Page 61 of Same One
“My lady likes them,” Vic said smugly. “And yes, I’ll tell you everything about that day, and you will think I’m ten times cooler than Tabian, and you will want to hang out with only me, and you will realize how lame Tabian and his little camping trips are.”
“Are you competing with me?” Tabian asked, opening the passenger side door for Tru.
“There is no competition,” Vic assured them. “Of course teenagers would find me more awesome than you.”
Tabian snorted and shook his head as he helped Tru up. She was laughing. These boys were clearly friends, but the banter was also entertaining. Guys were strange with their love languages. It was mostly just them insulting each other.
Bayen climbed into the back seat behind her chair, surrounded by supplies, leaning a pillow she’d brought for him against the window.
“That dude is kind of funny,” he said.
“Don’t tell him that,” Tabian said as he climbed behind the wheel. “His ego is big enough.”
“Does he really knit hamster sweaters or was he just messing with me?” Bay asked.
“Oh, no, he really knits them. I’ll bring you to Bingo one of these weeks. He brings Erline in a new sweater every time for good luck.”
Bay huffed a little laugh, and it filled Tru with such a deep well of relief. He’d been so unhappy and on edge lately. It did her heart well to see and hear him relax.
“How was your day at school?” she asked him as Tabian drove them out of Rogue Pack territory.
“Very schooly.”
Tabian cast him a hard glance in the rearview mirror. “You gonna tell her?”
“Nope,” Bayen muttered.
“Why not? It’s awesome.”
“Same reason you are hiding your channel from your Pack.”
Tabian clenched his jaw and looked ahead at the winding road.
“I’m right, aren’t I?” Bayen asked.
“They won’t understand,” Tabian remarked.
“They’re going to figure it out at some point. You have millions of views.”
“Nah. They’re all terrible at the internet.”
“Why don’t you want them to know?” Tru asked.
Tabian relaxed back into his seat and sighed, pulled to a stop at the main road and looked over at her. “I started it out as just something for me. I created this little world that I can have just for myself, and I know what those guys will do. They’ll never stop giving me hell for it.” Tabian shrugged. “It’s just nice to get away from my Pack world and disappear into this one.”
Okay. Tru reached across and squeezed his hand. “That’s understandable.”
“That Vic dude is going to figure it out,” Bay said, typing away on his phone.
“Bay got a girl’s number today,” Tabian said.
“What?” Tru blurted out, twisting in her seat to look at her stepson.
“Thanks a lot,” he muttered with a glare for Tabian.
“A human girl?” she asked.
“Are you judging?” he asked.
