but it felt good cutting them off. If he’d ever needed confirmation that he was superfluous, a stain they’d rather rinse away, he had it. His therapist’s advice on dealing with bad thoughts looped in his head, and he tried to breathe, focusing on work instead. When he got to a stopping point, he texted Dante.

Trev:You busy tonight? Wife’s got book club, and I could use some advice.

Dante:I’m there. 7 at Grand?

Trev:Sure. See ya later.

Even this, truth be told, was kind of a big deal. He’d spent so many years feeling like shit that he honestly couldn’t imagine anyone sincerely wanting to hang out with him. So he’d never made any effort to become better friends with any of the poker night guys. His family had told him repeatedly that he was a failure and a loser with nothing to offer, and if they felt that way—

Enough of that.

He’d even started riding his bike to run errands, something he didn’t expect to enjoy, but those moments felt like freedom, even when it was cold as hell. In the end, he’d bought a low-end electric one, so it still counted as a workout. Sometimes he bundled up and went riding when he needed to clear his head. St. Claire didn’t have a bike lane, but most residential streets near the condo were quiet enough that he could race to his heart’s content.

“Are you going out tonight?” Leanne asked.

“Getting a drink with Dante. Should I ask to crash at his place tonight? Unless I’m remembering wrong, you’re hosting tonight, yeah?”

Leanne waved a hand in lazy acknowledgment. “I am indeed. Thankfully, nobody expects anything from me as a hostess. They’ll bring the food, I supply the wine.”

“That sounds fun. I should start a book club,” he said. “Do you think the guys would be up for it?”

“Maybe.”

He crossed to her and kissed her cheek. “So yes or no, do I come back tonight?”

“Hm. I want you here, but we have a lot to talk about, so if Dante is fine with it…”

Trev smiled, trying to seem unfazed.A lot to talk about? What does that mean, Butterfly?“Book-wise or gossip-wise?”

“Both,” she answered.

“That’s cool. I’ll ask Dante if he can put me up. If it’s inconvenient, Titus will always let me keep his couch warm. Enjoy girls’ night, and don’t worry about anything.”

“Thanks, hon.”

After changing his clothes, he decided to eat at Seven Grand as well. He left Leanne fiercely texting with her group chat and muttering over Kalamata olives, whatever that was about. He checked his reflection and headed out, catching a ride to the bar early. Trev ordered a platter of appetizers and a big, juicy burger with a side of sweet potato fries. He’d eaten half his food when Dante showed up.

“Did you starve to death in a past life or something? You couldn’t make do with wings until I rolled up?”

“I forgot to eat lunch,” he admitted.

“Then carry on, man.”

Dante caught up when his steak and fries arrived, and they ate for a bit in companionable silence. “I was glad to get your text, to be honest. Always thought you didn’t much like me.”

Trev blinked. “Are you kidding?”

“Not even slightly. You barely talk to anyone but Titus, even during a game.”

Looking back, Trev realized that was probably right, but it had nothing to do with the other guys. “If I’m being honest, it’s because I didn’t have much to contribute. So it was better to keep my mouth shut. Besides, I was baked a lot.”

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