look over to find Tomi looking pissed.
"He was nice! I mean… all of them were nice.”
I think that if it were only Rue here he’d be asking me a lot more questions but as it is he quit that line of interrogation so I guess not all of his family knows about his soft spot for Poe.
The rest of dinner passes a little easier. Tomi and Speck field a lot of the questions that get thrown my way, probably because I’m sweating so much.
Keely packs all of the leftovers into a plastic container and pops it into my fridge. I try to stop her but she waves me off. "You've got classes all week, this should keep you going for a few days. I'll drop some more off just as soon as you need."
I blush. "I'm fine. I mean, I'll totally live on ramen and energy drinks for the next few months but that's not anything out of the ordinary."
She laughs at me and slings an arm around my shoulders, pulling me in tight for a hug. "Tomi will be on the phone to me in a heartbeat to come fill your fridge up. He eats like a freaking bear, you'll be spending half your life down at the grocery store for him."
Oh.
Right.
I guess he’s already told me he’s not going anywhere so that must mean that he’s… moving in? I just kind of stand there and let her hug me while I'm just struck fucking dumb over it.
"You broke her again, Mom. You need to ease up a little, she's all scared and shit." Trink cackles and finishes up wiping the dishes. I try to help her put them away and she shoos me off into the living room. I'm so freaking pissed the carpet isn’t done in my room when Keely starts poking around.
“It’s coming along so well! Poe was telling me about how much you guys have gotten done, she was excited to come help you paint. You should be so proud, Angel. Really proud of all you've done."
Tears well in my eyes and I clear my throat to try and shift them. "Thanks. It was... it was hard but worth it."
She nods and pulls me into another hug. "You call me if you need anything, you hear? If you're busy with classes or you need someone to talk to, you call me and I'll be around here in a snap. You've been taking on too much by yourself, you can lean on us a little while you get your feet under you.”
I nod and clear my throat again, grateful when she lets me go and nudges me into the living room. "I think Trink is planning on parking her ass on your couch for the rest of the night, Speck too. Rue will drink with Tomi and the others until I drag Hawk home. Get yourself settled in, the Callaghans have made themselves at home.
She's right and they really do park their asses.
Eventually Keely drags the older men home but Speck messes around on my TV until he finds some action flick to watch and the beers just keep flowing. Trink ends up with her head in Rue's lap, whining about some guy she hates in her classes while he listens stoically. He's so gruff and grumpy usually, it's strange to see him just relaxing back and hanging out with his family.
Tomi locks everything up, checking the front and back yards before he settles on the couch with me, dragging me into his side and passing a fresh beer to Rue.
It's so comfortable, I fall asleep there without even meaning to.
I wake up in my own bed to the sound of pained groaning.
I find Tomi on his back, passed out and snoring next to me, and the door to the bedroom open. Trink is standing in the kitchen rummaging through my cupboards like a crazed woman.
I creep out of the bed and over to her.
“I should never drink with these assholes. I have school in an hour and my head is fucking thumping."
I smile and grab the aspirin. "I'll cook you some breakfast. A greasy breakfast will soak some of the alcohol up. Grab a shower while I get it sorted."
She turns her bleary eyes to me. "I fucking love you."
I shrug and push her gently to the bathroom. I get everything started on the stove top and I'm getting my goddamn stupid fucking oven lit when Tomi slinks up behind me, cupping my ass through