Page 84

*picture of her cleaned plate held up next to her face*

I quickly type out a response, keeping my phone close to me and the screen out of view.

Me

Oh yeah? Which one did you have tonight?

The veggie lasagna.

I continue staring down at my phone, forgetting my surroundings entirely.

“Wait, is that the girl from Riley’s that night? The blonde?” Chloe clicks her fingers as if trying to remember Kate’s name. “She hangs with your group, right?”

At least, I thought my phone was out of view.

“She does,” I reply, locking my phone and placing it face down and out of sight.

Knitting her brows together, she ponders over what she’s clearly just seen. “Are you guys dating? You call her Princess…” she trails off.

I fucking wish.

“No. She’s just a really close friend who hates being called that, so I deliberately do it.” I force out the whole sentence, which feels entirely unnatural. I’m also surprised she didn’t see or remember Kate sprawled on my lap that night I walked her home. She must’ve been drunker than I thought.

“Aww, well, that’s cute that you cooked for her.”

“Chloe, are you hitting on my brother?” Hollie comes to stand beside me. No, to save me.

Although Hollie is clearly winding her best friend up, I don’t miss the flush across Chloe’s cheeks. In another world, and even though she’s several years younger than me, I might be tempted to see how far that flush travels. But there isn’t another woman on the face of this planet that interests me.

I want my blonde princess, just like I did that night. Nothing has changed, and it never will.

It’s like Chloe’s presence reminds me that while my sister’s best friend might have the hots for me, there’s only one woman who will ever turn my head.

Chloe stands and brushes down her gown. “I’m going to get another drink.”

My sister squeezes her huge dress into the now vacant seat beside me and narrows her eyes straight in my direction, studying me. I don’t like that look. “When were you planning on telling me?”

I snort and shake my head. “She just couldn’t wait, could she?” My eyes scan the room until I find my mom standing at another table, talking to some family friends. I turn back to Hollie. “I planned on telling you after your big day.”

“I’m still in shock. You, a dad to twins.”

I nod. “Yep.”

“Mom says you’re in love with her.”

I throw my head back and laugh. “I’m a lot of things about her.”

“She’s not in love with you?”

“What is this? The Spanish Inquisition?” I wave a hand around the room. “Haven’t you got guests to talk to?”

She flicks her long dark hair out to the side and pins her brown eyes on me again. The shade is almost identical to mine. “Technically, you are a guest. Plus, I’m a huge heap of love today.” She straightens my bow tie, which I’ve yet to take off. “You look, I dunno, sad?”

“I’m not sad, Hollie. I just have a lot on my mind.”

“Like what?”

How I’m going to transition from the friend zone where we occasionally fuck to being married.