Page 38 of Molly

“What do you write about? How good they are in bed?”

Evie looks a little shocked by her question but recovers quickly. “No, I don’t sleep with any of them, actually. The page is for dating. I’m trying to findthe one.”

Her smile is so sweet it kills me.Such a little romantic.

“Most of the good ones are already taken,” Jess replies, her eyes locked on Ryan. The atmosphere at the table turns tense instantly.

Evie, being the peacekeeper she is, asks Ryan about work, and they go back and forth until Jess ruins my mood again.

“Ryan has actually done all of my tattoos. I’ve got them all over my body,” she says. The idea of him touching her makes my skin crawl.

Ryan looks at me, sensing my uneasiness, and fakes a cough before changing the subject. “Molly, why don’t you tell Jess about the new succulents you got in today?”

“I’m sure it’s fun, playing with plants all day,” Jess says, smirking.

“More fun than cleaning teeth, I’m sure,” Penny interjects as she sits back down.

Beckett walks back to the table a few seconds later and drops down onto his chair. He looks like he’s just taken a verbal beating, for sure.

The tension between them is intense, and the entire group feels it. Penny turns to Emma and starts giving her bites of cake. She openly ignores Beckett when he speaks to her and when Alex, our weekend waiter, comes over to ask if we want anything else, she makes sure she’s extra flirty.

Beckett glares at her during their entire conversation, and as soon as Alex leaves the table, he stands.

“I’m going to take off. It’s been a day,” he says, shooting another look at Penny. I turn my head towards her, but she doesn’t take her eyes off Emma.

Ryan’s the first to respond. “No worries, man. We should probably go, too. I’ve got to prep for the back piece I’m doing tomorrow, finish the sketches.”

Jess’s whole face lights up, and she stands, showing she’s ready to leave, too. Beckett looks between them and then at Penny. His shoulders slump. “I’ll take Jess home, man. Let you get a head start. I’ve got an easy day tomorrow.”

I like Beckett even more now.

Jess’s eyes go wide. “Oh, uh, that’s okay. I can just hang at Ry’s place while he works if he needs to get back straight away.”

Ryan shakes his head. “Nah, Beck’s right near you. It’ll be on his way, anyway. I’ll catch up with you later, yeah?”

She agrees after a second of silence. She’s pissed, though, doesn’t even try to hide it.

Penny stands, kisses Emma on the cheek, and then disappears into the staff room again. Beckett watches her go and then storms off, pausing just before he closes the front door to call out, “Hurry up, Jess.”

Jess hugs Ryan a little too long and then smiles at me before following behind him. Evie kisses Em, too, and takes off after Penny, leaving the three of us at the table.

I look at the tray of uneaten sandwiches and sigh.

Well, that was a fucking disaster.

“Could have gone worse,” Ryan says, reading my mind.

“Penny’s protective. She’s always been that way, Ry, don’t take it to heart.”

He smiles. “She looks out for you, can’t blame her for that. Just wish she knew how much you mean to me. I won’t hurt you, Mol.”

I nod and quietly say, “Jess was really out of line a couple times there, honey.”

He rubs the back of his neck and lets out a loud breath. “Yeah, I know. I’ll talk to her.”

I nod and lean in to kiss him.

“Mumma!” Emma yells, bringing me back to reality. I look over at her and smile and realise Ryan’s doing the same thing.

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