Page 60 of Bring You Back

Tommy tosses the spoon to his now empty carry-out box with a smile. “Ididn’t know I could do that until last week.”

Reyna shifts, tightening the covers over her lap, and cajoles him with a smile. “Teach me?”

Tommy is putty, his lips parting as he tries to find the words stuck in his throat. Reyna deeming him her favorite has made things—like speaking—harder for him under her flirty gaze. I chuckle and slap him on the back to see if that helps.

“Ow,” he says with a jerk, shooting me a look. “What was that for?”

Missionhalfaccomplished.

“Just practice, Reyna,” I speak for him.

Her eyes cut to me, her playful demeanor turning challenging as she swipes Tommy’s spoon instead of her own like it’s a magical piece of plastic, and tries his newfound skill. She frowns when it falls off, giving the spoon a defeated toss back into the box.

It takes a magic nose, and she doesn’t have one.

“Hey, you can paint,” Tommy says to cheer her up.

Reyna beams. “And draw.”

The two share a smile, then look at me expectantly.My move.

I shrug and pluck a leftover sausage from my carry-out box into my mouth. “I can read.”

Reyna scoffs. “We can read.”

I give them both a mock doubtful look and Reyna tries to smack at me, but I dodge. “Watch the hands!”

She rolls her eyes, tease threatens, “Don’t make me say the F word again.”

“Oh, we can’t have that.”

Most of her drunken episode is a blur, my assumption accurate, but we made it a point to tease her for sayingfucking. It wasn’t news to her, because she apparently says “the F word” to herself and to her mom.When appropriate.

Reyna’s a delicate creature, inside and out, who has turned out to be a secretfucklover. It makes me smile.

“That was weird,” Tommy redeclares.

“You’re weird,” I tell him, and Reyna snickers.

“I’m also out,” he says suddenly, swinging his legs off the bed as he stands, scooping up his carry-out box and shooting it at Reyna’s trash can.

Nothing but bag.

I may not have seen him holding a basketball since I’ve been back, but he’s not lacking skill.

“Out?” I say as he rounds the bed. “What on Earth is more important than being here with Reyna?” I tease. He gives me an unamused look and I cock a brow.

“T.M.I.,” he mouths.

“F.U.,” I mouth back.

“He’s been here with meallnight andallmorning,” Reyna says with a laugh, then slumps as it fades. “It’sJulianwho hasn’t been here.”

“He had a rough night, too,” I say, almost defensively. Like I used to do for him to her when they’d have a minor spat. When I was trying not to encroach on Reyna’s territory. Before I discovered that Julian’s feelings belonged to me.

Belongto me.

I’m still in flight mode.

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