Free Fallen Angel by K. S. Thomas

zipping back and forth between my nipples.
    “It’s been a crazy twenty-four hours, Eda. Shit. Not like I had a lot of time to plan ahead and pack pajamas. Sleeping in my clothes was one thing, but that damn underwire was another.” I fold my arms across my chest to cover up. “You don’t look so hot either, by the way. Is that a pretzel in your hair?”
    She reaches up and peels it out. Then eats it after briefly inspecting it. “It’s all I’ve had to eat in the last fifteen hours. The police station wasn’t exactly stocked and ready to serve us breakfast after we spent half the night there.”
    Hudson chuckles gruffly, still searching the cupboards for something to brew coffee with. I have a hunch I had the last of it in the cup Angel made me yesterday, but I’m keeping that little detail to myself. Now’s not the time to be the guy who drank the last of the coffee.
    “At least you ate something . The last thing I had in my mouth can’t exactly be considered sustenance.”
    “Oh, gross. Well, it’s official. You’re as fucked up as the rest of ‘em.” I turn away, still slightly disgusted. “God. I didn’t realize it could be passed on by marriage.”
    “What did I pass on through marriage?” Royce’s timing is impeccable. “And, also. Is there coffee yet?”
    “No.” I make a face. “But that may be because you boys are busy eating each other’s wands.”
    Hudson’s laugh sounds like something combusted internally, while Ava does a sort of snarfle. Meanwhile, Royce is looking at me like I’m an idiot. “There was a fairy reference earlier,” I try to explain. “Talk of wands. It was funny, okay? My joke was the perfect blend of inappropriate and hilarious while sprinkled with a heavy handed pinch of sexual innuendo, just like you assholes like it. Trust me.”
    Whether my longwinded answer was worth it, I’ll never know. Royce never has a chance to respond or even laugh. The loud thud of the cupboard door closing interrupts everything.
    “There’s nothing here. Nothing. Not one single bean.” There’s a slight panic in Hudson’s voice and it’s catching.
    Ava begins to flap her arms nervously. “Not one bean?”
    Because one coffee bean would really make a difference in our situation. But it’s not about the coffee. Not really. It’s about stalling. Doing anything and everything to keep from facing what’s real. Moe Hollis is back. And Angel got arrested last night. Both things, none of us ever expected to have to deal with. Hearing that Moe-lester wound up in jail, that would have been expected. This? This was nowhere near anyone’s psychic radar.
    Hudson wraps both arms snugly around my sister and kisses her softly on the top of her head. “I’m going to go out and get some. Okay?”
    She nods.
    “I’ll go with you,” Royce volunteers. I’m sure this is the last thing they expected to be doing on their first day back from their honeymoon.
    Then, it’s just Ava and I standing alone in the kitchen.
    “How was he when he got home?”
    I swallow hard and grind my teeth, remembering last night. “Wrecked. I’ve never seen him like that, Eda. Not even back in the day when shit went down with his dad on the regular.”
    “I’m really glad you were here. Thank you.” Ava squeezes my hand. “You’ve been a really great friend to him since you’ve been back. I knew I could count on you. I was freaking out thinking about him being here alone. But I was still busy with the legal end of things and Blaise was busy trying to sort out things with Royce and Hudson since they took an earlier flight to get back here for this...anyway, what I’m trying to say is, I’m glad you were here.”
    I close my eyes thinking back at last night and the way he finally fell asleep still clinging to me. Under other circumstances it would have been everything I’ve ever dreamed of. But it’s not. Seeing the internal battle between the man he is versus the one he’s terrified he could be,