Lag (The boys of RDA #2)(67)

“Life is made by the people we live it with. You’ve made my days worth living and I want you in every one. For so long I’ve worked to make RDA what it is, but meeting you on that beach showed me another way. I’m working hard to be a better man.”

“Why?”

“So I’m worthy of you.”

I suck in a breath, full of emotion from his words. Tears well up in the corner of my eyes. I tell myself it’s the release of adrenaline from Mari, but it’s not. Trey, this gruff and sometimes stern non-emotional guy, twists my world every time he lays it on the line for me.

I can’t handle the feelings and I refuse to cry in front of him again, so I try for a subject change. “So I’m your girlfriend, huh?"

He laughs at my obvious tactic and his body relaxes. “I thought we’d already established that. You’re mine now and I’m not giving you back.”

So much for my subject change being less emotional.





CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE


I step on the sidewalk and turn back to wave good-bye to Jake as he pulls away from the curb. Aspen’s already reached the door with Cosmo’s Comics and Café stenciled on the glass, and the bell chimes as she walks through.

Inside Marissa and Amanda are already waiting for us on the orange-ish couches in the back corner. The rest of the store is empty of customers. Sundays at nine must not be a prime time for comic buying, but the smell of coffee as I walk farther into the store continues to pull me in until I reach an empty space on the couch.

Aspen stops beside me but walks around the large coffee table and sits on the couch opposite.

Marissa drops her tennis shoes from where they were propped on the table. “Tell me again why we’re at a comic shop for girls’ brunch?"

“Many reasons, Rissa.” Aspen stops to take off her coat and throws it in the empty space beside her.

“Rissa?” Marissa asks with one eyebrow raised.

“You don’t like it?” Aspen waits for Marissa’s quick head shake. "No? I was testing it out, but fine.” She holds up a hand with all her fingers raised. “We’re here because it's locally owned by a friend of Finn’s.” She checks off one finger.

“His most underappreciated friend,” the balding man known as Jason wearing his black store polo approaches us and stops by the coffee table. He pushes some napkins out of the way and places a large white bag in the now empty space. "This arrived for Aspen Adams a few minutes ago.”

“Ah thanks, Jason.” She reaches into the bag and pulls out the familiar white Styrofoam containers, our Sunday staple. French toast topped with bananas and syrup. “It's breakfast.”

“Don’t touch the merchandise with your syrupy fingers.” Jason looks to the group as a whole with his directions and then returns to his counter.

Marissa turns her head in a slow circle taking in the store. “Um, don’t worry. I don’t think that will be a problem.”

“Next week we’ll get an order for him.” Aspen passes me a container and then goes back to her earlier points, fingers raised again. "So one, it’s owned by Jason who rocks. Two, it’s warm.” Another finger is placed down. "Three, we can sit on furniture. All of the guys who shop here will be too intimidated by a group of woman to hit on us.” Her last two fingers go down and her smug expression is proof she thinks her reasons are enough.

I’m the only one in our group not here with some form of coat, my thick sweater being more than enough, but her reasons make sense to me. I like indoors and furniture.

A series of three beeps sounds in our small group and Aspen reaches into her folded over coat to bring out a phone. “Oh look. They put Sadie in one of the baseball outfits Finn and I bought her.” She holds the phone out and circles the group so we can all see the picture of her baby niece.

“She’s so cute, Aspen. Have you gotten to babysit yet?”

Her face falls and she puts the phone back in her jacket. “No.”

“Aspen, she’s six months old already. I told you threatening to turn her into a gamer would come back to bite you.”

She scrunches up her face at Marissa. “That is not why. They’re new parents so they haven’t left her anywhere, but he’s going to ask any day now. I’m first on the list.”

“Uh-huh.” Amanda gives Aspen the platitude all while shaking her head in the negative at us.

Aspen catches the movement but only laughs at the lack of faith in her abilities. “Anyway, enough about me, the real news here is what happened Wednesday.”

I rest my fork on the side of the breakfast container since I know where this conversation is headed.

“You finally agreed to move in with Finn?” Amanda asks from her side of the circle.

Aspen finishes chewing the bite she just put in her mouth. “No. My word, you guys are way too in my life. We’re not moving in together permanently. This one is about Trey, Simone, and Mari.”

Marissa turns her head toward me with bug eyes. “Mari?”

“Spill it, Simone. Finn is like Fort Knox with the details and it’s taken everything in me not to come visit you and find out the details before today.”

I give them the shortened version of events from Mari’s ridiculous visit Wednesday night. All three girls sit quietly without interrupting the story — a first for this group. When I finish I shove another bite of my French toast in my mouth and wait for their questions, but they don't come right away. Shock probably.