Page 95 of Lovers Like Us

Sometimes I wonder when they all sleep, but I’ve seen them nap whenever they can. Used to bizarre sleepschedules.

A malfunctioning timer beeps on my watch. I turn it off and look up at Akara. “You know I told Sulli to text Jack Highland?” I suggested that she contact Jack for interview pointers. I thought it’d help calm her nerves since Jack has experience with fans and media as an executive producer onWe AreCalloway.

Akara breaks apart a peanut shell into tiny pieces. “Youdid?”

“Yeah,” I say, not able to read his expression. “What’s your issue with him? Pretty much everyone likesJack.”

Akara brushes the shells off the table. “This is the first person that Sulli seems to trust enough to be friends with…and I don’t want her to gethurt.”

I nod, feeling the same. Maybe not about Jack specifically but just protecting Sulli from anyone new in her life. In my cousins’ lives. Partly, it’s why Beckett has his guards up with Farrow. We all feel the need to vet the people that come into our trustcircle.

From experience, outsiders are the ones that fuck us over themost.

“We should’ve ordered food,” Akaramutters.

“Oscar has food in his hotel room,” Donnellysays.

Oscar swigs his whiskey. “If you’re talking about the cookies, they’re gone. I let the crew have the tin for two seconds, and they ate all ofthem.”

Everyonegroans.

“Audrey’s cookies?” I’m guessing. I heard that my youngest cousinmailedhomemade cookies to the hotel. Just forOscar.

“Yeah…it’s…you know, she’s young.” He finishes off his whiskey, almost wincing. She’s twelve and putting him in a weird spot. I’m starting to think she’s going a bit overboard since he works for ourfamilies.

And he’sthirty.I have no fucking clue why she can’t crush on a kid around herage.

“I’m sorry, man.” I rub my jaw. “I can try talking toAudrey.”

“Don’t. I wouldn’t want to break the girl’s heart,” he says. “It’llpass.”

Farrow nods. “When she’s prescribedglasses.”

Oscar chucks the peanut bowl, but it sails towards me. I grab the bowl midair before Farrow reaches over, and he glares at Oscar, shaking hishead.

“Just hitting you where it hurts,” Oscar tells him. “Go for Redford’s boyfriend, and you awakethe—”

“Fuck you,” Farrow says easily and hurls the bowl back like aFrisbee.

It knocks over Quinn’s glass and shatters on thefloor.

“Shit,” Farrowcurses.

“Party foul.” Donnelly stands and tosses down some napkins on theglass.

Akara mentions taking care of the spill and broken glass later, and we’re only one hand away from finishing thegame.

Oscar and I face off with a dice-roll, and a bet—fuck.

Me.

Oscar grins and passes the baseball hat to me after my loss. “Last one,bro.”

I dig in the hat and grab a truth or dare. “Dare,” I say aloud, “read the last dirty text you sent.” A dying groan is strangled between my ribs. Before anyone else can react, two guys around my age slip into the bar and their eyes widen atme.

Spotted.

Donnelly whispers, “Under thetable.”