Trev plugged in his phone and fell into a multiplayer session. He didn’t wear a headset because he had zero interest in listening to the bullshit other players spewed. Most of these missions, he could run solo and with his eyes closed. It wasn’t worth instructing people he’d never play with again. He had a regular group that met up once a month on a different platform, and he’d never admit it, but he looked forward to hanging out with those faceless strangers.

I wonder if Leanne would think I’m a total loser.

Making up his mind, he decided to text her tomorrow and ask if she was interested in seeing him again. No risk, no reward, right?

Annoyingly, that sounded like the kind of thing his dad would say, but even a broken clock was right twice a day.

Chapter 5

There would be a reckoning for the way Leanne had spoken to the mayor.

Mayor Anderson wasn’t the type to forget a slight. He could be as petty as an elementary school kid, and he’d work out some way to make her sorry for pointing out a few problems. But she refused to worry about that today, instead focusing on her actual work. At the end of the day, she drove home, halfway hoping Junie would’ve succumbed to yet another whim and gone off to hike in the Adirondacks or something.

No such luck.

When Leanne let herself in the condo, Junie was sprawled on the sofa, the wreckage of a day spent lounging spread around her in the form of chip packets and chocolate wrappers. If Leanne knew her mom, she hadn’t fixed herself a decent meal all day. That gave her flashbacks to childhood; she’d been the only kid she knew who got excited to have salad and vegetables since they were a rare treat.

“Have you been watching daytime TV all afternoon?” she asked.

Junie grinned. “You know me so well. By the way, I totally heard you sneaking in this morning, I just chose not to give you grief over it.”

And chose not to leave your cozy bed.

“Thanks. I appreciate that.”

“You must’ve had a great time last night. Tell me all about it!” Junie curled onto her side, seeming to expect the kind of details Leanne would provide her coven sisters. In fact, it was a little strange that she hadn’t already shared the story about their bathroom hookup in the group chat. It was kind of her thing, taking great delight in oversharing.

“I’d rather hear why you turned up out of the blue. Is everything okay?”