I laugh, shaking my head. Those two amuse me.
I grab three beers from the refrigerator and hand one to Xander and then Cade.
We pop the tops and collapse on the couch together.
I take a swig of beer and Cade glances at me. “I’m surprised you haven’t booked a ticket to New York yet.”
I choke on my beer and wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. “I can’t very well leave this place looking like this, can I?” I wave my hand to encompass the very messy apartment, now made worse by all the baby stuff piled by the door.
Cade chuckles. “I guess not.” He tips his beer to his lips.
Xander exhales beside me. “You know, I just want to say I’m really sorry, man. I know I haven’t said much, but with Thea pregnant, I didn’t want it to not seem genuine or something. But I really am sorry. You guys don’t deserve this.”
“No one does,” I correct him. “But it happened, and we have to move on from it. We’re doing nothing but hurting ourselves,” I whisper, picking at the label on my beer bottle.
Cade clears his throat. “I think it’s all right to admit maybe a part of you will never be okay, but you can’t abandon everything because you’re grieving. Life goes on, even if you stand still.”
I nod, bringing the beer to my lips. It sloshes down my throat, but I don’t taste it.
“I know.” I press my lips together and repeat, “I know.”
“Get her back, man.” Cade looks at me. “Show her you’re not letting go. Show her she can run but you’re always right behind her. Show her you love her, and nothing, not even this, can break that.”
“I will,” I vow.
And I know I’m going to do it.
Nova
“I made coffee.”
I jump.
“Sorry.” Owen chuckles. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“It’s okay,” I say softly, padding across the floor to him.
He holds out a cup of coffee to me, and I take it, leaning against the counter.
I bite my lip and set the coffee down, not wanting to taste it. Coffee feels like mine and Jace’s thing. Doing it with Owen feels dirty and wrong, like I’ve bathed in mud.
“What do you want to do today?” Owen asks.
I fiddle with the bottom of my sleep shirt. It’s actually one of Jace’s and falls to mid thigh on me.
“I’d like to hang out here, maybe go out for lunch or something.” I shrug. “I think we saw a lot yesterday, and it pooped me out if I’m honest.” I give him a small smile.
He grins back. “The city can be overwhelming.”
I nod, biting my lip.
“We can watch a movie or something,” he suggests.
I don’t say yes or no, because honestly, a movie feels … weird, but I don’t know what else we could do.
“Are you hungry?” he asks.
I shake my head no, though I am hungry. But I don’t want Owen making me breakfast. That’s something Jace does.