“I just...”

“I made bacon-and-egg sandwiches,” Sammy said. “Why don’t you sit with us and have one.”

“No, thank you,” she said. “I have to go...bleach my brain.”

“Well, why don’t you take a sandwich on your way.” Sammy held it out and Rose looked at it skeptically, like it might have cooties. “The sandwich was not used for anything untoward,” Sammy said.

Rose blanched. “Honestly. That doesn’t make it better. That didn’t help at all. Because now I’m wondering about what you could have possibly done with the sandwich that would be considered... No. I don’t want it. Enjoy your sandwich. I’m not going to...say anything. To anyone. You’re right. You didn’t tell anyone. I just had the bad luck of walking in while you were...well, eating each other’s faces.”

“Eloquent,” Sammy said.

“Charming,” Ryder added.

“I try to be both,” Rose said. “As often as possible. The opportunity so rarely presents itself. And yet, here we are.”

“You’re mostly mad because you got it wrong about Logan,” Ryder said.

“Well,” she said, her visible deflation at that confirming Ryder’s statement. Rose didn’t like to be wrong. “I’ll have to think of someone else for him.”

“Will you?” Ryder asked, his tone dry.

“Yes. He is actually like a brother to me. And one of my dearest friends in the entire world when I don’t want to punch him in the face. So yes, I’ve been scheming a little bit to make him happy. And I thought maybe it might help Sammy to...”

“Or, you could just give up meddling,” Sammy said.

“Well, that would be boring,” Rose said, brightening. “At least this isn’t boring.”

“So glad we could entertain you,” Ryder said. “Now, go on. Get out of here. Get.” He said the last one like he was trying to get rid of a perfectly ridiculous dog.

Rose didn’t have to be asked again.

That left just the two of them, and four sandwiches.

“Well. That was...”

“Who cares?” he asked.

“Don’t you think it will be awkward when... I don’t know. This runs its course?”

“I’m not sure that I’m thinking of it that way,” he said.

“You’re not?”

“There’s no point thinking that way,” he said. “You’re in my life. The way that you’ve always been. And sure, things are a little bit different with the way that we’re...with all of this. But you’re going to be in my life, Sammy. That’s just the truth of it. You can count on it. Count on me.”

“I do,” she said. “I mean, I trust you. I do.”

“Then don’t think of it that way. I’m not ashamed of anything we’ve done. I’m not ashamed of you.”

“I’m not ashamed of you,” she said.

“I didn’t mean to imply that you might be. But I just wanted you to know... I’m not. And I don’t care if they know.”

There was a lot underneath that, she was sure.

He’d spent so many years sacrificing for them. She could see why he didn’t want to do it now.