Page 45 of With You

“Sam, we’re worried about you.” At least she was direct. It would have been annoying if she tip-toed around the obvious. “I, we, thought that after, well, everything, you could use a girls’ night.”

“Everything?”

“You know…everything,” she repeated like the word itself conveyed her secret meaning.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake. She means after you getting shot and your man blowing town like his ass was on fire,” Jo shouted from her place on my couch where she was riffling through the tackle box that seemed to be stuffed full of makeup.

Winnie’s nose wrinkled and she didn’t hide her obvious displeasure at her friend’s outburst. “Jo, really? We talked about this in the car.”

“What? Sam and I are cool. She was getting frustrated with you cock-footing around the whole missing two-hundred-and-twenty-pound alpha situation.”

“Cock-footing?” the woman sitting next to Jo on the couch asked, a folded slice of pepperoni pizza halfway to her mouth.

“I’m tired of the word pussy having a negative connotation, so I’m replacing it with cock. Or sometimes dick. Penis, if I’m around the church ladies and I don’t want to offend their delicate constitutions.”

“Nice,” she and Jo did a complicated handshake that was perfectly in sync. “I’m Jesse, by the way.” She waved her pinky as she tore into the pizza. My stomach growled and she nudged the box toward me. I reached in, grabbing my own piece and taking a bite.

“Jesse? Why does that sound familiar?” I asked her after swallowing.

“You’re looking at the new Falls Security office manager,” Jo answered for her, cluing me in and reminding me of the memo that Gray had sent out a month ago. There were all of five of us in the office, he could have stuck his head into the hallway and shouted to get the same effect.

“I’m so proud of my baby sister, her first real life job.” Jo squeezed her sister’s cheeks between her palms and smooshed her face together, Jesse rolling her eyes at the praise.

“I’m pretty sure I’m answering phones, there’s been no talk of managing the office.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. Gray is super high maintenance. In high school, he used to spend thirty minutes every morning trying to get the perfect just rolled out of bed look for his hair.” Winnie grabbed the white box with Sweet Cheeks emblazoned across the top and flipped it open.

“Grayson is wonderful, don’t let her scare you,” Lily defended as she plucked a cupcake out of the box and offered it to me. The pink-iced delicacy was topped with real strawberries and dusted with powdered sugar. I gave Lily a lesser version of my stink eye, she knew my weakness far too well. In return, she smiled at me sweetly and giggled when I moaned around the first bite.

“Says the woman who’s sleeping with him. I think your opinion is compromised,” Winnie said, poking her friend playfully with the toe of her shoe.

This entire situation was bizarre. Is this what it was like to have a group of female friends? They just showed up when you were at your lowest with junk food and makeup? No one was mentioning sports or how much they could bench press for ten reps in three sets. It was…nice.

Lily’s cheeks flushed bright red and she pushed her shoulders back with a confidence she hadn’t had when she first moved to town. She looked good, happy even, like she hadn’t been kidnapped by a rich asshole who was intent on making her his latest possession.

She noticed my staring and her eyes dropped to my arm, hidden beneath the fluffy fabric of my robe. Her forehead creased in concern. “How are you feeling?”

Notes of guilt laced her words and I swallowed the rest of the cupcake. I’d never want her to feel like my getting shot was somehow her fault. I would’ve taken ten more bullets to get her out of that hell hole. Not only was it my job, but I liked Lily, she was a good person who didn’t deserve the hand she’d been dealt early in life.

“I’m good, really.” My smile was genuine and she visibly relaxed at my reassurance. She deserved to finally get a chance to move on from the ugliness of her past.

“Right,” Jo clapped, gaining our attention. “Who needs a pre-game drink before we head out to Brooks’?”

No one spoke up and Jo’s shoulders slumped. “None of you, really? Winnie, what about you?”

“Sorry, Jo, I have to be home to breastfeed Faye in two hours.”

“Mom-tits, understood, I’m with you in spirit. Lily?”

“I think I’ve had enough mind-altering substances to last a lifetime.”

“Fair enough. Sam?” Jo stuck out her lip and pouted, her eyes taking on a hangdog quality that I didn’t know was possible.

“Sorry, can’t drink on medication.”

“Noooo. This girls’ night is losing steam. I refuse for our official introduction of Sam into the ladies’ club to end like this. No one’s going to drink with me?”

“Hello, I’m sitting right here and you haven’t asked me.” Jesse raised a brow at her sister and waved her hands in front of her face.

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