Page 14 of The Wright Man

"Oh my God!" I gasped. "You beat the pee outta him!"

Maleek grinned wider. "It's his own fault. He hurt you."

"You beat the pee outta him," I repeated, wheezing. "Like—who does that? That's... that's talent!"

He gave me this look—shy but smug—then he picked up the lunchbox like it weighed nothing and started walking.

I followed him, skipping a little, still snorting. And I don't know what made me do it—maybe the adrenaline, maybe the scraped-up gratitude sitting heavy in my chest—but I threw my arms around him. Tight.

He didn't flinch. He just hugged me back, one arm around my shoulder, the other still holding the lunchbox.

I hugged him until my arms got tired, then let him go.

"Angelica…" he started, looking deadly serious all of a sudden, "Please don't tell everybody I made him pee himself."

"Oh, I'm telling everybody."

"Angel…"

"Everybody!"

He shook his head, but I swear I saw him smile.

And right then, I knew.

If the world ever ended, I'd want to be standing next to Maleek Wright when it did.

* * *

Angelica

Now

"Angie… Angie!"

Bella's voice drew me out of the memory.

I blinked. Took a breath. Set him down somewhere in the back of my mind where I could deal with him later, like a box you slide under the bed and promise yourself you'll sort through eventually.

"Hmm?" I said, still too chipper to fool even myself. "What we talking about?"

"Ang, do you need to leave to have a full emotional breakdown? We won't judge." Bella slid a mimosa toward me, kissing her teeth because she already knew the answer. "Hell, I might join you."

Tina looked up from her phone. "You good, babe? We know you and Maleek are… complicated, since you drifted apart."

Complicated. An understatement if I ever heard one.

I nodded. "Yeah. I just… yeah. I'm good."

That was enough. They didn't push, but I knew the inquisition would come later. I looked at Tina and pivoted quickly.

"So what were we talking about? Rickety Rico again?" I joked, referring to Tina's perpetual on-again, off-again situationship.

Bella cackled as Tina replied, "Biiiitch, don't get me started!"

We ate. We laughed. We roasted celebrities, each other, and Rico "accidentally" liking his ex's bikini pic on Instagram.

"It wasn't even an accidental like," she said, face twisted in disbelief. "That thumb paused, bitch. He studied that ass. Analyzed it. Both cheeks. That was an intentional like."