Page 98 of Jonas

“Oh, no, please continue.”

“Let me get this straight,” I sighed, already resigned the shit-talk fest was going to continue whether I wanted it to or not. “You’ve got my boys to give you the dirt on me and I’m left to discover yours on my own.”

As soon as I finished, I regretted my comment. It was an in-your-face mention that I had people in my life, who were close to me, and she didn’t.

Derrika didn’t take it that way. She used it as a way to run down her dislikes.

“Fair. I’ll give you the highlights so we can get back to Easton and Theo giving me the goods. As you now know, I hate mustard but also relish is nasty, too. I’m not a clean freak mainly because I don’t have time but even if I did, I still wouldn’t make my bed every morning when I’m just gonna mess it up that night. I hang up my wet towel after I use it. If you toss yours into a laundry hamper for it to get musky I’ll bitch about that. I rinse out my recycling before I put it in a bin. If you don’t, leave it on the counter and I’ll do it. No one likes a stinky trash can. Oh, and burnt popcorn bits are yummy, but warning—I’ll make fun of you if you catch the bag on fire. I’m not a fan of laundry but if clothes on the floor bother you, I can toss them into a hamper.

“I eat whatever’s put in front of me as long as it doesn’t have mustard on it or relish or onions, but onions I can pick out. When I get overwhelmed or my feelings are hurt or I need to figure something out, I pull into myself. I’m an emotional introvert. I know this is a trauma response. I know it’s my way of controlling my environment when things are spiraling around me. I’m not someone who wants to talk things out until I’ve sorted them in my head on my own. Neither do I need or want to talk things to death. That might be annoying to some. The flip side to that is, life’s too short to bitch and whine and nag and be unhappy. So if something is bothering me, I don’t sit on it for months and stew, then one day explode. I come right out and say what’s on my mind and I appreciate when I get the same back. I hate guessing games and I think life would be so much easier if people would just share what’s on their mind and what they need from the people around them.

“As you know, I want kids, but I do not want to raise them in the city. I want them to run around and be kids. I want them to climb trees and get cuts and scrapes and I want them to bicker with their siblings. I want them disciplined but also free to learn by doing and making mistakes. I’m a horrible singer but that doesn’t stop me from singing, and if a song comes on the radio that I like, I’m jamming out and I don’t give the first fuck if anyone sees me dancing in my car. I’m not a woman who likes to dress up and primp but I have an unnatural obsession with perfume and purses. I have a lot of both and if I can continue to afford it I don’t ever plan on curbing that obsession.”

Seriously, where the hell had this woman been my whole life?

“Oh and I apologize in advance, I hog the covers when I’m cold and kick them off the bed when I get hot. But other than that, I’m a peach to be around.”

She ended on a shrug like she didn’t have an audience to her soliloquy.

“Do you snore?” Easton probed.

“Not that I know of, but I’ve never slept next to anyone, so maybe.”

Christ.

“Oh, look,” Easton drawled. “They’re like a matching pair.”

I cut my eyes to my friend with a warning not to continue down his current path of my sex life or thoughts on sleeping next to a woman.

“What? I’m just saying⁠—”

“How about you say less?”

Easton gave me a halfhearted smile and it dawned on me then, he was using this as a way to distract himself.

“You okay with Nebraska seeing her parents?” I asked.

“She says she’s okay with it, so I’m fine.” His frown proved those words a lie. “But still, I’m not thrilled she’s seeing them without me. But she can handle herself and if either of them piss her off, she’ll make her displeasure known. Also, Lore will be there to have her back.”

Lore. Not Kira or Zane.

That was surprising.

“You trust Lore?” I pushed.

“Fuck no. But with this, absolutely. Nebraska is the closest thing Stella has to a friend. I’ve heard the stories, or at least I’ve heard them from Nebraska’s point of view. Lore’s a survivalist. Nebraska doesn’t know why Lore is the way she is, or how she got into the game, or anything about her past, but more than once, Lore’s had Nebraska’s back. More than once, she’s gone behind Nebraska’s back to clean up a mess Nebraska couldn’t and in doing so acted in Nebraska’s best interest. I don’t get Lore’s brand of loyalty because she’s also screwed Nebraska over and made her job harder, but there’s no doubt Lore feels some sort of affinity towards Nebraska. So if Pidgeon or Charlie say or do something out of line, Lore will take my woman’s back and likely the way she does it will be extreme.”

I felt Derrika’s eyes on me. When I turned to look at her, she had a strange expression on her face.

“What are you thinking?”

“I was thinking about Lore’s warning and how desperate she is for someone to bulldoze their way past her walls.”

“Baby, that can’t be you,” I pointed out.

“You’re right. But not for the reasons you think.”

Theo’s brows rose.