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Psh… trying to get that in like it was supposed to be a shot at me. I wasn’t exactly ashamed that I was going back to the most attractive person alive.

Chapter 14

Brooklyn

Damn, but Ryan looked cute in a miniskirt. I’d already seen her in it on our way out of the house earlier, but I’d forgotten how nice her legs were during the drive, being pleasantly reminded all over again once she stepped out of the passenger side, and she leaned back against the side of the car, folding her arms, ponytail flicking in the wind that rustled through the thick palm leaves around the parking lot.

“Brooklyn, are you staring at my legs?”

“I guess journalists really are perceptive,” I said, not taking my pointed gaze off her thighs. She laughed.

“My eyes are up here, ma’am.”

“I’m working my way up there.”

“I’m going to need you to go faster, or we are going to be late for the reservation.”

I laughed. “We have a minute.” I paused, raising my eyebrows and looking up to meet her eyes darkened with that way shelookedat me. “Oh,” I said. “Oh, I get it. Okay, good point. I’ll be thinking about it, though.”

She snorted, shaking her head, sidling closer to my side, looking up at the cute cabana-style restaurant building in front of us, the back terrace packed full of people right now but the interior quiet, with the beautiful weather right now. “You should not,” she said just under her breath, “be making me think too much about this morning before I’m going to go have lunch with Allison and my sister.”

I nudged her side. “I like the thought of you thinking it,” I said quietly. “I’m hoping I get the chance to get back to it once we’re back in private… and I’d like you to be ready.”

She closed her eyes with a low, hungry sigh, and I could not describe the effect it had on me—the way Ryanlivedevery tease, every touch, every promise, every bit of pleasure. “You don’t play fair,” she mumbled.

“Neither doyou,in that cute little skirt. But I’ll pretend to be good for a minute. Shall we get inside?”

She sighed, her expression changing as she looked over the restaurant. “Yeah… let’s.”

I paused. “Feeling all right? It’s awkward being around your family after earlier, I imagine.”

She shrugged. “Honestly, I just kind of wish Oscar were there, too. Stella’s… a lot, but I’m grateful for her being on my side. Even apologized for picking fights with everybody in front of me. Plus, it was… she wasn’t weird about Allison being a lesbian,” she said, her voice falling off awkwardly at the end, not looking right at me. She was still getting over her hangups about the wordlesbian—any queer terms, but especially that one—and especially in the context of her family, she looked like she wanted to peel her skin off. I raised my eyebrows at her.

“Did you think she would be weird?”

“No. Yes? I don’t know.” She shrugged, looking at where she scratched the toe tip of her sleek kitten-heel shoes against the concrete. “I’m the only one in my family who’s not just… cisgender, heterosexual, whatever. They’re not outright homophobic or anything like that, but it’s just… not the… the done thing. Not something we talk about. I guess I didn’t think Stella would have issues, just that she’d be awkward. You know,oh, well, I support you, there’s nothing wrong with that, I’m an ally, I have nothing against you, love is love.She’sverystraight.”

I smiled drily at her. “And you’re thinking about how she might react if she found out about you.”

She shifted. “I don’t know. Just that Stella’s surprised me. And it’s weird… to feel like she’s the only one on my side right now. Oscar’s my literal damn twin and he just goes along with all of them.”

I looked softly her way, pressing my side into hers and slipping a hand to her back. “I’m sorry,” I said. “I hope he does come around. It sounds like he’s just the type to go into things… slowly. But again, that’s a reason and not an excuse. Your side isn’t a hard one to take.”

“It is, though, isn’t it?” she said distantly. “It’s not about who’s right or wrong, it’s about the… politics. Align with me, or with literally everybody else?”

“Is that how family is supposed to work?”

She snorted. “It’s how itdoeswork. Or is yours not like that?”

I shrugged. “Don’t really have one.”

“Oh.” Her face fell, clearly throwing off all her other thoughts, turning to me. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s fine, honestly. They sucked. I’m better without them. I’ve gotten over it. It’s been a while. I’d rather not have family around than have family around making me feel small and trading me in for the man who cheated on me.”

She chewed her cheek. “I guess… but still, I’m sorry.”

I didn’t get to say anything else, didn’t get to brush it off with anotherit’s fine, don’t worry, don’t think too much about my life,before a car door shut close by, and I looked at where Allison raised her hand in a wave, dressed in a very lesbian-looking houndstooth blazer I hadn’t seen her in before. “Hey,” she said. “You two going inside, or are you gonna just stand here making out all day?”