Page 7 of Priest

I stare at the half-packed apartment. “Fine,” I mutter. “One text.”

Harper nods once, satisfied. “Good. Adult. Mature. Very proud of us.”

“I hate us.”

“You’ll survive.”

I grab my phone like it might bite me, unblock his number, and stare at the empty message box until my thumb finally moves.

Blue: Hey. You can stop looking for me. I left because we hit our expiry date. It was good while it lasted. Thanks for the good times. Have a sweet life.

Harper leans over my shoulder.

For one second, she is silent.

Then she makes a strangled sound and slaps a hand over her mouth.

I glare at her. “What?”

“Have a sweet life?” she wheezes. “Blue.”

“What?”

“You just broke up with a terrifying biker president like you were signing a yearbook.”

I look back at the screen. Then, despite everything, a laugh slips out of me. Small. Stupid. Painful around the edges.

“It’s concise.”

“It’s unhinged.”

“It’s polite.”

“It’s a felony against tone.”

I hit send before I can lose my nerve.

Harper gasps. “Oh my God, you sent it.”

“I sent it.”

We both stare at the phone like it might explode. It buzzes almost immediately.

Harper shrieks. “OH MY GOD HE’S FAST.”

I look.

Priest: Like hell we hit expiry

Priest: u better get ur ass to the bar now

Priest: before I put u over my knee when I see u

Priest: or better yet give me ur address

Priest: Blue

Priest: I ain’t playin around