The Lost Boys Group Chat
JUSTIN: Oh man. Con you better pull up your Venmo account.
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CONNOR: What the hell do I need to pay for while deployed?
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JUSTIN: You owe Ty $100
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CONNOR: What??
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TYLER: Ooo, I love free money.
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CONNOR: Bullshit.
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JUSTIN: Nope. It’s true. Do you recall a certain bet we made about 3 years ago when the 3 of us were all together?
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CONNOR: Umm… *thinking face emoji*
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DEX: Justin…
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JUSTIN: Ah…speak of the pirate.
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TYLER: Hold up.
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TYLER: *GIF of Britney Spears looking over her shoulder with a knowing smile*
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CONNOR: I can’t believe you just used a Britney GIF. No…wait…scratch that—yes I can. You ARE Tink’s favorite.
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TYLER: *GIF of Snow White dancing with the words ‘Haters gonna hate’*
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CONNOR: Ugh, Disney. There’s NO getting away from it.
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JUSTIN: Can you two idiots stop for a minute? I have news!!!
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DEX: Just…
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JUSTIN: Stop glaring at me from across the room. I didn’t kick your ass—let me have my fun.
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DEX: *GIF of Kramer saying, “That’s true.”*
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JUSTIN: Okay, okay. *rubs hands together* Drum roll, please *drum emoji*
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TYLER: You are clearly spending WAY too much time with Madz and her Covenettes because you forgot how to get straight to the point.
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DEX: I’ll be over here making a fresh pot of coffee. It’ll be nightfall by the time you’re done.
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JUSTIN: Aren’t you two SOOO funny. Keep that shit up, Ty, and maybe I won’t tell you that our dear sweet Hook here finally made a move on his Tinker Bell.
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TYLER: SHUT UP!
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CONNOR: NO WAY!
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TYLER: BOO-YAH. *HIP THRUST* TOLD YOU ASSHOLES HE LOVED HER.
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CONNOR: THIS IS BULLSHIT!
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DEX: Wait….
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DEX: Hold on…
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DEX: You guys knew?
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TYLER: I did for sure. Justin was on the fence, and Connor was straight up in the land of denial. Which works for me because now I’m a hundred bucks richer.
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TYLER: *GIF of man making it rain dollar bills*
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CONNOR: It’s $100, not a million. Chill, bro.
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DEX: How?
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TYLER: You act like I don’t see you with your shirt off A LOT. Did you really think I wouldn’t spot the silhouette of Tinker Bell hidden in the ink on your shoulder?
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DEX: Shit.
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TYLER: Nah. It’s cool, bro.
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CONNOR: HOO-YAH! Now the title is gonna be OFFICIAL! Brother-in-law status.
Chapter Forty-Two
Allowing Dex to send me away so he and the guys could work on a plan of attack went against every independent instinct I have, but even I’m woman enough to admit it was a good idea. I didn’t realize how close I was to being one talking teacup away from getting hauled off to the looney bin with Belle’s father.
Except, if I had a teacup like Chip in my life, I think I would be too entertained to worry about all the things I’m purposely not thinking about.
Like stalkers who are peeping Toms.
Having the most erotic sexual experiences of my life with my brothers’ best friend.
Or how that same best friend, who also happens to be my old childhood crush, is in big, fat, stupid, why-can’t-I-figure-it-out-for-myself love with me.
“So…” Sammy plops down on my left while Jordan and Skye settle in on my right.
“So…” I don’t turn, instead keeping my gaze trained straight ahead where Tucker and Jake are helping the twins build a sandcastle.
“Don’t make me go all ‘Lucy, you got some ’splainin’ to do’ on you, Madison Belle. Just spill the deets on the sweet nothings Dex whispered in your ear to get you to come with us today.”
“You do realize in the almost week Dex has been here, you’ve Madison Belle-ed me more than you have all year, right?” I peer at him over the top of my sunglasses.
“Well if the glass slipper fits…” He gives me a nudge at his cleverness, and if I wasn’t trying to avoid answering his question, I would give him props for it.
“Sammy, don’t pick on her,” Jordan chides, slipping into her mom role effortlessly.
“Yeah,” Skye echoes, but she ruins the girl-I-got-your-back facade by adding, “At least not until she tells us if she hopped on Dex’s magic carpet and let him show her the world.”
Over my head, Sammy reaches out a fist for Skye to bump, and my pained groan is like a siren call for Becky and Zoey to skip—literally skip—over in our direction. Any time the two get even the barest whiff of trouble, they are there like cats with catnip.
I adore how the number of female friends I have keeps expanding. After going without girlfriends for so long, every addition to The Coven makes my heart happy. The fact that Melody’s friends—like Zoey and Ella—feel comfortable enough with us to hang out when she’s not here speaks to the specialness of our squad.