Craving Molly (The Aces' Sons 2)

He ended the call shaking his head. “Fuckin’ ridiculous,” he murmured.

“What’s ridiculous?” I asked, still watching him.

“Your best friend.”

“And you’re just realizing this?”

“Nah,” he huffed, dropping down into his seat. “Still surprises me a bit, though.”

“She’s coming here?” I asked, oddly anxious.

“Yeah, she was at a movie with her sister. Who answers a phone in the fucking theater?”

“Mel,” I said dryly. “She wouldn’t want to miss something.”

“Sounds about right,” he said absently.

“How do you have her phone number?” I asked quietly, looking down at Rebel, who had already eaten half of her pizza slice. Thank God she’d grown out of the eczema or that cheese would be wreaking havoc on her later.

“I got all of the old ladies’ numbers,” Will answered. “All of us do.”

“Even yours?”

“What?” he asked in confusion. “Yeah, I got your number.”

“No, that woman you were with before,” I said, looking up to meet his eyes. I’d been thinking about her before Rebel and I had fallen asleep on the couch. I hadn’t seen her since the day before, but that didn’t really mean anything. Maybe she was working or something.

“Woman I was with before?” His words faded to nothing. “Casey? She’s not my old lady.”

“She’s something,” I replied, watching him squirm.

“She’s a friend.”

“Bullshit.”

“I’m not with her.”

“You’ve fucked her,” I said flatly, immediately regretting it when Rebel shifted on my lap.

“Yeah,” he said slowly. “I have.”

I nodded, looking away.

“Casey and I were never together,” Will said, reaching across the table. I moved my hand to my lap before he could touch me. “Molly, it was never a relationship.”

“It doesn’t matter,” I said, shaking my head.

It mattered. It totally mattered.

“Sugar, look at me.”

“We weren’t together,” I mumbled, reaching up to mess with the pizza I hadn’t even touched yet.

“Molly,” Will persisted. “Look at me.”

When I met his eyes, there was apology there. I looked away. I shouldn’t have asked. It was none of my business. It wasn’t like I could deal with any of it then anyway. I was still reeling, my life completely upended in a matter of a few hours. Rebel and I hadn’t even been home in days and it still felt like my dad was going to call me at any minute asking where the hell I was.

“She’s not someone you gotta worry about,” Will said, making me tense.

“I’m not worried,” I said flatly.

“Baby, she’s just—”

His words were cut off as my best friend pushed through the front door. “What’s going on?” she asked, never slowing as she stomped toward us. A few seconds later, Heather followed her in at a much slower pace.

“Slumber party,” Will said dryly as he watched them move closer.

“I was watching a very well-done sex scene when you interrupted,” Mel said dramatically. “Hi, monster,” she greeted Rebel, giving her a kiss that Rebel tried to dodge.

“Leave her alone,” I griped as Rebel almost wiggled off my lap.

“How’s the arm?”

“Still attached,” I answered.

“Is that medical humor? Because it wasn’t very funny.”

“Damn, recreational vehicles are obviously not your thing,” Heather said, her gaze darting over my face as she reached the table. “You should probably stick to walking.”

“Hey, sisterbeast,” I greeted with a smile. I loved Heather. She was a freshman at University of Oregon, but she still offered to babysit Rebel and stopped by my house at least once a week to check on us.

“Hey, yourself,” she said, kissing Rebel just like Mel had, but with better results.

“Hawk!” Rebel said, grinning.

“Hey, Sparrow,” Heather said, catching Rebel as she lurched off my lap.

“Hawk?” Will asked, raising his eyebrow.

I glanced at Heather, taking in her bleached, chin-length hair. “Rebel couldn’t say Heather for a long time,” I said with a smile.

“I had a mohawk,” Heather explained, tickling Reb’s belly. “And you could say Hawk, couldn’t you?” She looked at Will. “So I’m Hawk and she’s Sparrow. Because we’re badass.”

“Totally badass,” Will agreed, his lips twitching.

“Can I grab some of that pizza? My sister wouldn’t even buy popcorn.”

“Have at it,” Will said, waving his arm toward the bar.

“Sweet.” She turned and carried Rebel off.

“She’s such a pain in the ass,” Mel said, sitting down at one of the open chairs.

“You’re just pissed that Reb likes her more.”

“Yeah, I am!” Mel bitched with a smile. “I get that kid all sorts of cool shit.”

“Maybe you need a mohawk,” Will said, standing up from the table. He walked away without another word.

“What’s going on with you two?” Mel asked as soon as he was far enough away that she didn’t think he could hear her. “Looked like that conversation was bordering on serious when I came in.”

“Nothing,” I replied, shaking my head. “I don’t know.”

“Well, he wants you back. Clearly.”

“Yeah.”

“So what’re you going to do?”

“I don’t know.”

“Is there anything you do know?” she asked in exasperation.

“I know that my dad is in the morgue of the hospital where I work, and my arm hurts like a motherfucker right now,” I snapped, losing patience.