Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 27448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27448 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
“Have you heard many stories?” he asks.
“I told her,” I say.
“Ooh, I hope you gave her my favorite stories about me.” He wraps an arm around Zuri. “Aislin has been, like, all heart-eyed about you forever. She kept giving me updates. You should have seen how happy she was when you finally kissed.”
“Oh my God, Rory! Shut the fuck up!” I tell him, feeling my cheeks heat.
“No, don’t stop. Keep going,” Zuri tells him as the two of them walk into the restaurant with his arm around her.
We sit at the table Rory always gets when he’s here. I can see both Shai and Ollie in the kitchen, and Ollie gives me the most adorable thumbs-up when he sees us.
Rory has plastered himself to Zuri’s side, sitting in the booth with her, so I slide in across from them.
“You have a boyfriend. Leave my girlfriend alone,” I tease.
“Shai is so fucking hot,” he says, leaning back. “I’m hungry. Are you guys hungry? What kind of pizza do you want? Maybe one day I should eat a pizza off Shai.”
I laugh and reach over for his hand. “God, I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Rory says. “Did you know Ash helped me realize I’m in love with Shai and that I’m actually really fucking good at loving people?”
She turns toward him, not looking at him like he’s this thing she has to figure out, the way some people do. Rory is just Rory, and there’s nothing but acceptance in her gaze. It’s one of the reasons I love her—because I am so fucking in love with her.
“No, but I’d love to hear that story.”
“Okay. I’m just warning you, this might take a while,” he says.
“How about I order the food and leave you two alone?”
Rory is already blabbing to her, Zuri looking my way with a smile, so I slide out of the seat and head to the front.
Ollie is working at the counter. He’s cleaning his glasses when I step up. He slips them back on with a grin. “Soooo…?” he asks.
“All is good. I talked to her last night about everything. It’s a lot, of course, but she’s not going anywhere. She chose me.”
“Of course she did. You’re Aislin fucking O’Shea.”
My eyes widen because Ollie rarely ever says the word fuck. Shai walks up at the same time, clearly having heard him. “Did I just hear what I think I did?” he asks.
“Yes. Ollie said fuck.”
“I say it when it’s important!” He blushes in the most adorable way. I’m so happy he and Cillian found a way to make it work. If not, I know we would have lost Cil—not completely, but he would have done anything to be with Ollie. That’s just the way we all work.
“I love you.” I hug Ollie, who squeezes me tightly in return.
“Why are we so happy?” Shai asks.
“Because I had ‘the talk’ with Zuri and everything is good between us.”
I’m sure he knows what I mean by the talk. Even though it likely happened way differently for him and Rory, they would have had it, too.
“That’s cool. Happy for you,” Shai says. “Rory is talking her ear off. Are you afraid?”
I chuckle. “A little.”
I order more food than three people would normally eat because Rory loves food and can literally never stop eating. I have no idea where he puts it all. Ollie gives me three drinks—soda for Ror and me, and water for Zuri, because she loves it in this strange way that I didn’t know people actually liked water.
I slide back into the booth, handing each of them their drinks.
“Thanks, Ash,” Rory says.
“I think I love him,” Zuri adds.
“Uh-oh. Should I tell Shai you want to steal his man?” Rory teases. “I don’t share anymore…at least not with anyone other than Cil and my bunny.” His bunny is Ollie. The four of them have a special bond through what Rory and Cillian share. The two of them aren’t in love with each other, but they seek a sort of connection with each other that they find with the four of them being together.
“Aren’t you supposed to be stalking your boyfriend or something?” I tease.
“That’s why I’m here,” Rory adds.
I can’t describe the happiness that fills me up. I experienced it the night of the hangout session with all of us, too. There’s nothing like having Zuri with my people. My family.
“Nope,” Zuri jumps in. “I’m all Ash’s, and she’s all mine.”
My heart goes all fluttery.
“Okay, well, that was sweet,” Rory says.
“Yes,” I reply. “It was.”
“A little gross, too,” he teases, and I playfully kick him under the table. “I hope you got lots of food. I’m starved.”
“I got plenty.”
The three of us wait, and eventually Shai brings over the two large pizzas and a side of cheese bread.
“Is Rory trying to steal your girlfriend?” Shai teases.