“She did. And I didn’t want to believe her, but I think I knew in the back of my mind that she was right, because I already knew you and I’ve loved you a lot longer than even I wanted to admit.”

He stared at me, a mixture of amusement and disbelief written across his face.

I grinned. “She also told me once she was drinking moonshine a relative brought her from the South and she ended up in the woods and talked to fairies all night. And then this other time, she told Nick that he already met the chick he was going to be with, and he looked like he wanted to run for the hills. So maybe that’s just her M.O.? Wait! She also said—­”

“Back to the you loving me part,” he corralled me back in. “She really said that to you years ago?”

“Yes, she did.”

“Oh, babe.” He leaned in, resting his forehead against mine as he curved a hand around the back of my neck. He kissed me, and I melted like an ice cube in the sun. “Katie really does have psychic powers.”

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

I supposed it was a good thing that my stomach had stopped hurting, because I was on my fourth or so death grip hug, and I was sure all the excess air had been squeezed right out of me.

It was Friday night, almost two weeks after what I was now referring to as Monday Suckday. I’d returned to Mona’s that past Thursday even though Jax insisted I could take off as much time as I needed, even a month, but I needed to get back to my life and I needed the money. The whole gang was there, hanging out at Mona’s for the night before heading back Sunday morning. They were staying at Jax’s house, camped out in the guest bedroom and the couch.

“I think you kind of look badass with the black eye,” Katie said as she hitched up her neon-­blue halter top. “Like I should be afraid that you could kick my ass.”

Calla leaned against the bar beside me, folding her arms along the top. Her blond hair was pulled up in a high ponytail. “She could probably kick all of our asses. The skinny ones are always the scrappy ones.”

My black eye had all but faded to a pale bluish purple and it probably should’ve been completely gone by now, but there were some broken blood vessels. But it was barely visible. I wasn’t worried. “It’s true,” I told the girls. “Watch out.”

Avery laughed as she held a refilled glass of Coke. “I took Teresa out last weekend.”

My brows flew up as I looked at the stunning dark-­haired girl. “I feel like I need details on this.”