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“Oh, but, Red, where is the fun in that?” I give her a playful wink and then exit the room.

“Rumor has it, you had dinner with Mom and Dad the other night.” Lyric looks between me and Char as she takes a bite of her salad. “How was that?”

“Oh, you know Mom.” I sit back in my chair, more relaxed than I have felt in a long time, and I don’t have to guess why. I know with complete certainty that it has everything to do with the redheaded beauty next to me.

“That I do.” Lyric chuckles. “Let me guess, she drilled you about your relationship, trying to gauge how serious it is.”

“Pretty much,” Charlotte answers before I can.

“And?”

“And what?” I look at my sister like she’s grown a second head. “What did you tell her?”

“Nothing. I told her I was madly in love with Charlotte but that we were taking it slow and letting things progress naturally.”

“Boring.”

Kai snorts out a laugh but encourages Lyric to keep going.

“I’m just saying it’s clear you two are crazy about each other. Why waste time figuring things out when things will ultimately figure themselves out regardless?”

“What would you have me do, move to Virginia?” I avoid looking at Char, who clears her throat like she just swallowed something down the wrong hole.

“If that’s what you want.”

“And you’d be okay with that?” I cock a brow.

What my sister doesn’t know—what none of them know, including Charlotte—is that I’ve already talked to my boss about moving into a remote position and I have an appointment next week to look at apartments in Virginia. Nothing is set in stone, of course, but I’m sick of only getting to see her on the weekends. I want her all day, every day, not just some days.

“Are you kidding? Nothing would make me happier.”

“Good to know. So if I ever decide to move to Virginia, at least I know I have your blessing.”

“You’re a brat. Here I thought you were about to tell me you were actually moving there.”

“We’ve only been dating for three months.” Char points out, and for a moment, I second-guess my secret plans.

I had never once considered she wouldn’t want me there.

“Try over a year,” Lyric disagrees. “Whether it was official or not, you two were a thing long before either of you was willing to acknowledge it.”

“Not everyone falls in love and then moves in with the person a week later.” I look directly at Kai, who only smirks, stretching his arm to drop it around Lyric’s shoulder.

“It was months later, not a week.” My sister rolls her eyes.

“I beg to differ.” Charlotte snorts out a laugh. “You may not have officially moved in with him until this past fall, but you were living with him long before that. Maisie and I would go days without seeing your face.”

“Some of us just know when we’ve gotten it right,” Kai speaks up, smiling at my sister in a way that makes it pretty fucking clear how he feels about her.

I know I’ve got it bad for Char, but if I had to wager a guess, I’d say Kai is in the same boat where Lyric is concerned. No, I don’t have to guess. I know. Though I’d rather not think too much about that, given that she’s my sister.

“I love you.” Lyric leans into him.

“Not as much as I love you,” he whispers into her ear just for her, but I still catch his words.

Tightening my hand around Charlotte’s, I look to find her eyes on me.

“You okay?” I mouth.