Page 68 of Hungry As Her Python

But more importantly, I’d live for her.

Every sunrise, every laugh, every cinnamon-sugar kiss—yeah, those were mine to protect.

She just didn’t know yet that forever wasn’t a question.

It was already decided.

Chapter Twenty-Bella

That Evie and Donny were waiting when we pulled up warmed something inside me I didn’t even realize had been going cold.

Truth was, I’d been feeling a little glum about our friendship lately.

Ever since we’d discovered Grandpa Al was our grandpa—like all of our grandfather—I’d been doing this weird internal shuffle, trying to figure out where I fit in the picture.

Like maybe I was the odd puzzle piece that got left in the couch cushions and only got found years later.

“Of course we are here! We’re besties. And cousins! And we’ve been really worried about you with all this craziness going on. I had no idea it was still going on. How could you keep it from us?” Donny snapped.

“I’m always around. I talk to you guys every day,” I defended myself lamely.

“Yeah, right. You’ve been so closed off lately. I’m serious, Bella, we’ve been trying to get you to open up for weeks,” Evie mock-scolded, her voice wobbling just enough that I could hear the emotion under the sass.

Her big eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and I knew one sniffle from Donny and I’d be toast.

Full-on, sobbing, ugly cry toast.

“What are you two talking about?” I tried to play it casual, but my voice cracked right at the end.

“She’s right, you know. We have been really worried, Hells Bells,” Donny said, using the nickname she’d called me since our schoolgirl days.

She twirled the end of my ponytail around her finger, smiling just a little too softly for my comfort.

“About what, though? I’m fine?—”

“Fine?” Evie’s brows shot up. “This is the fourth time someone has attacked your store, and I had to hear about it from Jaxson, Bella! What the heck?”

“No way, I told you guys about this—” I started, then paused.

Okay, maybe I’d mentioned it in passing, once or twice, but yeah.

They were right.

I’d been playing my cards close, trying not to dump my drama on anyone else’s doorstep.

Before the guilt could chew a hole in my stomach, Conrad’s warm hand rubbed my shoulder.

He leaned down, brushed a kiss across my cheek like it was the most natural thing in the world, and said, “I’ll give you girls some privacy, but I’ll be right over there, Sugar.”

He gave the girls a nod before striding over to where Jaxson and Ryan were standing.

Ryan was chugging a bottle of water, soot on his nose, the faint scent of charred garbage wafting off him.

Poor guy.

Shifter noses made that at least ten times worse.

“Oh, wow, that stinks,” I muttered.