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“God, woman,” Jeremy muttered, tossing his cards on the table. “Give the rest of us a chance.”
“Never,”she hissed.
Mel didn’t reply.
But she did smile.
It was small, but it was something.
And while it felt weird to be ignoring the giant elephant in the room, and there had been a few moments of awkward, the night had been normal.
For the most part.
Mel was quieter than normal, for obvious reasons, and she’d flinched a few times when someone had brushed by her.
But that was getting better as the night went on.
She scooted her chair close to Jeremy’s, and Teresa had boxed her in on the other side, keeping her sandwiched and safe.
The games were easy ones, without a ton of strategy planning. No stress, just fast-paced fun where she wouldn’t have to think. And Teresa knew her role—she’d been her usual, loud, competitive, feisty self.
Asher…well, he wasn’t himself, even discounting the black eye.
He was brooding, his black mood almost palpable anytime that Mel wasn’t in the vicinity. But when Meldidcome in, he was gentler than Teresa had seen any time in the three years she’d known him.
But Teresa was sensing that this Game Night needed to end early.
Part of it was the fine tremor that had begun to travel through Mel’s body—fatigue or memories or something blacker.
The rest was that Mel had wanted a glimpse of normal, and they’d given it to her.
Now they needed to give her space.
She glanced at Jeremy as Tiffany shuffled the cards—and while Mel’s twin was trying to put up a good front, Teresa saw that she was reaching her limit, too.
“Reality TV time?” he asked softly.
“Yeah,” she said.
Though she would make certain the women and men peeled off quietly and quickly.
This was no late-night binge fest where they ended up sloshed and poured into their designated drivers’ cars.
Nope.
This was…
Get Mel settled in front of the TV and slip out quietly.
Her gaze slanted to the side and connected with Cora’s, and all at once, everyone was in their normal bustle, gathering snacks and drinks, TV remotes and blankets and pillows.
The men—except for Asher—disappeared, and the women gathered around Mel.
Another hour, Teresa thought—they could get their friend one more hour of forgetting, of numbness, of peace.
Then they needed to back off.
She hadn’t counted on Asher, though.
