Page 92 of Back for Seconds

Hell, I was just happy to be here. Happy to be back with her—talking and fighting and laughing.

I didn’t care if we never said another word. I just didn’t want her to leave my sight. But that wasn’t possible. When had June ever managed to stay quiet?

After a moment, she cracked. “You’ve been doing ok?”

This question lanced me. I stare down at my coffee. “I’ve been alright. Managing. The gym’s been busy, and January always brings in a ton of signups.”

“How’s your family? Are they mad at me for making a scene on their block?”

“They’re great—and no, June. My mom was pissed I didn’t punch Brian back.” My fingers traveled up to my black eye, still discolored and tender to the touch. That fucker wasn’t strong enough to do any real damage.

“You should have. You should have hit him hard as hell,” she said on a laugh. I looked up to find her watching me, head tilted, with those soft, doe-like eyes. “Not for my sake. I just want you to stand up for yourself.”

I shifted on my feet. “I know.” I cleared my throat. My chest felt tight. “I’m working on it.”

She bit at the corner of her mouth. “Good. That makes me really happy.” The dryer beeped, and we both jumped a little. “I’ll go check on that.”

June made for the hallway, sweeping past me just close enough that I caught a whiff of her perfume—the smoky, amber one she wore sometimes. I made out the band name on her T-shirt and, as my eyes traveled over her body, paused on her left hand. A glint caught my eye. And before I could stop myself, I was reaching for her hand, a lump growing in my throat.

How…?

June let out a small gasp when my fingers connected with her wrist. For a moment she resisted my touch, then her hand went soft in mine. I turned her palm over. “Where did you get this ring?”

How?

“Oh—I found it. In the living room.”

“Here?” I asked, my voice urgent.

A simple gold band, a single ruby. On her ring finger.

“Yeah, here. I moved the couch and it was—”

“Was it in a bag?”

“No, why?” She gave me a look like I’d asked her where she kept her underwear. “You’re freaking me out.”

I let go of her wrist. “No reason.” But suddenly, I felt a chill ripple through my body, lighting up goose bumps all over my arms. I felt cold everywhere, except deep in my chest. The strange, tingling, growing ball of something was back in my chest. Lodged between my diaphragm and my heart, pressing on my lungs. Making it impossible to breathe.

“Joey?” June reached out, placing a hand to my forehead. My eyes fluttered shut for a moment under her touch. “You look pale.”

“Sorry, just overheated.” I eased away from her touch. Not a good idea. “Let’s see, uh, what’s going on with the dryer.”

“Did I do something?”

“No—I just—” I pressed the heels of my hands into my eyes. “Uh, that’s my grandmother’s ring.”

“This? Oh my god. You must have been looking for it for ages—”

“No,” I laughed. A dry, humorless laugh. “I’ve had that ring in my possession for the last ten years. She gave it to me right before she passed.”

For the love of your life. Give it to the girl you marry.

June’s entire face pulled into a frown—her eyebrows knit together, her lips jumped into a purse. Her scientist brain was working overtime. “Did you carry it with you? Maybe it fell out of your pocket or—”

“Nope,” I cut her off, shifting helplessly against the kitchen counter. I was trapped her. “I only had it with me once in the last ten years, and that was the other day when Amber gave it back to me. In a plastic bag. And I put it in my jacket pocket and I took it home. I know that for a fact.”

Now June looked pale. She slid the ring off her finger, suddenly holding it like it was molten hot. “Amber had this ring.”