He, of course, chooses the seat a space away from me, leaving Nira’s vacated one empty.

Raven lowers into one on my left as Maddoc takes her free side.

“Hey.” She briefly meets my eyes and then looks to a grinning Royce. She leans back in her chair. “What?”

“Little Big Man gettin’ in the way of the real one? No more backseat lovin’?”

She fights a grin while Maddoc shoves at Royce’s chair, making him laugh.

“Shut up, fucker,” Maddoc tells him quietly. “She’s wearing my hoodie for a reason.”

My eyes fall to her stomach.

That’s right.

They haven’t shared she’s pregnant with the town yet.

I guess the hoodie helps, but not by much.

“Man, word spread quick.”

We look over to find Mac and his girlfriend, Chloe, heading our way.

Great.

A huge smile takes over Chloe’s face as she advances, her five-inch heels clinking with each step.

“Holy shit!” Chloe rushes toward Raven. “You’re show—”

“Shut up,” I cut her off right as Raven does.

Chloe’s glare meets mine, and I grin as Raven smacks her hand away the second it reaches for her stomach.

Chloe’s eyes widen and she lifts her palms, whispering, “Sorry. No one from here has left and came back carrying a mini watermelon.”

“She likes to call it a basketball,” Royce throws out.

“It’s not an it.” Maddoc glares.

“You just said it,” Chloe sasses, crossing her arms. “And what did you expect, Rae? I won’t be the only one attempting to, you know, so maybe be better prepared for that.”

“You need to chill.”

Chloe’s blue eyes fly to mine, and her lips form a bitchy smile. “Nobody was talking to you.”

“And nobody asked for your opinion.” The words fly from my mouth and I lean forward in my chair. “You think because you weaseled your way to the wedding because of who your man is and added a Brayshaw to your bedroom afterparty that suddenly you’re allowed to tell her what she should and shouldn’t do? It was only months ago you were trying to turn your little entourage against her and she gave you that fancy little hair cut you’ve now got goin’ on. You’re lucky anyone at this table even speaks to you.”

Chloe was Brayshaw High’s queen bee before Raven got here and took this place by storm. Two months ago, Chloe hated Raven for stealing her spotlight while Raven didn’t give a shit about any of her petty games. She isn’t one for trusting but has given Chloe a break, one I don’t think she’s deserved.

Her eyes narrow. “Water under the bridge.”

“Because it’s that easy, isn’t it?”

Raven’s eyes meet mine, but I only briefly look away from the girl who thinks she’s going to slither into a spot she has no idea I slipped out of. Sure, it was Royce she had a three-way with, not Captain, but still.

No.

And then Raven speaks.

“Vee’s right, Chloe,” she says, her head still angled toward me before she looks up at her. “I couldn’t handle your shit before, so I sure as fuck can’t handle it while I’m permanently irritated.”

“Hate to break it to you, Rae, but that’s nothing new.” She shrugs, then her eyes widen and she laughs it off. “Sorry. I’m working on the whole bitch thing.”

I scoff and she purses her lips.

“Maybe keep your guard dog close,” she mocks me. “If you don’t want hands near you.”

Raven fluffs the hoodie out more so it doesn’t form to her shape. “I’m pretty sure my face screams don’t fuckin’ touch me.”

“It’s just what people do when someone—”

“Keep it the fuck down,” Maddoc snaps, his tone low but threatening.

“Fine, sorry,” Chloe whispers. “It’s true though, they want to feel the baby move.”

“I haven’t even felt the baby move,” Maddoc and Royce say at the same time.

Their heads snap toward each other, Maddoc with a glare, Royce with a wide grin.

Captain and Raven chuckle, sharing a look and I force my eyes away.

That right there, that’s when shit’s hard to handle.

I admit, it’s the subtle, simple things between the four of them that I envy the most—the quick glances and side grins. Conversations without words and selfless decisions.

When the chair across from me scrapes the ground, I turn my head back.

Mac drops into the seat a space from me after Chloe takes the one at Captain’s side.

Why wouldn’t she offer that spot to her man?

“Somethin’ sour coat that filthy little tongue, VicVee?” Royce calls me out.

I leave whatever the hell slipped over my features, and shrug, not bothering to take my eyes off Chloe’s.

Chloe looks from me to Captain, her head tipping in question as her eyes brighten. “Ohhh… what drama did I miss?”

I give a slow blink, sitting back. “Please.”

Her head draws back, and I know she’s ready to talk some shit, but then Mac leans over, whispering in her ear and she clears her throat, offers a tight smile and then announces she’s going inside to grab a drink.

And conversations ensue as if this wasn’t my table they chose to take a seat at.

As if I’m not even here.

As if I don’t exist.

If there was a punchline here, I’d go as far as to say the joke would be on them because being ignored doesn’t affect me as I assume they had hoped.

I’m not new to blackouts, have gone weeks at a time without so much as hearing the voice of another person, let alone laying eyes on one.

The quiet treatment is hardly a punishment, especially when my Brayshaw speaks so loudly with his eyes, his touch, his calm.

It’s like they say, silence speaks the loudest, and his is deafening.

I hurt Captain Brayshaw.

You have to be inside someone to have that kind of power, and that’s a damn good place to start.

As if sensing my thoughts, his eyes skate my way, but then the words that were openly spoken with me sitting here catch my attention and I look to Mac.

“Fourth table, two to Victoria’s left,” Mac says, keeping his eyes trained on Royce. “This is the fourth time this week they’ve come across the bridge.”

Across the bridge, as in into Brayshaw territory.

These are Graven Prep students they’re talking about, guys who followed the family that’s now fallen. Assholes without a leader to set them straight... or knock some sense into them when they’re feeling brave.

“Bold little fuckers.” Royce’s jaw tics.

“They’re standing.” Raven speaks into her cup.

“They know why we’re here.” Captain licks his lips. “Shriveled up like punks the second I fuckin’ parked.”

Royce nods, slowly setting his phone down. “Grew a half of fuckin’ pair to try and play like mice.”

A sheath drops over Captain’s eyes as he falls into the situation, his mind is racing, running through every possible scenario second by second, and then his hand discreetly slides beneath the table.

My pulse ticks heavy in my ears, an unexpected thrill tightening my stomach as I wait for what I know is to come, the shine of the sun as it meets a heavy, solid piece of metal that has now slipped over Captain’s fingers. He closes his fist once, testing what he already knows is a perfect fit, his brass knuckles now sitting ready as he keeps his arm loose at his side.