Page 59 of The Truths We Seek

Shae giggles when I pull a face. “Yeah, but Hunter went all out with the Halloween theme and you’re Snow White, so of course he did the apple thing. The house is going to look like Christmas threw up on it this year, I can feel it. Now, let’s dance.”

She takes my hand and pulls me through the writhing crowd. I lose track of time and dance with her until my feet can’t take it any more. Checking my watch, I see it’s almost two in the morning and it’s like seeing the reality of it swipes what little is left of my energy.

“I’m out,” I shout to her and she pouts, but I shake my head. “I’m old, officially, and I need my bed. This princess needs her beauty sleep.”

“Wrong princess.” She sticks her tongue out at me. “But fine, let’s turn back into pumpkins.”

“Still the wrong princess,” I joke and she rolls her eyes. Once we get back to the table, I find Hunter waiting for us. “Ready to go?”

“Oh, I’m just waiting on you, Angel.”

“Where are the others?” I ask, glancing around the room.

“They had to head back already, but we didn’t want to spoil your fun, so I offered to stay behind till you were ready to leave.”

“Well, I am more than ready to leave,” I tell him, clasping my stomach when it growls at me. “But nuggets on the way home?”

He chuckles at me but laughs as he grabs his phone and taps away on the screen. “We can get nuggets. Come on, let’s go. Eddie is outside.”

Hunter leads us through the bar and I wave goodbye to Yen and Tina as we pass them. They had to work tonight, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t get to see them a little. I invited them out for lunch in a few days, quiet girl birthday celebrations because, according to Yen, that’s what friends do.

Who would’ve thought?

The drive home is quiet, especially once I have my nuggies. Bruno and Hunter quietly talk up front and Shae has been stuck to her phone since we got in here.

“Everything okay?” I ask her, and she glances at me, smiles, and turns back to her phone.

“Just worried about Teo. He’s been off lately. His girlfriend left him for someone he thought was a friend just after everything with Tommy and I just… he’s a little lost, I think. Everyone worries about me so much that I worry he gets a little lost in the chaos.”

“The chaos isn’t your fault,” I tell her softly. “But if Teo is struggling, maybe he should come home?”

She sighs and drops her phone into her lap. “That’s what I said, but he’s being a bullheaded dick. I guess it’s kind of a family trait.”

I snort a laugh, nearly choking on a nugget and drawing Hunter’s attention while Shae giggles at me. “It’s okay, death by nugget seems fitting. But yes, definitely a family trait.”

We get home and Hunter drags me to his room, not that I’m complaining. He jumps in the shower while I get undressed and climb into his bed, curling into a ball wrapped in the smell of him.

A kiss on my shoulder startles me. “Didn’t mean to wake you, Angel. Sleep.”

Hunter pulls me into him, my back against his chest, and wraps an arm around me, pulling the duvet over us before settling his hand on my boob, making me smile. “Thank you for tonight. For everything.”

My murmur is ended with a yawn as I snuggle against him.

“This is just the beginning, Angel.”

* * *

Waking up on my birthday in a puppy pile of Rory and Hunter was a great way to start my day. The last few days since the party have been a little chaotic, so I haven’t seen much of the guys, and I’ve only been losing my mind a little with almost nothing to do around the house.

Maybe I’ll talk to Shae about volunteering or something, because there are only so many lunches with friends and shopping trips I can do to keep myself busy.

Not that lunch and shopping with Shae and the girls yesterday wasn’t a great time, I just… I am so not that girl.

At least, I don’t think so. I’ve spent so long being what everyone else wanted and needed me to be, or running, that I’ve never really focused on who it is I am, but I’m pretty sure that the lady of leisure isn’t a hat I can wear.

Not when sitting still makes my hands itch.

Obviously, that doesn’t include scrolling through videos on my phone while binging TV, but a girl can only do that for so long.

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