Page 68 of Tangled Hearts

She turns to me. “Yeah?”

“We aren’t telling them yet.”

“Because he’s a dirty little secret? You better think carefully about what you say next.”

I shake my head vehemently. “No. Not at all. We just need to find the right way.”

She hums, unimpressed. “Well, I’ll keep my mouth shut.” She turns to start making our drinks. “For now.”

I’m still shell-shocked when Mia hands me the drinks and I turn from the counter. Eli’s sitting at a table in the corner, his two friends across from him are leaning over the table and speaking in hushed tones. The second I’m close enough that I can start to hear them, they go silent.

Well, if that doesn’t make me feel like an outsider. I set Eli’s cup down on the table and turn away. “Where are you going?” he asks, almost a little frantic.

I look back at them, trying to plaster a smile on my face. “Giving you space. I’ll be in the Jeep when you’re done.”

“Uh. No. Sit down.” Bossy little shit, but I do sit down beside him, so really, what does that say about me? “This is Molly and Liam.”

Ah, makes sense. I remember Eli talking about them at The Foundation. “I’m Nic.”

Liam looks me up and down, then smirks. “Holden’s brother?”

“Yeah.” Why do I feel like I’m about to get interrogated?

His eyes light up, and he leans back in his seat. “Interesting.”

Molly nudges his side. “Don’t.”

“Well, I thought Eli was full of shit, but you really are hotter than Holden.” Eli chokes on his boba and Molly smacks Liam. He doesn’t seem to care because he keeps going. “I thought he was wrong. I mean, fuck, no one is hotter than Holden.”

Eli holds a hand up. “Stop talking about my uncle like that.”

Liam ignores him, blazing on. “Butyou?Now I get it. You’re single, right?”

Everyone falls silent. I’m not, obviously. I’m Eli’s. Is he ready to tell his friends that? Would it even be a good idea for him to? I don’t care, I don’t think, but… “Yep,” Eli says through gritted teeth.

Liam’s eyes light up. “So, what are you doing when you’re not out being hot and mysterious?”

Molly’s studying Eli, who hasn’t said a word. “Well, right now, I’m just volunteering with Eli, but I’m a vet tech.”

“Good with animals? Fuck. Maybe I picked the wrong brother to pine after.”

Eli slams his drink down so hard on the table that it splashes up and gets on his hand. “Liam. Stop.”

The sharp anger in his voice has me wanting to reach for him. To pull him into my arms and reassure him that he has no reason to be jealous. Liam’s clearly playing. I can see that. Maybe it’s not landing the way he thinks it is, but even if he was truly hitting on me, it wouldn’t matter. I’ve seen nothing and nobody since Eli fell at my feet seconds after meeting him.

Molly’s eyes widen and Liam looks taken aback. “I’m sorry, Eli. I’m playing.”

Eli growls. “Well, it’s not fucking funny. So stop it.”

“I didn’t mean to—”

“I said to fucking stop!” It goes so quiet you could hear a pin drop, and I chance a look at Eli. “I’m sorry.” He looks at his lap, picking at a loose thread in the shorts he’s wearing. I reach over, catching his hand in mine. Mia already knows, and I’m not sure I care if anyone else finds out at this point. Not if having to lie and hide makes him feel bad. My heart thuds. I need to be ready to tell our family sooner rather than later.

“It’s okay. It’s my bad,” Liam says, true remorse in his voice.

When I turn to the two of them, Liam is looking at Eli, but Molly is looking at me. “He doesn’t have any home training.”

Eli laughs, and Liam gasps in mock outrage, breaking the tension. “You take that back right now.”