“Yep. Why do you think he lets me get away with all my shit so easily? I supply him with his sugar hit regularly.”
“So you’ve bought them all with pancakes?” I joke.
“Nah, mostly just Toby. I hooked Seb with my pussy; the others just love my glowing personality and warm heart.”
I stare at her, unable to decide how to act.
“I’m joking,” she says with a smile. “Mostly. When I beat them all in the ring, they had little choice but to admit who really held all the power around here.”
“I envy you,” I admit quietly.
“Me? Why? You’re pretty fucking awesome, Jodie.”
I shrug. “You’re so headstrong. You seem to know exactly what you want in life and take it by the balls. Quite possibly literally, in Seb’s case.”
“Want me to let you in on a little secret?” She leans over the counter as if she’s about to whisper something life changing.
“Sure.”
“I don’t have a fucking clue what I’m doing. I make shit up as I go along. It’s all perception, Jodie.”
“Well, consider me convinced.”
“Seriously though, when you’ve moved about as much as I have, when your world seems to be changing almost on a weekly basis, then you have little choice but to learn to roll with the punches.
“This place? It’s really only the second place I’ve ever called home.”
“Where was the first?” I ask, desperate to know more about her unconventional upbringing.
“A place in Florida called Rosewood. It was my home before we moved here. The friends I made there were… incredible.”
“You miss them?” I ask when her sadness becomes palpable.
“Yeah,” she breathes. “But we talk a lot. And I’m hoping they’ll come to visit once they graduate this summer. They’ve met Seb, know all about my life here. But I really want them to meet the rest of the guys, see this place, you know?”
I nod. “I’m glad all your moving about wasn’t all bad,” I say with a smile.
“It taught me a lot. And it made me appreciate just how good things can be when they’re right, even if to everyone else they look completely wrong.”
Her words hit me right in the chest as if she’s talking about my life, about my relationship with Toby.
“Fuck what the rest of the world thinks, Jodie. All that matters is what’s in your heart. Everyone else can go fuck themselves.”