Page 49 of Fixate

Omen snorts. “Yeah, and then you find out she looks like Carole Baskin and owns a bajillion fucking cats.”

City laughs, nodding his head. “And is one of those women who has her bed covered in those character throw pillows and a fully decorated nanna quilt?”

And the jabs keep coming!

Omen widens his eyes. “Or fucking dolls whose eyes follow you everywhere you go!”

I punch Omen in the arm.

Storm scrunches up her face. “Stop it, you guys! I’m sure she is a perfectly normal girl, and she would be lucky to have you, Hoodoo…” She pauses, then continues, “If you don’t choose Maxxy, that is,” she adds, then races off quickly so I can’t reply.

Omen and City laugh.

I roll my shoulders, sinking into the seat. “Fuck my life.”

Omen pats my back, continuing to chuckle to himself. “Look at it this way… you’re definitely attracted to freaks. You have a type, and that’s okay, brother.”

City shakes his head, crunching on his toast as I scowl at Omen. “Maxxy isnota freak.”

Omen waggles his brows. “No, but look at who you came to the defense of first. That says something, doesn’t it?”

“You’re an asshole,” I grumble, and Omen wraps his arm around my shoulders.

“All right, all teasing done. But Hoodoo, you’re wasting your time writing letters to this girl you’ve never met when Maxxy is right here, in the flesh, and you and sheclearlyhave a thing. What thefuckis holding you back?”

“It’s not me… it’s her. I put myself out there this morning in my room, and she shot me down. So I told her to go back to The Plantation.”

City smirks, taking another bite of his toast. “It’s likeDays Of OurfuckingLivesin here. Hoodoo, Maxxy wouldn’t have spent the lasthowever many daysat the hospital waiting for you to wake up if she wasn’t interested. I don’t know what was said in your bedroom, but one of you read the situation wrong, you idiot. If you like her, you need to tell her outright. None of this pussyfooting about shit. It gets you nowhere.”

“I don’t know, man… she seems pretty freaked out about it.”

Omen and City shake their heads. “Your loss, brother. All we’re saying is… we can all see the fire between you two. Don’t let it go to waste. She’s a spitfire, and honestly, Hoodoo, she’s out of your fucking league, so if you can nail that down, then you better get on tha—”

“Yeah, yeah. Fuck you, asshole.” I chuckle, interrupting Omen as he laughs at me.

“Just don’t write it off. Take another swing at it,” City suggests a little more seriously than Omen as Storm brings over my bacon and grits, placing it on the table before me.

“Thanks, Storm.”

“You’re welcome. Enjoy.”

Picking up a slice of bacon, I crunch and chew, contemplating what City and Omen have said.

Maybe I do need to think more about this.

Maybe I wasn’t clear enough when talking to Maxxy this morning.

Maybe the signals were mixed.

All I do know is this bacon is fucking delicious, and I’m glad Maxxy isn’t here to rip it out of my hands for not being the right thing to eat in my recovery process.

Thank God for small mercies.

Later That Evening

After having a day of doing nothing much, lounging back, and relaxing, I sit in the clubroom full from Lani’s dinner. I swear that girl knows how to cook and has missed her calling as a Michelin Star Chef. Grit has bagged himself a good one there, though I have to admit, he’s looking a little pale tonight.

Maybe he’s coming down with something?

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