Page 34 of Lovers Like Us

“Banks and Thatcher are still cooler thanyou.”

My smile stretches. “That must be why you asked them here instead ofme.”

“Burn,” Kinneydeadpans.

Xander flips his sister off before putting his headphones backon.

Luna twirls in a circle. “Can’t you poach some trustworthy bodyguards from SFO,then?”

“That’s not how the security team works.” If I asked to bring Oscar with me over Luna’s bodyguard, J.P. would act like I nail-gunned his feet to the floor. I watch Luna spin six more times, and my concern elevates. “How serious isthis?”

She blows out a breath. “To be determined, but it’s not lookinggreat…”

It’s about Luna, I deduce. “Okay. If you need something, I can goalone—”

A knock pounds thedoor.

I let Maximoff inside. He’s still wearing his wet Patagonia jacket. Our gazes latch for a strong second, and then I lock the door while he skims hissiblings.

“What’s going on?” He nears hisbrother.

Xander lowers his headphones to his neckagain.

“Hey.” Maximoff has this empathetic expression that screams,I care. I care. I love you.“I’ve been trying toreach—”

“I know.” Xander climbs out of the tub and clasps his older brother’s hand. Maximoff brings Xander into his chest, and theyhug.

Out of the corner of his eye, Xander sends me a pleading look. As though saying,don’t tell him I wasupset.

Unless Maximoff asks, I won’t bring it up. They pull apart, and Maximoff says to his brother, “I heard you got your door back athome.”

Xander shrugs. “I only lost it for aday.”

Maximoff told me that Xander has ano locking doorsrule. Whenever he breaks it, their dad takes the door off itshinges.

I prop the back of my boot on the cupboard, knee bent, and I watch Luna run in place for the third time. I don’t ask because I’m about 99.9% sure Maximoffwill.

He breaks focus from his little brother and zeroes in on Luna with a hardened gaze. “What the hell are youdoing?”

She pants, “I read onCelebrity Crushthat if you dance a lot, you can possibly, maybe, somewhat make your periodappear.”

Shit.

Silence hangsheavy.

“You missed your period?” he asks, voice firm. He taps into big brother mode with ease, his body rigid, and he shoots me a glare. As though I didn’t inform him of the scenario where his eighteen-year-old sister may bepregnant.

“I didn’t know,” I say, and then I look at Luna. “You can’t make your period appear by dancing, but nicetry.”

Kinney scoffs. “You’re a guy. You know nothing about periods or the female anatomy. You haven’t even touched avagina.”

“Kinney,” Maximoffgrowls.

My mouth curves upward. Because it’s cute when he defends me, but I can handle this shit. “I graduated medical school,” I tell her, “but I don’t need an MD or a high school diploma to know that medical advice fromCelebrity Crushisn’t accurate or even good advice. It’s justbullshit.”

“That’s what I said,” Xander says, taking a seat on the tub ledge next to Kinney. “I mean, it’s the same tabloid that rumored Jane and Moffy tobe—”

“Too soon,” Maximoff cuts him off and then hones in on Luna again. “How? When? Where?Why?”