Page 67 of Love is a Drum Beat
“Does it have any bananas?”
Ben laughed. “Bonkers Burrito?”
“Beach Burrito? Baby burrito”
“It’s not perfect.” Ben sighed. “But we might have to live with it to avoid the guilt—as long as it doesn’t have to be smaller to be called a baby.”
They ate quickly. Anyone watching them would have thought they were rabid animals who hadn’t been fed in a long time.
Once Ben threw the trash away, he returned. “Okay, so I have some beef with you.”
“Okay…”
“You haven’t been responding to Noah and Drew’s texts, so they’re texting me non-stop. You need to make it end. Noah can’t seem to understand the time difference and texts me at all hours. Drew is just… annoying with worry.”
“Can’t you tell them I’m fine? Texting has sort of been at the bottom of my list.”
“Jo… are you becoming a hermit?”
She elbowed him. “Not by choice, ya weirdo. Bedridden, remember?”
“Yes, bedridden and avoiding her friends.”
“I don’t avoid Dax.”
Ben shot her a smirk, and she elbowed him again. “Dax is the ultimate hermit, Jo. Seems he’s rubbing off on you.”
“Like Drew rubs off on you. I think I’d rather have Dax.”
Ben pulled his phone free from the clip on his waist. “I’m calling them.”
Jo tried to lunge for his phone, but she didn’t get very far. “Stop it.”
“No. We all love you, Jo. You weren’t supposed to go through this without all of us.”
“Well, they’re not here.” Her chest heaved. “My best friend in the entire world isn’t here.”
She refused to cry, refused to get angry at Noah for creating his own family and not being here. She didn’t need him, not with Ben and Dax around.
Jo sighed and leaned her head back on the headboard. “Just call them.”
Ben hesitated a long moment before starting a group chat with Noah and Drew. Drew answered first with the phone held so close to his face only his eye was on screen.
“Aw, Drew,” Jo said. “This is a much-improved picture.”
“Jo is there too?” He held out the phone so they could see his full face now.
Noah answered next. “Hey, man, what’s up?”
“And woman.” Ben tilted his phone so they could see Jo.
“What are you guys doing?” Noah leaned closer as if that would make him see them more.
Drew looked behind him. “Piper, your boy toy is in bed with another woman.”
“She cute?” Piper yelled back.
“Adorable.”
