"Not yet, but I'm worried he might," I say, keeping it as brief and non-descriptive as possible.
"If he does, let me know. I'll take care of it."
I'll let Maverick and Corbin take care of it. I'll send Dale to make sure they don't get too out of hand. Kode and Dane will be a hell no.
Dane steals the grill-master position back from Dale just as we near, and he turns to look at Kode draped around me. He doesn't make a single expression, but he also doesn't make eye contact with me.
"You're late," he says to Kode.
"Tria was later than me. Get on her ass," he says casually, motioning toward Tria with his head.
"Tria was dealing with something. What's your excuse?"
"I was dealing with something, too."
The smug smile on Kode is pretty adorable, and it takes me back to all the times I've seen that same expression. I've always loved his cocky side, because it's Kode.
Dane takes a long swig off of his beer, and focuses on moving the food around on the grill. From there, the guys start talking, and for the first time in six long years, we all laugh as though things are normal.
Dane steals a glance my way every so often and gives me a wink, but Kode's arm hasn't dropped from my shoulders. All I want to do is pull Dane aside and talk to him—about us. About our freaky perfect chemistry. But what if... what if I mess us up?
Since this craziness with Kode, I keep doubting my intuition.
After a few steaks are burned, and Dane and Maverick have an epic argument over proper meat handling—yes, meat handling—we finally eat and enjoy the night.
I absolutely adore Britt, even though she is the bluntest person I've ever met.
"So penis size is the reason for most male disputes," she says suddenly, well, randomly would be more accurate, and everyone at the table sputters their drinks.
"And this is a topic of conversation because?" Kode prompts, still laughing under his breath while leaning back in his chair.
He somehow managed to sit down right beside me, and Dane took the seat across from me. Britt is on his right, sipping her soda since Dane won't let her drink—underage.
His eyes are on me, seeming predatory, but his small, half-cocked grin is what has my heart pumping too fast. If I literally pass out, I'm kicking my own ass.
Tria is having a heated discussion with a girl I've never met before, and I stifle a grin when I hear what about.
"What are you two going on about?" Rye groans, glaring at them for answers. He showed up with Wren, who is without Erica once again.
"Boy bands of the nineties," they say in unison.
"You're joking," Wren says through a snort. "Why?"
"We're annoyed by all the stupid songs we used to love. Like that song the Backstreet boys sang... Um... Bye Bye Bye."
"That was ‘N Sync," Maverick says absently, and his head drops in shame seconds before we all catch up. Ridiculing laughter pours out of everyone almost simultaneously, and Maverick even manages to laugh at himself while refusing to look up.
The guys tease the hell out of him, and I join in. I really needed this night. Maverick's always a good sport, so he takes their verbal punches and merciless heckling like a pro for much longer than anyone else could endure it.
"Let's do tequila shots with partners!" Maverick's date announces, staggering lightly as she flops into his lap.
She showed up an hour ago, and she was already drunk. There are plenty of single people here who look happy about the game proposal.
"Raya's my partner or the answer is no," Kade says through a laugh, hugging his fiancée to him.
Most everyone is here. Tag and Ash aren't here because they're busy being happily married parents, but everyone else seems to be in attendance. But it's all so different. My cousin is engaged, Tag is married, Wren is here without Erica... the whole world is tilted on its axis.
"Britt can't play," Dane says while leaning back.