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I turned to see Maverick’s eyes cast down and his hand rubbing the back of his neck. Magnum had his hands shoved in his pockets and stared at him like he was talking about some secret, taboo, off-limits subject. I felt privy to something big, and it gave me pause, no longer concerned with any mushy-ass romantic sentiments that would sneak past my lips. I could wax poetic limericks about her fucking ankles next, and I doubt these two would mind.
“I know what it’s like to have someone complete you in every conceivable way possible and then have it ripped the fuck away. So if Addison makes you better and gives you the inspiration to draw or do whatever the hell you want to do, embrace it. And do whatever it takes not to lose it.”
“Maverick, bro,” Magnum said, pulling him into a tight hug. “You know what happened, wasn’t your—”
“What do you say, Simon?” Maverick asked, hitting Magnum on the back, hard, then pushing away from him and glaring at me. “You going to come to the office and help us with some projects? Maybe look at our website and see if it needs an overhaul?”
“Yeah. I’d like that,” I answered, still unsure of the trauma I saw pass over Maverick’s face, but it wasn’t my place and hella-awkward. He was done talking about it, judging from how Magnum flexed his shoulder where Maverick hit him.
“Good, let’s see what the others ordered for lunch, then go over the upgrades so you can sing our praises to your girl.”
I scoffed at hearing him refer to Addison as my girl again but wisely kept my mouth shut as we walked into the kitchen, listening to the lighthearted laughter of Miller. He’d convinced Mark to remove his bulletproof vest and strap on the hot-purple front pack. They passed a treat pouch back and forth and took turns feeding the cat.
“Think fast,” Mark called, throwing the pouch at me. I caught it and let the cat sniff my hand before she gobbled up the foul-smelling treat I’d removed. Mark nodded like I’d passed some unspoken test, and the tension I’d been carrying on my shoulders melted. I fed the cat another morsel, sliding into an easy banter with the brothers like I’d been doing it for years.
