“Uh…sure.” He blushed again and busied himself with the cashier. “Do you, um, do you want anything else?”

“I think Corrigan wants to actually eat here. I’ll pay for the Party Packs now and Corrigan’s order with two pops.”

He rang the total and stammered, with another blush, “I can get you a free order of breadsticks, if you’d like…?”

“Sure. Thanks, Marcus.” I smiled kindly and moved to our table.

Corrigan lifted an eyebrow and I shook my head. “He didn’t want to talk about it.

I can sympathize.”

Marcus brought over the drinks quickly, along with the breadsticks, and Corrigan flashed a smile. “Thanks, man.”

Marcus stood, uncertain what to do, but Corrigan had already hunched over his food and drink.

“Thanks, again,” I murmured and Corrigan swiveled in his chair as the social defect left.

“What?”

I asked.

“What? Are we nice now?”

“I kinda feel bad for him. He works eight jobs. He puts up with our abuse and he found someone dead…I feel for him.”

Corrigan snorted and dramatically checked his forehead, “Am I sick? Or are you sick? Or…is this what the new Sheldon’s going to be like?”

“New Sheldon?” But I didn’t want to know.

“Yeah. The one in touch with her feelings, saying things like ‘I love you.’”

Abruptly, I announced, “Bryce is leaving.”

“What? No, he’s not.”

“Yes, he is. His parents are divorcing so he’s skipping college and going straight to the pros. He has to support his mom and family, I guess.”

“What?” Corrigan froze in his chair.

“Yeah.”

“I mean…where?

When?”

“He’s not playing soccer anymore. They don’t want him to play and get hurt

before their trainers can work with him. I don’t know where he’s going, but he’s leaving.”

“That….that sucks!” Corrigan bit out and shoved back his chair. “Come on!”

Bryce and Corrigan rarely fought, in fact—I’ve never seen them fight, but as I saw the fury in Corrigan’s clenched jaw, felt my own fury—I knew a fight was brewing.

Marcus was left in our trail as the door shut behind our heels. He stood with Corrigan’s food in his hands when we hurried through the parking lot. Corrigan reversed the car and ate up the road until he turned into my driveway. Two vans were parked with a security company logo painted across and I figured Bryce had ordered a new alarm system. None of that mattered to Corrigan as he stormed inside, located Bryce, and threw the first punch. Bryce immediately recovered and rolled before he hit the ground and jarred his shoulder. He cast a glance to me, saw a mirroring anger, and immediately said, “Okay. You know.”

Corrigan grunted and threw another punch.

Bryce dodged this one, swiveled underneath his arm, and grabbed him in a headlock.

“Get off me!” Corrigan ducked his shoulder and threw Bryce across the room.

The guys all scattered out of the way. The security men stood cautious and I was even further annoyed when I saw that Becky Lew had already arrived. Mandy stood just behind her, but everyone was captivated by their two kings going at it.

“You’re such a coward,” Corrigan spat out.

“I’m a coward?” Bryce called back in disbelief. “Because I’m taking care of my family? Because I’m leaving you guys and sacrificing…”

Corrigan punched again, but Bryce evaded and rolled on his heels. He waited.

Corrigan taunted, “You’re scared and you’re heeling to your mother. Yeah— that’s a coward to me.”

Anger flared in Bryce and Corrigan knew he’d overstepped the boundaries—at least in public. It was a different matter in private, but Corrigan knew to never call Bryce and myself ‘scared’ or a ‘coward’ in public.

Corrigan choked off, glanced at me, but Bryce caught him with his first punch.

After that—no words were shared, just punches.

“Are you going to stop this?” Becky asked me. Mandy nodded, “They’re trashing your house.”

I shrugged, “Not the first time that’s happened.” Why would I want to keep that pleasure from someone else?

Becky rolled her eyes and griped, “That’s just like you. Your two best friends are going at it, and the only person who could stop it, just stands back and watches. Do you have any feelings at all?”

Mandy sucked in her breath, but remained silent.

I swiveled on my heel to face her squarely and asked, eyebrows arched, “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” she clipped out, but some of her bravery had dissipated.

“Say it again,” I taunted. Ready.

“I…I don’t know why everyone worships you so much. I get it with Corrigan and Bryce. They’re hot and funny and…loyal, apparently, but god—you’re so cold to everyone.”

“They’re family. We’re all family,” I retorted as Bryce slammed Corrigan against the wall.

“That’s just…of course, you’d say that,” Becky bit out, hands on hips.

I shifted to my hip and asked, “Where’s your lover boy? You know, the one that’s only screwing you because he’s got some serious guilt over Leisha’s death. That’s pretty pathetic, you know. You’re pretty pathetic. The guy’s messed up with guilt.”

“He only called her because of you. Carlos didn’t like Leisha, but he thought that you liked her so he was going to try. Can you believe that? A guy will date a girl if he thinks that’s what you want. I just can’t get over it. Do you have some magical spell that you just weave over these morons?”

And the two biggest morons had just splintered my coffee table.

A sudden thought came to mind and I checked to see where the booze was. I calmed a little when I saw it was safe so I turned back to Becky, “Is this what this really is? Jealousy? How lame can you get?”

Mandy sighed and murmured, “They’re going to break your flat screen.”

I glanced back so I didn’t see Becky’s hand slap across me.

Stunned, I looked back and saw she had balled her hands into fists and was one breath away from pouncing on me.