I slipped in through the side door at Manny’s the next day for the first time in two weeks, and Ava was the first to see me. She tucked the bill she’d been carrying under her arm, turned to face me squarely, and began a slow clap.

I flushed, but couldn’t stop the stupid grin on my face. “Oh, stop.”

Brandon joined in, smirking from behind the bar.

Then another. And another.

Suki and Katrina came out of the office, already clapping. And soon the entire bar and diner sections were standing, clapping, and some were hooting. A few wolf-whistled.

I waved a hand in the air. “You’re going to make someone’s baby cry.”

On cue, a baby started screaming.

“We missed you around here.” Katrina came forward to hug me.

Suki wound her arms around me, lifting me up. She jostled me a little and grunted, “Suki missed you too. It wasn’t the same.”

Ava was next. Even Roy gave a shy wave and skirted over for a quick hug. Then he scurried back to his seat at the front counter, where he had pie in front of him. Ava returned from dropping off her customer’s check and went to refill Roy’s glass. She saw me watching them and ducked her head, the back of her neck growing red.

So that was actually happening.

I was glad.

“Ava.”

It wasn’t the guy who raised the alarms in me. It was his voice. It was how Ava tensed up, how the blood drained from her face. It was how whiny and clingy and desperate he sounded. It was all of those, mixed with anger just under his surface.

A kid stepped past me, going for Ava. If I’d seen him at another time, I would’ve thought he was a Fallen Crest teenager. Sun-streaked blond hair, golden tan, broad shoulders like an athlete’s. He was wearing nice clothes, but his jaw was clenched.

Roy stepped ahead, blocking Ava. He tugged at the collar on his shirt and swallowed. “That’s far enough.”

The guy took a menacing step anyway. “Fuck you, you little twerp. You goddamn nerd—”

He swung, not even finishing his own sentence.

Ava screamed.

Roy ducked.

The fist came close to Ava’s face, but she didn’t flinch. Her eyes were wide with terror.

I started for them, Brandon moving in next to me.

But Roy got him first. After he ducked, he punched the guy in the junk, and he went down with a high-pitched, strangled cry, like an animal being tortured. It was horrific. Then Brandon was there. He grabbed the guy’s shoulders and jerked him up, ignoring his screams.

“Come on. We’re at full capacity, dipshit.”

Brandon wasn’t messing around.

He signaled to some guys at the bar, and they stepped forward. They took the kid from Brandon, and together, they dragged him out.

Brandon followed them, and I could hear him saying, “You will never be allowed back on these premises…” There was more, but I got the sentiment. The kid was permanently on the shit list.

I asked both Ava and Roy, “You guys okay?”

Roy looked shaken, staring at his hand, which was still in a fist. “Yeah…”

Ava’s hands were cupped over her mouth, but she lowered them, studying Roy. “Roy?”

“Yeah?” His gaze swung up to hers. “Huh?”

She touched his arm. “Are you okay?”

He nodded. Gulping. “Oh yeah. As long as you are.”

“Yeah.” A timid smile lifted her face. She stepped in close to him. “Thank you.”

“That was the boyfriend?” I asked.

“Ex.” Her eyes were fixed on Roy. “Ex for a long while now, and ex forever.”

Roy’s eyes took on a wet sheen and he turned to her, pulling her against him. They wrapped their arms around each other.

I didn’t say anything else, didn’t think it was my place right now. Ava would be okay. Roy would be okay. That was all I cared about.

Brandon found me a little while later in the office.

I gestured to the hallway behind him. “Those were your old high school friends?”

“Yeah.” He slumped into the other chair. “That was Ava’s ex?”

“She said her ex forever.”

“Good. He’s a fucking weasel. He was threatening to sue until I reminded him he charged first. He could be the one sued.” He shook his head, disgusted. “He’s got rich parents, from the looks of it. We might have to lawyer up, but I don’t even care. He’s a punk. We could let the crews loose on him, for all I care. And speaking of…” His eyes cleared. “Channing told me you were coming back today. I don’t know what happened, but I called in some favors just in case we needed extra security. Those guys will be around the whole weekend.”

I bit my tongue. I wanted to tell him it wasn’t that bad. I couldn’t. Because it was.

So I nodded.

It felt good. It felt right hearing the buzz of conversations, dishes clanking, chairs scraping outside, and it felt good to be in the middle of the chaos. I was home again.

There were worry lines around Brandon’s mouth. Bags under his eyes. His hair was a little messed up.

My stomach tightened. “Are you hungover or…” Or he’d been worried out of his mind about me.

His eyes flicked down, and he lifted a shoulder. “No, you know.” He glanced to the door, though no one had knocked. No one opened it. “My friends are here. We might’ve had a few extra beers last night.” He paused. “Or tequila shots.”

He was lying through his teeth.

“I’m sorry.”

He looked back at me, his expression closed. I hated feeling pushed away from my brother. Brandon and I gave each other shit on a daily basis, but we were partners in crime. I was the one he’d called for help, naked, when there was a stalker in his room and a one-night stand hiding in the bathroom. That was us, not this dynamic where I kept him in the dark about the real threats to me, where he was concerned enough to call in personal favors and have his old high school buddies hanging out here for an entire weekend.

“It’s fine. I mean…” He stopped himself and looked at the floor.

The air in the room was stifling, pressing down on me.

Channing hadn’t asked me to keep things quiet with Brandon. I’d made that choice, just like I’d chosen to fight at his side.

I was back to the same place I always found myself with my relationship.

What happened to me, happened to my brother. It affected him too.

But I couldn’t leave Channing. I knew that, so there was only one thing I could do.

“I want you to buy me out.”

Brandon froze. His mouth dropped open. “What?”

My insides twisted. This place was my home—had been for longer than I could remember. I loved every staff member, all the customers, even stupid punk Alex Ryerson. I loved the memories I had here. I loved living in that house with Brandon. I loved being able to walk outside my home and be right where I lived.

I loved everything about this place…

…but I loved Channing more.

“You heard me.”

“No.”

“Brandon—”

“No.” He shoved up from his chair and yanked open the door.

“Brandon!” I followed him out into the restaurant.

He went past Cruz, telling him something as he shoved out the side door.

Cruz wore a look of bewilderment as he came over. “What was that about?” he asked me.

“What’d he say to you?”

“Just to take over till he got back.”

I had one guess where he was going.