Page 74 of The Truths We Seek

For her, that’s something I can absolutely do.

Major crisis, I’m the one you want on your side.

Mild inconvenience, you’ll find me rocking in a corner.

Please and thank you.

She just watches me like I spoke to her in Japanese, but I bounce off of bed and into my bathroom. Once I’ve showered and brushed my teeth I shoo her inside then start getting dressed. By the time my hair is dry, she’s out, so I find her some clothes and we head down to the kitchen where the guys are already waiting for us.

Tina pauses at the threshold so I grab her hand and bring her into the room. “Morning.”

The guys look up at my greeting and I sit Tina next to Hunter before moving to the coffee machine. Moments later, Shae, Tonio, and Bruno all walk into the kitchen and I let out a sigh of relief. I was kinda worried about Bruno, cause Meyer was real mad that I ran off and he wasn’t with me. I had to go to bat for him pretty hard, but I was hoping I’d won.

Looks like I did.

Shae is her usual hurricane but it gets everyone talking about something that wasn’t yesterday and by the time I hand over a coffee to Tina and sit down next to Meyer, she’s smiling, everyone else is laughing, and it really is just like a normal day.

Thank you, Shae, for not making me a liar.

Once breakfast is over, Shae declares she’s going shopping and Tonio’s grumbling keeps everyone laughing until they leave.

The lightness Shae brought in leaves with her and I watch as Tina mentally crawls back inside herself.

Shit.

Before she spirals too deeply, I open my mouth, hoping to get things put to rights. “Anything we need to know about yesterday?”

The three guys stare at me like I have two heads, but Tina keeps her gaze on her coffee cup in her hands.

“All wrapped up,” Rory tells me, like he gets it. “Nothing for you, either of you, to worry about.”

Hunter and Meyer seem to catch on quick enough and murmur their agreement. “Is there anyone who would miss him?” Hunter asks Tina. “A steady job? Roommate?”

“Nothing like that,” she replies quietly, shaking her head. “He stayed at my old apartment, but I haven’t paid rent there since I moved, so he was probably kicked out. A job isn’t something he’s ever held outside of dealing. He doesn’t have any family, and his friends... they’re not real friends.”

“Okay, good.” He nods, winks at me, then smiles at Tina again. “Means there’s nothing else to be done. You get to move forward and get on with your life now.”

“Does that mean I need to leave the apartment? Get a new job?” she asks, quickly glancing around at them before staring back at her hands. It hurts my heart to see her so timid again.

“Who said anything about that?” Meyer asks, staring at her until she looks up at him. “You’re Quinn’s friend, which means you’re our people. The apartment and the job are yours for as long as you want them.”

“Plus, if you leave right now, Yen will literally cut off my balls,” Hunter jokes, drawing a laugh from Tina.

Jeez, I love that man.

“Thank you,” she says quietly.

“Not needed,” Meyer says before Hunter starts talking about some insanity for Thanksgiving.

Tina’s eyes go wide at the change of subject, but I smile at her, grab her coffee cup, and head over to the machine to make us another one.

Maybe I should feel worse about what happened yesterday, maybe I should worry about murder being so very nonchalant in my new life... but just maybe, this ease and acceptance and love is everything I’ve ever hoped for.

* * *

“I can’t believe it’s freaking December.” I complain for the umpteenth time as Shae drags me around store after store to shop for gifts. After the whirlwind of November and Thanksgiving, eating way too much food, everyone just jumped into Christmas like it’s their favorite time of year. Which it actually seems to be, but still.

It’s been party this, decorate that, shopping this, wrap that and I swear, I’m almost over it already. I feel like the joy of Christmas is for kids and I missed out on that. We don’t have any small humans around—and I don’t intend on there being any anytime soon, either—so it’s a little less sparkle than it should be. That magic isn’t quite hitting the way I thought it would.

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