“Lucky you.” Arden grins. She’s right. They’re terrors together, but there is something special about Penny and Avery’s friendship that is remarkably fun to witness, especially at Declan’s expense.
“Hopefully, I survive.”
“You’ll have Wy and Forker,” Penny says, nudging him with her shoulder. “At the very worst, all you’ll have is a headache.”
Dec scoffs.
Saltzy slides into his chair, wearing a navy, velvet suit that looks so dapper on him, it makes me want to get one myself. I could pull it off. Colours look incredible on me. Don’t act like you haven’t noticed. I’m TikTok’s dream boy for a reason.
Saltzy’s mullet is perfectly styled, red beard trimmed neatly on his jaw. He undoes the button on his suit jacket and sits.
His eyes slide to Arden, who immediately looks away and takes a drink. I cock a brow, but she avoids that too.
“Cap.” Dec nods.
“Hey, boys,” he says with a sigh, grabbing his whiskey on the rocks. He lets out a long breath. “I can’t wait for this to be over.”
“Where’s Caulfield?” I ask.
A stillness goes over the table. I’m not sure why, but I scan everyone’s faces anyway. Are westillnot talking about this? It’s only us here, right now. Four people who have spent more than enough time with them to know what’s actually going on.
Declan swallows, but Saltzy answers without pause. He swirls his whiskey in his glass.
“Eh,” he says with a shrug. “He’s stayed home. I don’t think either of us is ready for events like this yet, if I’m honest. Personal, private ones, fine. Shit this public? He doesn’t want the fanfare.”
Hedoesn’t want it. I try to suppress my grin. Cap is in love. Big time. He isn’t hiding Wyatt, he’s respecting that he wants a private life. They might have just topped Lowesy and Sweets as my favourite couple in this friend group. Mostly because of Saltzy’s dad, though. That’s, like, an automatic extra hundred points.
“He’d come if you really wanted him to,” Penny tells him gently.
Saltzy glances at her, and for a stoic dickhead, he softens a bit around Sweets. I swear, most of us do. It’s like he can see her through Wyatt’s eyes when he looks at her.
“I know, Pen,” Saltzy says. “But I think this is a life people should have a say in. Not everyone wants hundreds of videos made about them, and countless opinions about their lives and their appearance swirling around on the internet.”
Declan nods, as if understanding. So, I do, too.
Saltzy’s head snaps toward me, green eyes narrowing. “The fuck are you nodding for? You repost shirtless videos of yourself to stupid songs three times a week.”
Arden chokes on her drink, breaking into laughter.
That isnottrue. Only if they’re done well. I respect the talent it takes to make thirst traps and get that many views. I know I’m pretty, so I do half of the work for them, but I can give my fans a bit of appreciation by applauding the ones that make me look particularly good.
“It’s like once a week,” I grumble, shooting him a look. “And I’m not embarrassed by that. I give the fans what they want. You don’t give them anything.”
“I’m mysterious,” he counters, and this time, I choke.
Cap making a joke? Unheard of.
“Mysterious, or do you just have the personality of a wet mop?” Boston mutters, falling into his seat next to me.
“Thisis mysterious,” I say, gripping Boston by the suit jacket and tugging him toward me. He winces, shoving my hands off, but I point right to his face and look at Saltzy. “He’s our token mystery man. You’re our token robot. There’s a difference.”
Saltzy stares at me. “Robot?”
I nod, but catch a look from across the table that has me shutting my mouth. Declan’s eyes are wide, his hand is at his throat, telling me to shut the hell up while I am ahead. I snap my mouth shut and look back at Saltzy, who is studying me with a robotic expression.
I mean, my point just makes itself.
“Hm,” he says, leaning back in his seat. Those green eyes burn into my face. “I’ll remember that one, Fork.”
