Wild Like Us (Like Us 8)

My family.

So seeing them in Wisconsin first brings a wave of joy. They traveled miles and miles. For me?

And then I really look at them.

They’re all zeroing in on my wet hair. Banks’ wet hair. And the bathroom we just evacuated together.

Moffy wears hard confusion. Luna says her older brother is a quintessential Captain America—a do-gooder soldier and team leader—but in my life, he’s the only person able to run next to me and never slow down. To me, he’s like his husband’s nickname for him. Wolf Scout. My mom created the Wolf Scouts, a wilderness & scouting organization. Moffy and I were even in the same troop, until he grew older.

As they always do.

I do too.

Though, in their presence, I feel young again.

“Hey, Sul,” Moffy says first, his green eyes pinging between me and Banks.

“Hey, everyone.” I nod probably way too fucking much. Cumfuck, I’m a shit liar.

Charlie slouches his weight on one leg. His head tilted and eyes roaming like he’s Inspector Gadget inspecting all of…this.

Jane—lovely, beautiful fucking Jane who always has the best words in the right ways, please help me. I widen my eyes at her. She wears the brightest pink lipstick, zebra sweater, and green tutu like the Princess of a Fairy Kingdom that I’m sure is fucking great—but I need her to save me in Wisconsin.

She gives me a furtive nod like, don’t worry. Her focus routes to Banks. “Thatcher’s outside with the others.”

The others?

But I see her tactic. Tension will definitely alleviate if he leaves Moffy and Charlie’s intrusive gaze. Which is good. I try to exhale.

“Thanks, Janie,” Banks leaves in a hurry.

Janie?

I frown. And once the motel door shuts behind Banks, I ask her, “He calls you Janie?”

“Oui. For a while now.” Setting her pumpkin-sequined purse on the dusty dresser, she notices my lingering confusion. “I go eat Sunday dinners now and then with Banks and the rest of his family. He’s about to be my brother-in-law.”

“Yeah, I know.” I just haven’t heard him call you a nickname. Or maybe I have and it hasn’t really registered how close Jane is with her future brother-in-law. Will she be freaked out that I kissed him?

I’m burning up.

But I pivot and ask, “Who else is here?”

“Akara is outside, and now Farrow and Thatcher are with him.” Jane names Moffy’s husband and her soon-to-be husband, both also their personal bodyguards. “As well as Ripley.”

Ripley is Moffy’s eight-month-old son.

“And Oscar.” The tactical badass bodyguard to Charlie. She nods to punctuate the end.

But Charlie adds, “And the drooling canine. My pants were wet for three-fourths of the ride here because of Arkham.”

My brows jump. Less on the fact that Moffy and Farrow brought their puppy along. “You rode with their dog?” I ask Charlie.

“Regrettably,” he says.

Moffy gives him a look. “You chose to ride with us.”

“You did?” My jaw falls. I knew Moffy and Charlie had patched up their fucking horrible feud, but Charlie actively choosing Moffy’s car for a road trip is like bridging two sides of the Grand Canyon.

Then again, Charlie did recently oust the CEO of H.M.C. Philanthropies, giving Moffy a chance to be head of the company again. But as far as I know, Moffy is still deciding whether to give up teaching swim classes for the stress of being CEO.

Charlie sighs. “Because I knew my sister would spend every hour discussing wedding details in the other car, and no offense”—he speaks to Jane—“I couldn’t withstand that.”

“None taken, little brother.” She smiles brightly, genuinely, and looks between her brother and Moffy, who’s her best friend. Glad that there is less friction between them.

I am too.

But with all three of them merrily together like they were in high school, it makes me feel more on the outs. I’m now the only one with a busted-up friendship. Beckett.

He’s not here.

Obviously. And I don’t even know why Maximoff, Jane, and Charlie have showed up yet.

But I point out, “Couldn’t you have just rented your own car?”

“Yeah?” Moffy says to Charlie with a rising smile. “I could’ve sworn that was an option, wasn’t it?”

Charlie clearly chose Moffy rather than going off on his own. Instead of acknowledging this, Charlie zeroes in on my face like a target. “Enough about me. Aren’t we here for you, Sulli?”

“That’s fucking news to me.” I smile though because I guessed right, and fuck it feels good to know that they’re here for me.

Maximoff crosses his arms over his firm chest, confusion knotting his brows. “You and Banks were in the bathroom together?”

My smile vanishes. Cheeks heating. “Because of the scorpion—he was helping me catch it,” I say quickly. “It was in the bathroom.” I jab a thumb to the bathroom behind me. “I mean, kind of catch it. He fucking killed it. But…yeah.”

They can’t tell that I just had the most epic kiss of my life, right? My lips aren’t red or anything. My hair isn’t messy. Strands are just damp, air-drying. And I’m in PJs. Nothing out of the ordinary.