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“I didn’t know,” Ryan said, a look of guilt crossing his blue eyes. “I gave you shit about your time.”
I laughed. “I liked it. Still do. You hung with me because you wanted to, not out of pity.”
“No one here pities you,” Madison said fiercely, pulling out of Jamie’s chest.
Insecurity was something that lived inside me, something I might always battle. “Not even now that you know I got my ass kicked?”
“Hells no,” Jamie declared. Then he added, “And assault isnotan ass-kicking.”
“Took a lot of guts to join Elite after something like that,” Prism said. “And then to face off with Rinkin. Hell, the entire team.”
I half smiled. “I didn’t really have a choice. Besides, it helps that I have you guys.” I cleared my throat. “So yeah, thanks for being there.”
“Waffles!” The cheerful voice was startling as it cut into the serious conversation.
I looked up, tendrils of nerves still clinging to me. It was the first time I’d really told anyone about being attacked, being turned on by people I thought were my friends.
It was so hard to put yourself out there, especially when the first time I did it, I ended up in surgery. Next to my parents’ death, it was the worst time in my life. How out of it I’d been, confused. Waking up with all those beeping monitors and echoes of pain in my medicated body. How wrecked Win was. How I’d searched the room for Max.
“Wes?”
I snapped out of the past, looking up to see Veronica staring at me with hopeful blue eyes. My stomach dipped a bit, but I forced a smile. “Hey, Veronica.”
“I didn’t expect you to be here today. How are you?”
“Hungry,” I replied, rueful.
She smiled. “Well, that’s a good sign. Waffles?”
“Duh,” I answered, and she giggled.
“Us too,” Kruger said, motioning between himself and Prism.
“Eggs,” Prism added.
She nodded, her blue eyes returning to me. “Coffee?”
“Definitely.”
“I’ll be right back,” she said, starting off.
“Wait. I’ll come with you,” I called after her.
Beside me, Rory gave me some side-eye, and everyone else just stared.
“Can you let me out?” I asked.
Ryan, Rory, and Prism slid out so I could move to where Veronica stood waiting.
“You must really need some caffeine,” she mused.
“Actually, I was hoping we could talk a minute,” I said. “Is that, uh, allowed while you’re working?”
“For you, I’ll risk it,” she replied with a smile.
My gut clenched, and guilt assaulted me. I felt bad about what I was going to do. Even if it was the right thing.
I followed her over to the long counter running along the back of Shirley’s. At the very end, closest to the wall separating the place from the kitchen, was an open stool so I slid onto it while she put in our table’s orders and poured me a cup of coffee, carrying it over to slide it across the counter between us.
