big part of it comes from seeing the object of his affection hurt, even though he’d never admit it.
Sun comes to join me and tosses her makeshift ice pack into the sink. Grabbing the frying pan that has somehow ended up in my hand again, she waggles her eyebrows at me before turning to face the guys.
“I distinctly remember asking you to stay downstairs, but yet here you are. You two don’t listen very well, do you?” She asks the question with her eyes squinted and lips pursed, tapping the side of the pan against the palm of her free hand for emphasis. It’s ridiculous, her trying to look all big and bad, and I appreciate her attempt at using humor to ease some of the tension still lingering in the room.
Apparently not as sure of her intentions as I am, Payne stands and carefully plucks the potential weapon from her fingers as she approaches him. Unable to hold her serious expression any longer, she giggles and overly pouts her pretty mouth, a teasing glint in her eyes. “What’s the matter, Payne? Not up for a little spanking?” Her eyes go wide, and I can hear the breath she sucks in from all the way across the room as Payne pulls her against him and reaches down to boldly grab a handful of her ass cheek.
“When you’re ready for me to spank this nice round ass of yours, Easton, you just let me know.” He pauses for a beat longer than joking, letting her fully absorb his meaning before backing up with a chuckle and walking the pan back to the kitchen sink.
“If it will make you feel better, Stella, I will arrange to have a cleaning company come in and take care of everything.” Mr. Halliday offers from where he now leans against the door frame waiting for us. Nodding my agreement, I join Sunday, where she still stands by the couch, having not moved an inch since Payne’s offer.
“Sunday, you need to close your mouth now,” I say, tapping the underside of her chin lightly and grinning.
“Did he just–” she whispers.
“Yep,” I confirm.
“Huh.” She tries to brush it off with practiced nonchalance, but I can tell she’s both shocked and at least a little pleased. “Well, let’s plow, shall we?” Linking an arm in mine, she grabs both our purses and sashays us to the front door. Looking over my shoulder, I offer a silent farewell to the cramped space, somehow knowing I’ll never be back.
Sunday gently grasps my chin with her free hand, and laser focuses her eyes on mine. “This is not your home anymore. I don’t think it was ever really anything more than a stopover. We are your home: me, Payne, Poe, Cecily–all of us. Folkestone is your home. It’s time to leave this place behind.” Her sincerity hits me right in the feels. I look at Payne and Poe and see the same thing reflected on their faces.
It scares the shit out of me, but deep inside, I know she’s right; I don’t belong here anymore. So, I suck it up and utter the only words I’m confident I can get out without choking on my anxiety or bawling my face off.
“Thank you.”
My best friend unlinks her arm from mine so she can engulf me in one of her bear hugs.
“It’s like the Jeffersons babe; you’re moving on up,” she says, and the visual makes me laugh.
“Sun, how do you even know who the Jeffersons are? I thought I was the one with the penchant for old tv shows.”
“No, you’re the one with the love of weird music and scary movies. I’m the one who likes cheesy old tv shows and nineties rap.” She pauses to throw me some hilarious made-up gang signs. “At Sandringham, I watched a lot of old seventies and eighties sitcoms. They thought they were less likely to get us worked up, and we’d be more pliable.” Before I can ask her what the hell that means and exactly what a Sandringham is, Poe interrupts.
“Everybody ready?” I can hear the ‘finally’ he kindly left out of his question, and I give him a small, grateful smile.
Sunday leans her head briefly against mine before quickly straightening up and aiming a saucy wink straight at Payne. Slipping on her pink Maui Jims, she grins. “Grab the bags, boys. It’s time to go home.”
Chapter Six
We stop back at the diner on our way out of town. There is no way I can