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Kory shook her head. “I really shouldn’t be eating this. I’m already forty-five minutes late for work. My boss is going to give me so much crap, but screw Cassandra. I really need chocolate right now.”
Andy nodded. “Yousodo.”
They dug in and were soon engrossed in cake and conversation. Crying over their love lives. Laughing over their love lives. Poring over Davis’s Paris pictures and peppering her with questions about the trip.
It was a happy bubble of chatter. One Andy was happy to be a part of this time around.
Glancing over at the empty cage in her breakfast nook, Andy smiled wistfully. Losing Petals hurt, but her mother was right — she still had a lot of big friends around who loved her.
Big friends she loved in return.
Andy glanced at the clock on her stove. It was 10:37. Luke hadn’t come yet. But there were still a few minutes left of the morning.
And she had faith that he would.
Chapter thirty-four
Gohome,washtheviolence off you, and get your shit together before you come back here again.
Those were the words ringing in Luke’s head when he arrived at Mary’s house Monday morning.
Nope,afternoonnow.
A glance at his watch, as Luke walked up to the front door, showed it was five past twelve. His sister had texted him a couple hours ago to say she and Frankie had been released from the hospital, and he could stop by if he wanted to.
Luke did want to.
Heneededto.
Because his shit was very muchnottogether.
He’d just spent the night dreaming of a younger version of himself carving Aldon up with a butcher knife like some possessed demon child out of a horror movie, and he was fucking rattled.
Mary had told him to come to her if he needed to talk about it. So here he was. Needing to talk about it.
Under strict instruction not to use the doorbell, Luke let himself in with his key.
“We’re in here,” Mary called from the living room.
Luke found her on the chaise end of her sectional, surrounded by pillows. Frankie was lying on one that curved around her belly, lips pursing rhythmically as she dozed.
“She’s tuckered out,” Mary said wryly.
“Nursing still a challenge?”
“Yeah. It was a long night, but I think we’re getting the hang of it.”
“Good to hear.” Luke dropped down next to her on the couch.
“Looks like someone else had a long night.”
He’d showered and shaved, hoping to look less zombie-like, but apparently, he still looked as sleep-deprived as he felt.
“Kyle texted me this morning,” Mary went on, eyes filling with concern. “He told me Ski’s covering for Andy at the shop this week. Said something about her bird dying yesterday?”
Raking the still-damp locks from his face, Luke reclined back in the seat with a dark look. “Yeah. It was a pretty fucked-up day.” Glancing at the sleeping angel in Mary’s lap, his expression softened. “With the exception of this one’s birthday, of course.”
Mary shot him a tired smile before sobering. “Tell me what happened.”
