“My investor,” I replied hastily as I got up off the couch. “Do you mind if I…?”
“No, no! Go ahead. Shit’s important,” Ritchie said. Then he got urgent. “Wait, wait! Before you go…”
I turned around with a hint of concern. “Yeah?”
“Can I have the last rum raisin?”
“Yes!” I answered incredulously as everyone, Lukas included, broke out laughing. My phone was still buzzing but I had to take a moment and snap a mental picture. Lukas Hendricks sitting with my ex and my high school friends, all of us hanging out together in the house I grew up in. My two very different worlds were colliding so hard and it was fucking bizarre.
But kind of nice.
Okay. Alright. Good vibes, I told myself, my heart beating fast but a smile on my face as I finally excused myself to the corner to pick up the phone.
LUKAS
?
?So, Lukas.”
I knew I’d hear those words the second Lia was gone, and I had a feeling I’d hear it from the brown-haired one with the short, crazy ponytail at the top of her head. I was pretty sure that one was Bree.
“Tell us all about Lia. We’re so curious to know what she’s like now. Like, whenever someone moves out of Warren and doesn’t come back within like, six months, it’s kind of a miracle,” Bree said. “Is she workin’ real hard out there?”
I let out a breath. “Definitely. I had to chase her to go out with me for awhile. She works hard,” I said, keeping it simple. I didn’t trust these people. I didn’t trust anyone for the most part, but Lia’s former friends fell pretty low on the totem pole.
“That’s amazing. She’s honestly always been really good about staying focused. Nothing ever distracted her,” Bree said, glancing back at Ritchie. “Then again, she was dating Ritchie back then and I think we can all agree that Ritchie’s a lot less distracting than you are.”
“Bree,” Lyssa hissed as Ritchie flipped her the bird. “Sorry, Lukas. Had I known someone like you was coming, I would’ve briefed these clowns on social skills and manners.”
“Fuck you, Lyss,” Ritchie muttered.
I eyed him, remembering everything Lia had told me about him. He forced her to drop out of school, forced her to pay him for work he never did. He lied about having a job and played fucking video games at his friend’s house for eight hours a day and took a loan out in her name to tank her credit.
For Lia’s sake, I’d gone into this night trying not to remind myself of all the shit he put her through because I understood her need to close this chapter of her life on a high note. I’d never forgive Cam for all the shit he pulled on me and my family but it wasn’t like I savored my hatred for him. It wasn’t fun. It burned inside me every day and filled me with dark thoughts no happy person was capable of having. I wouldn’t want Lia to feel so much as a fraction of that so I did my best to sit through the night a complete gentleman.
“So? What did your investor say?” Ritchie asked when Lia got back, holding a hand to her mouth.
“Gotham Grocer,” she murmured, turning from them to me. “You know that store, right?”
“Yeah. There’s a location near my apartment. It’s nice,” I said slowly, a tentative smile spreading my lips. “Why?”
“Well…” Lia made a little squeaking noise. “They’re my first official distributor!”
The others gave a collective gasp as I jumped to my feet and kissed Lia. I had to. I made it fast but I made those two seconds count because I needed her to feel my pride and I couldn’t help myself from touching her. When I pulled away, I expected her to be blushing, embarrassed but she wasn’t. Her gorgeous eyes sparkled at me and she whispered, “I’m so fucking happy, Lukas.” Just loud enough for me to hear.
For some reason, hearing her say that felt like my own personal victory.
“I’m so proud of you, Lia,” I whispered before letting her friends swallow her with hugs and congratulations and questions.
It was Lyssa who eventually came up with the idea to pop open the sparkling wine they had upstairs in the fridge. “We bought it for the day Ritchie sells the house but fuck it, this is worth celebrating even more!” she said, taking Bree’s hand, the two of them running to follow Ritchie upstairs. It left Lia and me with Stephen and Gina, who hadn’t really stopped smiling at us since the second we sat down.
“You guys seem so nice,” she said. “I love seeing happy couples.”
With a groan, Stephen went upstairs, too. Lia snorted as I nodded politely. “Thanks. Are you… with Ritchie?”
“Oh God, no!” she laughed. “I just work with him at the bowling alley. He asked me to come over tonight. He said he was having a party but I got here and everyone was talking about this Lia girl and investment deals and money and blah, blah, blah,” she giggled, throwing her hands in the air. “I’m glad you guys are here now, because it feels like an actual party!” she said.
As she and Lia got to figuring out if they were even in high school at the same time, I excused myself and slipped upstairs. I wasn’t the meddling type. I was usually far too apathetic to get involved in anyone’s drama but I for some reason felt slightly off about what the other four were doing upstairs in the kitchen. It was a vague hunch but the assholes proved me right the second I got up there.