“I’m always underestimated. I enjoy that.”

“Stella,” his voice was sincere, “I’m sorry I doubted you.”

She heard people in the background talking excitedly. “Don’t be sorry. Make it count.”

“Will do.” The phone muffled as he directed someone to do something.

“Talk to you tomorrow, Harris.” She disconnected and called George.

“Love?” he answered.

“Hey, babe, you getting ready to watch my interview?”

“Um, Love, why do you sound so…happy?”

“Because I just got Jamie recorded saying he bombed the FBI office and shot me. And kidnapped me. I have single-handedly gotten evidence to put him in jail for multiple life sentences.”

“You did?”

“I fucking did.”

“Wow, you’re amazing. I mean it,” George congratulated. “You okay? He hurt you?”

“Not at all.” Stella wouldn’t go through the details with George, or anyone, for that matter; it was too raw.

“I have to go, I’m eating with Patrick and everybody before we watch the interview, but I wanted to tell you how the meeting with Jamie went.”

“I wish you would’ve told me you were meeting with him,” George chastised, “I had no idea.”

“Better to ask for forgiveness than permission,” she said with a lilt to her voice.

“Love.”

“Love,” she answered and disconnected.

She pulled in front of her old house and got out of the car. The front door opened and Cooper bounded out. Patrick stood in the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest. He had a green fleece on and black workout pants. Billy walked to the doorway and smiled over Patrick’s shoulder and waved at her. Stella nodded at them with a smile and walked right into Patrick’s open arms, into his embrace. Millie came running from their room, her eyes wide. Cooper stood in between them, his tail alternately hitting her leg and then his.

“You okay?” Patrick almost whispered in her ear.

She separated herself from him and looked at all of her friends. She took a few seconds and thanked God for them. “I’m fucking better than fantastic. Let’s get some alcohol flowing and then I’ll tell y’all all about it before we watch this clusterfuck of an interview.”

Billy high-fived her and pulled her in for a hug. “Steaks are almost done.” He turned and walked toward the grill in the backyard. “I’m so proud of our little liar. I knew you’d do great!” he called over his shoulder.

“I’m brilliant. Everyone just admit it now.” She felt elated. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so…free. She was free.

I’ll be okay. Everything will be okay.

They ate at the kitchen table like old times and she relayed everything that happened, withholding the conversation regarding her romantic history. Turning off and on her memories of that Jamie was difficult, but she believed what she’d said. The Jamie and Stella that were together were dead. Now, they didn’t even like each other.

“How’d you know if you do—do your boobs like that again—if you did that, Agent Harris wouldn’t hear you?” Billy asked, making her push her boobs together again as an example.

“I practiced!” Stella laughed and pushed her boobs together for him two more times. “I told Harris I wanted to make sure I knew what not to do so I wouldn’t get nervous and fuck the whole thing up.”

“Maybe you are brilliant,” Millie agreed, nodding. “And your boobs are hot in that top.”

Stella smiled. “Patrick, it’s now your turn to tell me how brilliant I am,” she coaxed.

“You did good, El.” His voice was quiet, but his eyes gleamed with pride. He was proud she was able to do it; she knew he’d underestimated her, too.

They drank and talked while they waited for the interview to come on. During the opening minutes, all of the tweets, tabloid pictures and headlines flashed through the screen with Diane Sawyer walking in front of a blue screen while she summarized the past five years of Stella’s life in less than two minutes.

Millie giggled. “Damn, girl, you’re famous.”

“More like infamous,” Stella refuted.

“Same difference,” Billy said.

“And so fucking tragic,” Patrick added.

The interview had been cut significantly, but when the part about George came up her phone buzzed with a message from him.

I really do have blue balls right now

I love you too and you will never lose me

Stella smiled and looked up to see Patrick was getting them more beers. “I need one!” she called into the kitchen. She texted George back.

Hopefully I can help you with that this weekend

Patrick came in and put everyone’s beers on the table, but stayed silent, playing on his phone for the rest of the interview. Her phone vibrated in her hand.

