Villain Ch 1566. Different Kind of Embarrassment
Gerry blinked at them, his expression stuck between disbelief and awe. "Wait. Are we being serious now? Is this happening before 10 AM?"
Allen smirked faintly. "Miracles."
"Man…" Gerry rubbed his face and let out a long sigh. "You both flipped. Like, snapped in real-time. Jane's out here giving life advice. Allen's unpacking emotional baggage over coffee. I feel like I missed a side quest that explains all this."
Jane, without missing a beat, reached over and tossed a napkin at him. "Catch up, sidekick."
Gerry caught it, grumbling. "I was just here for the protein and drama, not the therapy hour."
"You can't spell brunch without breakthrough," Jane quipped, then winked at Allen. "And we're not done with yours yet."
"You never are." Allen chuckled softly. And it wasn't the bitter kind. Wasn't the tired kind either. It was warm. Quiet. The kind that cracked through the cold edges and settled in his chest.
