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Tray stepped in and asked Carter, “You going to Italy this summer?”
It worked like a charm because Mandy’s eyes lit up.
As she turned back to Carter, gushing over the news, I let out a breath of relief.
“Thanks,” I said quietly, my eyes holding Tray’s as I took a sip.
He just nodded and drank his.
And we sat there—Grayley, me, and Tray—silent and perfectly content with it.
Molly and Larkins were flirting. Drunk and flirting.
Carter and Mandy were now kissing, his hand was slipping further up her shirt.
I liked everything else except that. I could do without seeing that.
A few minutes later, Grayley asked,” You calm yet?”
I loved that he knew me so well. He knew I couldn’t handle a lot, not right after a job. And he knew, from the size of the job I just pulled, that I was probably still climbing Mount Everest inside.
“Almost,” I said back, drinking the rest of my cup.
He grinned back at me. His eyes trailing over my shoulders, he spoke, “I gotta go. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
And he was gone. Probably after some girl.
“I like him,” Tray said again.
“Me too.” I grinned, my head falling back against the back of the lounger. “He’s a like brother to me.”
“I know.”
“Yeah.”
We held each other’s gaze.
Hearing Molly shriek in laughter, I sighed.
“Come on,” Tray murmured in my ear, standing up.
I didn’t have to ask what he wanted, so I said instead, “What about them?”
He pulled me behind him, through the crowd. “I gave Larkins cash for a taxi and programmed ‘cab’ in his phone. I told ‘em both they weren’t getting a ride home with me.”
“Hey.” I dug my feet in, pulling him to a stop.
“What?”
“Let’s,” glancing to the front door, I suggested, “is there any way we can avoid the front lawn? Gentley’s out there and I’m not up for a fight.”
He tugged me after him. “You’ll be fine.”
He was right. Gentley took one look, saw I was with Tray, and turned back to his group.
A part of me loved it. The other part of me felt my stomach form knots.
We walked to his SUV and saw that it was blocked in by other cars.
