“Look...” He leaned forward, elbows on his knees and head in his hands. “Just. I’m not—I won’t do anything. But—Jasper’s rooming with his kid, and—and we should probably—”

“What?”

He was staring at the floor, eyes blurry, his silky hair between his fingers. “I think we need to learn to get along.”

“Get along.” Genni’s voice was low and condescending, and he felt immense gratitude that it wasn’t him that she was really angry with. At least not anymore.

And he felt a hand on his hair, calming him, because no one could be as vitriolic and comforting at the same time as his childhood best friend.

The woman he thought he would marry.

“Theo,” from Phillippe, “You need to be careful.”

Theo felt tension in his neck as he ground out, “I know.”

“Are you going to see him again?” Genni’s hand tightened on his scalp.

“I—yeah. We’re getting coffee.”

He felt her shake a little, and he was worried she would explode. Genni’s anger was legendary, and usually glorious to watch.

Then he realized she was laughing. “Oh my God, you are so stupid.”

“I am aware, thank you.”

She patted down his hair like he was a wild animal, and sometimes he felt like he was. He smiled in a way which was mostly a grimace. “That son of a bitch is never going to leave you alone, is he?”

He didn’t have anything—he had been left alone, didn’t she see, for so long, and there weren’t any words, expressive or profound or even rude, which could answer her.

But Phil was there, and he didn’t have to. “He doesn’t want him to.”

It was...almost nice, to hear it out loud. For someone else to say it.

He’d been carrying it for too long.

It also felt terribly pathetic.

Theo sat back up in his chair, picked up his glass and peered into it, wishing that the cocktail would make this all easier.

“Ugh.” Genni took a sip from her glass and licked her red lips. “Jack Gardner. Ugh.”

“I agree completely.” She pursed her lips at him, and he rolled his eyes. “Well, most of me does. A lot of me.”

“Not enough. Can’t you just go find some boy toy and enjoy your new bachelor lifestyle like a normal person?”

He laughed, a little lightness in his chest for the first time in days.

“I mean I can get you a new apartment downtown, so you don’t have to bring hookups to this drafty old—”

“Hey.” He nudged her elbow on the side table. “Be nice.”

“Darling, I do not know how.”

Another snort from Phil’s side of the room, and a muttered, “How true.”

Theo rested his glass on his thigh, breathing out a long sigh. “I love you both, you know.”