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Jay walked in with a stack of pizza boxes, while Misha followed behind him with Ciara in her arms. Peyton and Layla came in a minute later, chatting about stuff that had happened at school that day. They weren’t in the same grade, but it seemed that the pair still spent lots of time together.
“Will not here yet?” Jay asked as he set the boxes down on the counter.
“Nope,” Charli said as she gave Misha a hug. “Are you sure he’s still coming?”
“He’ll be here,” Jay told her. “He texted to say that he was coming. Probably just running late.”
“He runs late a lot these days,” Charli said. “How is he doing with regards to Daphne?”
“Seems to be doing okay. He’s had no choice but to get over her.”
“No second chances with Daphne?”
“No second chances with Will,” Jay corrected. “He doesn’t seem inclined to give her another shot, though she hasn’t asked for one, so who knows.”
Janessa didn’t think Daphne deserved a second chance for the way she’d dragged things out before ending their relationship. All of them had seen what was coming—even Will—but Daphne had made it worse by delaying the inevitable.
When the doorbell rang a couple of minutes later, Jay went to answer it and returned with Will in tow. The man wore a pair of faded jeans and a T-shirt with the logo of the college he’d attended. Though she’d only ever known him with a clean face, since the breakup, he’d let a bit of a beard grow in. Janessa thought it suited him.
“Hey, Will!” Layla said as she held up her hand for him to high five. “We’re having pizza!”
“I know.” Smiling, he gave her hand a light smack. “Are you going to share mine?”
She wrinkled her nose. “Not if it has pineapple on it.”
“Then I guess I get it all to myself.”
Will’s love for pineapple on his pizza made him the butt of plenty of jokes, even by Layla and Peyton. He took it all in stride, often joining in the teasing himself. It was one thing that Janessa had always appreciated about her brother’s best friend.
“How was the high school this week?” Charli asked.
“It’s taken the kids a bit of time to settle,” Will said as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Lots of whining about homework, but such is life.”
“Yeah. My students are still getting used to having to sit quietly at their desks after a summer running wild.”
They paused to pray for the meal, then Charli and Jay helped the kids get their food. Once the kids were settled, the rest of them filled their plates and gathered around the table.
“So, you two have ended up on the Fall Dinner committee, huh?” Jay said, glancing at Janessa.
“Yep.” Janessa still wasn’t sure how to interact with Jay, which felt weird because that had never been the case before in their relationship.
“Will’s mom volunteered him,” Jay said. “Why are you there, Janessa? You’re not usually one to join committees. At least not without Charli or Aria tagging along.”
“I was feeling a bit bored.”
Jay frowned. “You’re bored? That doesn’t sound like you.”
Janessa didn’t really want to get into it, so she just shrugged. “Just how it is sometimes. I didn’t think it would take a lot of my time, so it seemed like a good thing to do.”
“What exactly do you two need to do for the committee?” Charli asked.
Janessa had just taken a bite of her pizza, so she glanced at Will, hoping he’d answer.
“We’re supposed to come up with some ideas for the program at the dinner,” Will said.
“Are you guys the MCs?” Misha asked.
“Oh, I hope not,” Will said hurriedly. “I’m not MC material.”
