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I rang the bell and Jeremy answered with a smile. “Good evening, Miss Frankie. You’re early.”
“I know, sorry to be a bother.”
“Never a bother. Mr. Archie and the boys are out on the second-floor deck,” he told me as he closed the door after letting me in. “Fair warning, they are in a bad temper and have been arguing for the last couple of hours.”
“Well, hopefully, I can fix that.”
“I wish you good luck, then. Would you like any refreshments to fortify yourself with before tangling with them?”
I laughed. “I’m good. At least right now. I might need to sneak into the liquor later.”
“Duly noted. I did not tell you that Mr. Archie’s father moved the key to the cabinet in the den to the snuff box on the mantle.”
“And I did not hear that.”
We eyed each other in understanding.
“Very good and, again, good luck.”
Worry vied with anxiety as I made my way upstairs. I avoided looking at Archie’s room as I navigated toward the solar doors that opened onto the second-floor deck. I didn’t regret it.
I refused to regret our night.
But I had to focus on right now.
When I let myself out onto the deck, I was suddenly the focus of four very intense gazes and the tension in the air hung heavier than dense humidity.
Archie bounced to his feet followed quickly by the others, and they all spoke at once.
“Frankie, fuck, we were worried…” Archie.
“Are you all right?” Ian.
“You can’t just go off grid like that… you said you wouldn’t.” Jake.
“We were assholes, and you’re right to be mad at us.” Coop.
Even though they spoke over each other, Coop’s statement earned him a glare.
I raised both hands and they quieted. “Guys, I… I need to say something, and I really need you to hear me this time.”
One by one, their expressions sank. Jake’s disappeared behind a frown while disappointment edged Ian’s and Coop’s worry shone in his eyes. Archie, though, Archie’s jaw tightened, and he folded his arms. It was a defense mechanism.
Pushing farther out onto the deck, I walked over to the rail and looked down at the back where the pool and pool house were. There were tables set up and a place for the buffet that would probably be set out when guests began to arrive. Great big half-barrels sat filled with ice and, from there, I could make out the labels of the different canned drinks.
The stereo system, I knew from experience, was wired into several outdoor speakers. There were extra chairs and loungers everywhere. Dragging my gaze away from it, I turned around to face them.
“Archie told me about your plan for Mathieu.” I pressed my tongue against the inside of my cheek. I’d wrestled with how to say this all the way there. Now? Now I just wanted to make it better for them, but Marsha was right. I had to set boundaries, and I had to value myself. “I didn’t deserve that. Idon’tdeserve that treatment from you—fromanyof you.”
“Frankie, we know,” Ian said. “Some of us even tried to tell them no. I wanted no part of it.”
“But you didn’t tell me. You didn’t warnme,” I said quietly, and Ian’s shoulders slumped. “You were all arranging it so I would get hurt. It doesn’t matter if I really liked him or not. It doesn’t matter if I told him we were just going to be friends after the party tonight. You were going to humiliate me in front of all the party guests—in front of all the people you’ve been telling for years that I was untouchable. Because you didn’t want me seeing him. Not because you think he’s a bad guy.” I said, pinning Jake with a look. “Or because he treated me badly.” I stared at Coop. “No,” I continued, meeting Ian’s gaze. “You said nothing, and you…” I pinned Archie. “Decided that you don’t want me seeing others, and that gave you the right to do it. Even if it hurt me.”
“I’d never hurt you.”
“Too late,” I told him and the pain in my chest welled up. “You already did. The hilarity of it is I was already telling him I didn’t want to see him like that. Because I likeyou.” I sucked in a shaky breath. “I like all of you. I want—wanted to see where this went.”
At the wordwantedJake’s expression darkened.
