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We actually couldn’t meet togetheruntil the next day after classes, since I had to work Sunday evening. I obviously wasn’t the only one who still didn’t like meeting, though.
As my six friends filed into the living room solemnly at Archer House and found places to plant themselves, they were eerily somber. Even Oaklynn and Faith seemed to sense it.
“I, uh, I’ll just be in my room,” Oaklynn told us as she motioned toward the stairs.
“Yeah, I’ll go with you,” Faith said, hurrying after her.
“Lucky shits,” Parker mumbled from the wall where he was leaning with his arms crossed moodily over his chest. “Why did none of you assholes ever let me escape before a meeting?”
“The funny part is that they’ll both demand to know everything we said as soon as this is over,” Hudson teased.
I glanced at him, stretched out and relaxing next to me, only to furrow my brow in confusion because something was different. It took me a second, but finally I straightened on the couch cushion to say, “Your cast is gone.”
“Yep.” He grinned and smoothed a hand over his jean-clad thigh. “About time, huh?”
“When did this happen?” I asked cluelessly, shaking my head and realizing just how much time I’d been spending with Raina lately, away from everyone else.
But it had been getting exhausting to talk for her when she’d wanted to join a conversation and then to try to ignore her when people were around who didn’t know she was there. It had been easier to hang out in my room during most of my free time and simply be alone with her there.
Except those days were over. And I missed them like hell.
I started to bounce my knee, refusing to think about how I’d never get to see her again, as a spiritorin human form.
Around me, the room fell quiet before Thane finally cleared his throat. “Who misses when Counselor Matt was around to kick off these little sessions, huh?”
“I’d put money on not a single, fucking one of us,” Parker answered.
“Amen,” Keene seconded, lifting a fist to support him.
“I mean, hetried,” Alec defended. “We always did better on our own, but?—”
“He sucked,” Hudson said bluntly. “Just admit it.”
“Okay, yeah,” Alec confessed with a wince. “He really did. But his heart was in the right place.”
“He definitely makes a better director at the grief center than he ever did a counselor,” Parker allowed.
“I still can’t believe he became the freakingdirector,” Keene added, shaking his head in confusion. “It’s just weird.”
Hudson shrugged. “Hey, after the scandal that went down there after we left, sounds like lame ol’ Matt might’ve been one of the very few good applesatthat place.”
“So why’d you call a meeting anyway, Arch?” Thane asked Damien. “What’s going on, buddy?”
“Oh…” Damien straightened in surprise, still not a fan of being put on the spot. “It actually wasn’t for me.”
“Then who the fuck are we here for?” Parker asked with a short frown.
I huffed out a breath and lifted my hand while meekly lowering my head. “Me. He caught me having a panic attack yesterday.”
The other five straightened in surprise.
“The hell?” Parker demanded.
While Hudson groaned and slapped a frustrated hand to the top of his head and muttered, “Well, fuck.”
Keene shook his head, not ready to believe it as he asked, “You stillgetthose?”
And Thane wondered, “What prompted this?”
