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“How did you get in here?”
Prosper looked towards the flimsy door lock. “Seriously? If you’re gonna keep living in this crap apartment, then you’re gonna need a couple of deadbolts. I’ll take care of that.”
“Yeah, sure.” Pinky glared at him. “And I won’t hold my breath.”
“Okay, I deserved that.” Prosper shook his head. “I’m so fucking sorry.”
“I hope you killed him,” Pinky shot out. “Beat the life out of him and nailed his bleeding balls to a fence.”
Prosper flexed his bloody hand. “Something like that.”
“Why weren’t you there, Prosper? Why weren’t you waiting for me like you said you would be?” Pinky sobbed out. “This is all your fault! This is on you!”
Prosper was immediately on his feet. He picked Pinky up off the couch and then sat back down with her on his lap. He put his arms tight around her and pulled her close.
“Yes, it is. This is on me. I’m sorry I wasn’t there. Pinky, I can be all kinds of an asshole, but I’m not that kind of an asshole.”
“Yes, you apparently are.” She sniffled against his chest.
Prosper just shook his head and tightened his already firm hold on her. He hoped his strength would make her feel secure. He hoped it was enough because Prosper didn’t want to tell Pinky.
He didn’t want to explain to Pinky what had made him so late, what had kept him from keeping his word to her, because then he would have to talk about Maggie.
And he didn’t want to talk about Maggie.
Not with anyone.
The party was over.
The pizza had been eaten, the cake had been served, and the presents had all been opened. Raine and Claire had been tucked in tight for the night, and Jack, who had been quietly drinking all day, was passed out in the bedroom.
“Could you possibly have gotten her anything noisier, Prosper?” Maggie asked as they sat close together on the couch. “She has no idea what she’s doing, but that little music maker has not left her lips all day. You’re gonna have to get me a present, too, a giant bottle of headache reliever.”
“Darlin’, I’ll get you anything you want.”
The quiet yearning in Prosper’s voice took her breath away. A delicious warmth filled Maggie’s cold, thin body.
“Even now?” she whispered softly.
“Especially now,” he whispered back.
Maggie put her head on Prosper’s shoulder and together they watched the fireflies as they danced in the dark of the night.
“Prosper, do you remember when you taught me how to catch them?” she asked wistfully.
“I remember a lot of things, Maggie.”
There was a long silence before either one of them spoke again.
“Prosper?”
“Yeah, darlin’?”
“All that love I feel inside. Do you think I get to take that with me?”
“So, basically it’s a booty call. He’s booty calling you.” Dolly McCabe brushed the last of the nail polish on Pinky’s little finger.
Pinky blew on her fingers and waved her hands in the air. “No, no! It’s not like that at all.”
