Page 51 of Oblivious

“Hey!” Blair objects.

“It’s true, bro,” Joe says. “You used to steal our Advent chocolate.”

“I did not.”

“You did,” Stephen says. “You’d ask if you could help us open our Advent calendars, and then you’d give us these adorable puppy eyes and ask if you could try it.”

“And you let me?” Blair asks, clearly not remembering ever doing such a thing. “I think that makes you suckers.”

“Anyway,the point is that Fitz wouldneverdo anything like that,” Joe says.

“Fitz is too oblivious to cheat,” Stephen muses.

I glare at him as I open the pack of cards and tip them into my hands.

“You are. Look how long it took you and Adrian to see what was right under your noses.”

“I was beginning to lose hope,” Sophie says. “You two were so confusing. Acting like a couple while dating other people. I wondered if you were in an open relationship for a while, but no, you were just totally oblivious.”

“You could have said something,” I mumble, shuffling the cards.

“I was debating staging an intervention.”

“Vanessa beat you to it,” Addy says.

Sophie smiles. “I like your sister. Sit me next to her at your wedding reception?”

“We’re not getting married,” I say.

“Yet.”

Addy squeezes my hand reassuringly. We’re both used to being teased by my family, but I’m not sure I’ll ever fully enjoy it.

“Please tell me you didn’t go through with your blind date on Valentine’s Day, Adrian?” Sophie asks.

He smiles and shakes his head.

“I still cooked,” I say.

“Thanks for making a meal for us,” Ana says. “It was amazing. Can you teach Blair how to cook like that? Then maybe next yearhecan put some effort in instead of paying his kid brother to do it for him.”

“I didn’t pay him,” Blair says. “Fitz cooked out of the goodness of his heart.”

Ana gapes at him and then looks at me. “You shouldn’t have let him take advantage of you.”

“He didn’t. It’s fine. I offered. I enjoy cooking.”

“Fitz eats, sleeps, and breathes cooking,” Addy says affectionately.

“No wonder you love him,” Joe says.

“Meaning?” Max asks.

“Nothing.”

“So whenareyou getting married?” Stephen says.

“Shut up,” I say as my face becomes hot.