Page 58 of Take My Name

Warren grabs the cheesecake from the fridge and sets it down on the platter. “I added the fruit and drizzle already.”

“It looks delicious,” I say honestly. “You made this from scratch?”

“Mm-hmm. I worked on it yesterday after our picnic and let it cool overnight.”

“You took her on a picnic?” Bellamy gushes. “How 1960s of you.”

I can’t help the snort that escapes me.

“It was very sweet,” I tell her. “I’d forgotten how beautiful the views were from up there.”

“Oh, you took her upthere?” Bellamy eyes Warren cautiously before shifting to me. “He takes all his ladies there so he can impress ’em with the view and cookin’ skills. Did it work on you?”

My heart has no right to nosedive into my stomach, but it does at the thought of him being with other women.

Warren grabs a knife and drops his fist on the counter. “If I give you half the cheesecaketo go, will you leave?”

Bellamy folds her hands on top of the counter and smirks. “Deal.”

“And she’s lyin’, by the way,” Warren tells me, focusing his attention on cutting through the cheesecake. “I’ve never taken anyone but you up there.”

And just like that, my stomach somersaults again.

“Warren!” Bellamy scolds, widening her eyes. “That’s jealousy 101. Read my cues.”

“Oh, you were tryin’ to make me jealous? Why? I’m engaged to someone else.” I regret my words as soon as I blurt them, especially when Warren winces. But I couldn’t help it because the way it made me feel for that split second had me second-guessing everything, and not for the reasons it should be.

“Yeah, so? You know how many men use theI’m engagedorI’m marriedline to get other women into bed? It doesn’t mean anything. Marriage is a contract between you and the government. It’s bullshit patriarchy crap to control women. It doesn’t change anything between a couple. If anything, it makes men more attractive because it implies they can commit and settle down, meanwhile, their wives get more bitter that even thoughthey got the big white weddin’ and shiny ring, it’s not enough to keep a man’s pryin’ eyes.”

“Wow, I’m shocked you’re single,” Warren deadpans.

“Ichooseto be single, thank you very much.”

“You’re too young to be that jaded,” I tease.

She’s only twenty-one.

The same age when Warren and I got married.

“No, I’m not stupid enough to give half my assets to a man who will promise me the world in one breath and ask me what’s for dinner in the next.”

I bite back a laugh. “You can be a feminist and still wanna cook for your husband.”

Warren looks skeptically from the corner of his eye.

“Okay, well, not inmycase because I can’t cook, but you get the gist.”

Even though he’s looking down while he cuts into the dessert, I notice his lips tilt up in amusement.

“Does that mean your fiancé cooks for you?” Bellamy asks.

“No, he’s not much of a cook either.” We’re both too busy to remember to eat half the time.

“So what do y’all do?”

“We order in, mostly. Or go out.”

“Every day?” Her mouth falls open. “I can’t imagine that.”