Page 79 of Back To You

When Drew and Emmett asked me to turn the warehouse into a coffee shop that could bring more business to the building they own, I thought I was hallucinating because it was too good to be true.

I’ve loved running Lenny’s, being the person that not only Drew and Emmett can rely on but the bartenders and patrons. It felt good to be needed, to be the one that people could lean on, the one in charge.

I know being a business owner isn’t the same as a hotshot lawyer in society’s eyes. I know people are going to think I’m crazy for taking this path rather than the one I initially planned, but I don’t care.

And that feels so good to say.

I don’t care because I’m doing what I want to do.

That’s something I can be proud of.

I didn’t feel an iota of pride when I got into law school or when I made it through three years of it. I felt nothing when I got the diploma that secured my license to practice law in the state of Wisconsin.

Both were huge accomplishments, but I couldn’t convince myself that they were something to be proud of.

But this. Starting a business from the ground up, being the one in charge, making the vision I have for it a reality, that makes me feel proud of myself.

Before Drew puts Lennon to bed, we hold our costume contest. Everyone has to pick their “walk-up” song like they do in baseball games, and then we eachshow off our costumes to our songs, either individually or with the person or group we dressed up with.

We all gather in the kitchen, being able to see everyone walk down the small hallway that separates the living room from the kitchen. Caleb, opting out of the contest, is on music-duty, having everyone’s song queued up

Cal and Emma go first in their Slytherin costumes, walking down to “Magic” by One Direction, followed by Jack and Bennett in their Scream costumes walking down to “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” before each going down on a knee, pouring their drinks in their masks and chugging.

As we all predicted, Mateo walks down to a remix of theHalloweenopening in his Michael Myers mask, and Theo and Silas each follow him.

Lucia, Carmen, and Isa strut to “bad guy” by Billie Elish, making sure it was the one featuring Justin Bieber. Seeing them reminds me of when Drew, Mia, and Annie were the Powerpuff Girls, four years ago—Annie looked cute in green.

Lacey and Tyler walk down to “Dr. Feelgood” by Mötley Crüe, surprising all of us when we thought they’d go with the obvious choice and pick “Monster Mash”. Drew, Emmett, and Lennon don’t surprise us though, going with the “Pokémon Theme Song”. They’ve won our contest a few times over the years, after Drew finally convinced Emmett that wearing a hockey mask with his regular clothes and saying he’s Jason fromFriday the 13thdidn’t count as a costume, and Lennon gives them the leg up this year.

As last year’s champions, Mia and Eddie get to go last, so next up is Annie and me. We argued over if we should go with the easy pop, “You Don’t Own Me”, the remake by SAYGRACE and G-Eazy, but Annie has a differentidea—one she won’t tell me as payback to my costume surprise.

“Last chance to tell me what you picked before I leave a handprint on your ass,” I whisper in her ear while Caleb queues our song.

“Now who's crazy?” she teases.

“Watch it,” I fire back, but I know she acts like a brat on purpose for this very reaction of mine; I pull her in by the hip and press a kiss to her lips, just as I hear the familiar, “And I was like, why you so obsessed with me?” coming from the speaker before the beat drops and “Obsessed” by Mariah Carey starts, making the whole room burst into hoots and hollers.

“You’re going to get it when we get home, honey. Mark my words.”

She looks up at me, her Joker makeup being more of a turn-on than it should be, batting her long lashes and pouting her lips. “Promise?”

And then she slaps me on the ass, prompting our walk down the makeshift runway, to our friends cheering and clapping. I grab her hand, pulling her in against me, ready to press another kiss to her lips that I know will keep our crowd cheering, but she leans back instead, bending back into a dip with one of her long legs lifted.

She pulls herself back up, leaning in close enough for me to think I can close my eyes and feel her lips on mine, only for her to pat my cheek twice and spin out my grasp.

Fuck waiting until we get home.

The car is as good a place as ever to remind her just how obsessed with her I am.

Mia and Eddie end the contest with “good 4 u” by Olivia Rodrigo, the perfect pick for the toxic dolls they dressed up as, but I barely pay attention to the two because I don’t take my eyes off of Annie.

I scribble down Jack and Bennett’s name on the piece of paper Lacey hands to all of us while Drew puts Lennon to bed, one of the rules being we can’t vote for ourselves.

Annie knows I’m watching her—she always does—but she pretends she can’t feel my gaze.

Lacey and Mia count the votes, and I barely hear that Annie and I are the winners because I’m throwing her over my shoulder and walking us out the front door as everyone claps and cheers.

“Hey!” she squeals, and I smack her ass, returning the favor, our friends' laughs drown out behind us as I open the front door and slam it closed behind me. “Couldn’t wait ‘til we got home?” she sasses as I walk us through the cool October night, fishing for my keys in my back pocket, still holding her over my shoulder.

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