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He makes a face, tilting his head. “Is that insensitive?” He waves a hand in the direction of my phone. “The boy with the eyes mentioned rehab…”
Oh.
I shake my head, and give him a smile, “No. I’m good.”
He beams. “Great. Now hop-to,” he says, shooing me toward the door.
Just outside the threshold to our room, I pause and turn around.
He arches a black brow.
“Thank you,” I tell him.
His face softens and he nods. “Anytime, JJ.” His eyes twinkle as he fights a smirk.
“Call me that again, and I’ll gouge the eyes out of your beloved Jason,” I say, referring to his poster of Aquaman above his bed.
“You a fan?” I’d asked that first day when he put it up.
“Of Jason Momoa? You’d have to be blind not to be.”
Now, just inside out room, Gabe’s jaw drops with a mock-gasp. “You wouldn’t.”
“Try me.”
With that, I turn and head for the communal showers, Gabe rawring behind me, his next words following me down the hall. “J-Baby’s got claws, who knew?”
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
Shutting the screen door behind me, I pocket my phone, and go join the others at the kitchen table.
Shawn is pulling out the seat next to Phoebe on one side, and across from them, Waylon sits there next to the only remaining chair, scowling, stabbing his fork into a piece of chicken.
“Did you talk to Jeremy?” Mom asks from where she’s bringing a dish over from the island. She smiles, and fuck if it doesn’t feel good to see. I honestly can’t remember the last time she smiled.
God, I’ve missed so much.
Nodding, I say, “Yeah, we FaceTimed.”
“He actually answered?” Waylon says.
Mom shoots him a pointed look, and I grimace.
“His roommate did actually. Gave him no choice,” I say.
Waylon grunts at that.
“Jeremy’s just going through some things,” my twelve-year-old sister says, nodding. “He’ll come around.”
The three of us send her varying looks of amusement. Shawn just sits there, staring down at his plate, miles away.
“What?” she says with a shrug.
“Nothing, Squirt,” Mom murmurs, fighting a smile.
“Mom,” Phoebe drags out from the corner of her lip. She darts a look at the looming dark figure sitting next to her, shoulders hunched, seemingly oblivious to what’s going on around him. But I know better. Pretty sure Mom does too.
Phoebe bugs her eyes, shaking her head, and Mom mouths, Sorry.
