Chapter 23 #2
I dry my hands with a kitchen towel. Looking over, I see Jolt grinning, but behind him is…
everyone. My eyes dart over to Frankie, he looks annoyed as fuck.
I sigh and give my lips another wipe because I feel a little self-conscious.
At least they arrived after Frankie finished.
I reflexively swallow, still tasting Frankie.
I try really hard to bite back the laugh, this feels so scandalous.
Virus makes his way into the kitchen with a great big smile carrying a big dish.
My brows pinch as I tune out everything else. Virus chuckles. “Mama Carbon made an enchilada casserole for us.”
“But… we already have one?” I feel certain Frankie said he already had one in the fridge.
“Yup, she had me come get this one for the group, so you two can put the other in the freezer for another time.” His grin is just so endearing.
“Oh. Okay. Wow. That is so nice of her. Wait, she knew you guys were coming over?” I ask.
He starts pushing the buttons on the oven. “Yeah. She figured we would all be getting together to make plans. You guys mentioned doing that once your brother was back at some dinner you all had?”
I nod. “Yeah. Our parents and us got together.” Eyeing Virus I realize I should start suggesting to Frankie that we invite him to more stuff with our families. I get the impression his family is not in the picture.
“You okay?”
I give a little shake of my head and refocus. “Uhm, yeah. You guys just caught us by surprise.”
He nods and points behind me. My head flicks around and I start listening to what is being said. “I get you knocked first, but you can’t just let yourself in.”
Jolt frowns. “We interrupted something.”
Frankie’s hand jerks up, running through his hair. My brother rolls his neck just beyond, clearly trying to calm his thoughts on that possibility. Normally, I would try to step in to ease him but fuck it. He can be uncomfortable. “Harry?”
I shift my head back to Virus. “I don’t want to intrude, but… you don’t seem okay.”
“I am. You guys just really caught us off guard and with things…” I let that trail off as I decide how to say that things with Ricky and I are not great right now without throwing more gas on the fire.
Virus steps closer, his voice going low, “While I think Frank has this covered, I will reiterate to everyone that with people being in couples now, that maybe we knock and wait unless we have express permission to enter. After the last time, I already kind of made that rule for myself here.”
Unable to help it, I give a light laugh because Virus is being so sincere and I love it. I love this whole life I have here. Having people that love us like this. I swallow hard. “Well, it is probably a good idea, assuming you have no desire to see me and Frankie fucking.”
He bursts into deep hearty laughter. I join him. When my eyes catch the room, everyone is silent and watching Virus and me laugh. Frankie’s lips slip up into a smile. Everyone’s does.
I shake my head. “Sorry, we just…” I shrug as I keep laughing.
When we both finally calm, Jolt gives a dip of his chin.
“Alright, new rule. We knock and wait if we know someone is home unless we were explicitly told to let ourselves in. If we don’t know if someone is home, we knock, we wait, we knock again and give it a moment before we unlock.
We of course yell out from the door and wait for an answer.
Should we vow to keep our eyes closed, Frank? ”
Frankie rolls his eyes. “Yeah, maybe you fucking should.”
Hemmy chuckles. “You two really were up to something, weren’t you.”
“I’d be fucking mad too if I was in his position and my Gracie was risking some exposure,” Kev grumbles.
Frankie’s hand jerks out toward Kev as he nods. “Right! Fuck man. This is my house. You are always welcome but give me a fucking second. Harry is mine and mine alone so fuck all of you. I won’t have her uncomfortable in her home.”
“But if we know Harry isn’t home…” Hemmy, always the troublemaker teases.
“Well, we have seen Frankie buckass naked,” Wally agrees, never willing to back down from a chance to make light of something.
My brother’s face scrunches a bit, and I know it is him knowing exactly what my husband is packing and knowing that me, his little sister… I snicker as I enjoy his growing discomfort.
Virus leans in. “Damn, that was quite the face from your brother.”
He joins me in my light laugh. I really, really adore Virus. I give him a wink. The girls all make their way to me and Virus in the kitchen.
“Carbon is pretty flustered… my guess is he would have been more caught than you if we had popped by a tiny bit earlier.” Paige wiggles her brows at me.
My lips roll together as I try to suppress my smile.
“Seems you were spot on,” Meadow muffles quietly to keep the conversation between us… and Virus.
Gracie just smiles, but it is an incredibly knowing smile. “I love you, girls.”
“Me too,” Virus chimes in.
All of us laugh with that while he just beams his incredibly sweet smile.
One day, he is going to make some woman so freaking happy.
Knowing him, she will be amazing, but honestly, I can’t wait to meet her one of these days.
I know Virus is Frankie’s closest friend and I imagine she will likely end up being one of the loves of my life, just like Paige, Meadow, and Grace have become.
Meads reaches out and brushes her hand over my hair, getting a little tangle out. I shoot her a wink when her hand drops to the counter.
I offer, “I think we have stuff to make a salad.”
“Oh, let’s do that. That gives Mint enough time to have his feelings without me having to scowl and pinch him to calm his face.” Meads beams.
Paige opens my fridge and Grace goes to the cabinet for the cutting board and Virus digs into the drawer with the big salad bowl.
All things I have slowly been learning locations for.
Ronny-boy shows up at Virus’s feet, and he picks him up, giving him love and pets as he coos to him.
We all work together cutting carrots, red bell pepper, red onion, lettuce, tomatoes, and then start throwing together a dressing.
“Is he really still…” Gracie lets that peter out.
Meads sighs. “No. He feels like complete and utter shit. They both told me how things went down with Bon today.” Her eyes meet mine and she gently checks in, “Do you want me to stop?”
I shake my head. “No. Frankie and I haven’t had a chance to talk about it yet, but I am interested in hearing Mint and Wally’s take. Frankie does seem a little… lighter?”
Little smiles crest all their faces, and I do notice that Virus is continuing to hang with us.
I am glad he is, having his bestie hear it can help if he broaches it with him.
I have my own feelings and relationship with my brother, and I am definitely not levelheaded about it.
I think Virus would be and it’s good for Frankie to have that since he is needing to be protective of me and me of him… meaning, he needs the outlet.
“They both seem to think things are good there. Mint apologized…very specifically and emphatically as it sounds. Which he should have. Harlow, I am so sorr?—”
“No, you owe me no apologies. I am sure Ricky will when he has a chance, but he also needs to hear exactly what will be allowed from here on out. I love him—without end. He still needs to learn the boundaries that exist. I love Frankie. I have never felt happier in my life. Not just because of Frankie, but because of everything I have here. This life. The one we are all building together. But yeah… Frankie has a massive impact on all of that. He is truly the best thing to ever happen to me. He… he… h?—”
“He loves you the way you need to feel loved,” my brother’s soft words fill in from directly behind me.
I swing around to face him. His shoulders hunched, head dipped.
I frown at him. “I don’t want your apologies now.
I don’t want to have this conversation here…
now. But!” I poke him in his chest, his eyes lift meeting mine, mine narrow on his.
“It is a damn good thing you are beginning to see exactly what you need to.”
He nods slowly. I press the pad of my finger, which of course means the tip of my nail presses in a little too, but I try to keep that part light, into his forehead.
“I love him. I love him so much. People think he is obsessed… well I am beginning to think his level of obsession is just a mirror of my own. So, back the fuck off.”
He leans his forehead into my finger, his eyes lock with mine. “I will.”
Something inside me settles. He leans back, my guess is he saw the settling feeling, or perhaps my finger’s pressure released some. Or both maybe. He offers me a small sad but understanding smile.