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But Angie was all smiles, not an ounce of uncertainty coming off her, and that made me happier than I’d been in months.
“I’m really happy for you, Ang,” I told her as I pulled her in for another hug. “It’s about time you got your head out of your ass.”
Choking on a laugh, she pushed me back. “I’ve already told Dad.”
“And?”
“And nothing,” she said with a shrug. “He already guessed.”
“Told you he wouldn’t care.”
“Yeah, well, we still have to tell Jenna’s parents.” Her jaw tightened, and she lost some of that happy glow.
Lucy’s phone went off with a text, announcing Marcus’s arrival downstairs. A glance at my phone screen told me we had to get moving so we could meet Harris on time. “We’re heading to dinner, but maybe we could hang out tomorrow?”
The other girls nodded. “Time and place, we’ll be there,” Angie assured me.
After locking up, the five of us took the elevator downstairs.
“I need to go down to Aunt Emmie’s office tomorrow to record a couple of the new songs I’ve been working on so a few record labels can hear the demos, but I’ll text you afterward.”
“Should I invite Kassa?” Santana asked hesitantly. “I wasn’t sure if…yeah.”
“Kassa is invited,” I assured her as we walked out of the building.
Marcus was already pulled up right in front of the entrance. Seeing us, he jumped out of Lucy’s Rover and opened the back door for her. After hugging everyone goodbye, she walked over, letting him help her into the vehicle.
I paused, giving my stepsister another once-over. “I really am happy for you, Ang. Don’t let anyone pull you down, okay?”
“I won’t,” she promised. “Now, go. You don’t want to keep the pregnant woman from her food. We’ve seen the carnage she can wreak when she doesn’t get fed regularly.”
Laughing, I waved and jogged over to the Rover to climb into the back with my friend.
“I’m so freaking happy for Jenna and Angie,” she said as she got comfortable and turned to face me. “But I’m a little worried about what her mother is going to do when she finds out.”
“Jenna’s been in relationships before,” I reminded her.
Lucy lowered her eyes, a grimace twisting her lips at the memory of Jenna’s last girlfriend. Tessa was still in prison after taking the plea deal for what she’d done to Harris, and I hoped she stayed there. “Yeah, she’s had other girlfriends, but none of them have ever been this serious. I can see how much Jen loves Angie. This relationship means a lot to her. And her mother has never really taken Jenna’s sexuality seriously. When she finds out that Angie is living with her daughter, she might cause trouble.”
“Would Jenna break up with Angie if her mother decides she doesn’t want them together?” Concern for Angie had me holding my breath, waiting for Lucy’s answer. It took a lot for Angie to come out to her father, to go public and move in with her girlfriend. I didn’t want to see her hurt.
“No, of course not. Jenna can’t stand Stella. But that doesn’t mean her mother won’t try to break them up through other avenues.”
“Bitch better watch herself if she tries to hurt Angie. My stepsister can hold her own, but Caleb and I will destroy this Stella cunt if she tries anything.”
--
Dinner with Harris and Lucy took up most of the night. We lingered over dessert and drinks afterward, and I was glad to be there with them. I’d missed them both so much while I was hiding from the rest of the world, and it wasn’t until I was with them again that I understood just how much I really did enjoy hanging out with them.
But it also made me remember all the times we’d hung out in the past. Jace always sat beside me, feeding me bites off his plate.
Harris went back to work, and Lucy and Marcus dropped me off back at my new apartment. The lights were off except for a single lamp in the living room so I could see how to get to my room.
I could hear my new roommate moving around in the room next door, but I didn’t have the energy to knock on her bedroom door to introduce myself. I was tired all the way to my bones, having spent hours on a plane and then hanging out with my best friend. On top of all that, the memories of Jace were shredding me.
I face-planted on the bed, already made up with my sheets and comforter thanks to Angie, but I could have sworn I caught the scent of Jace on the pillowcase. Had my stepsister not washed the linens before putting them on the new bed?
Gross.