You better do more than that this weekend

Birthday sex is all day sex

She laughed and replied.

Whenever and wherever you want

Her phone buzzed again.

Best shit I’ve heard all day, besides what was just broadcast to millions of people

A commercial came on and Billy stretched his arms over his head. “I think knowing you is a liability, El.” He smirked. “You’re not allowed here now that I’ve bought the place.”

“What?!” she yelled. “You bought this house?!” Stella jumped up and hugged Billy. “I didn’t even know you were thinking about it.”

Millie did the same.

“That’s what happens when you’re all wrapped up in your own shit, like trying to get your homicidal former fiancé arrested.” Billy laughed. “You miss shit.”

“A toast!” Millie declared, raising her glass.

“To the best friends an asshole could ever wish for,” Stella said.

“To next year being totally fucking different than this one,” Patrick toasted.

"To the people who I love more than beer,” Billy joked.

“To the family we choose.” Millie clinked her glass.

* * *

It was George’s birthday today. He was flying home and she was running late. Fuck. She looked at the clock on her car again as she pulled into the traffic circle near Arlington Cemetery. Stella was driving as fast as she could to get back to their house before he did. Pulling into the driveway, she blew out the breath she’d been holding when she rushed into the house and was only met by a tail-wagging Cooper. She did beat George home.

Leaning down, she put her forehead on Cooper’s. “Hey, bud.” His entire backside moved with his wag. “Come on, I need to hurry.”

Stella put her bags down and grabbed his leash for a quick walk. Cooper did a half-hearted dance for her as she put the leash on his leather collar.

When they got back into the garage, she closed it and went inside quickly, grabbed her bag, and hustled upstairs to the bathroom. What do you get someone who can buy whatever they want whenever they want? Not too much. Stella’s hair now reached just past her shoulders and she brushed it out before she shed her clothes. She smiled at the red “Fighter” tattoo that was finally brighter than all the scars on her chest. Stella had tried to look at her scars like just another tattoo, ones that showed her where she was at a particular place and time in her life, but that sort of healthy outlook on her life was difficult.

She carefully wrapped herself in the “present” she’d purchased for George. She had a few minutes so she went downstairs and poured them both glasses of the cabernet that he liked best. Stella set the glasses and food she’d ordered from their favorite Italian restaurant in Old Town on the table. Cooper barked and moved toward the door. Stella heard the motorcycle engine and then the garage door raise. She put the card on the bar next to the wine and trucked it upstairs.

* * *

George pulled into the garage, surprised that Stella was already home from work. He smiled and pulled his helmet off, climbed off his bike and hung the helmet on one of the handlebars. Cooper was waiting for him as usual, but he didn’t see Stella.

“El?” he called and then he glanced over to the bar where wine, food and a card were waiting for him. He tore it open and noticed it was blank except for two lines:

You honestly didn’t think I’d forget your birthday, did you?

Find me!

A wide grin spread across George’s face as he walked up the stairs to their bedroom. He leaned in and didn’t see her. “El?”

Silence.

He walked into his office, nothing. “El?” he called again. Where the fuck is that little minx? “I need my birthday present now, Love,” he said as he turned the corner into the guest bedroom and found her sitting, no, not sitting, positioned, displaying her naked body. A shot of heat went through him as he took her in. She was wrapped in a red bow that only covered her crotch and nipples. Holy shit! He almost lost it then and pounced on her.

“Happy birthday, babe!” She laughed. “Do you like it?”

George used his teeth to take off the ribbon and began kissing her everywhere. “What do you think?” he asked in between kisses.

“I think...” she drawled, pushing him off her and standing, “you’re wearing too many clothes for my present.”

* * *

George had flown in for a little over 24 hours and then flown out again. Stella sat on the couch with her Kindle, wine, and Ben Harper, trying to be okay with the loneliness she felt. Stella knew Jesse had an early curfew because they were in New Orleans with a 12:00 game on Sunday. She called him.