Page 6 of Whatever It Takes

Jared frowns, brows knotting. “Ana, am I supposed to know who that is?”

Ana glides over in heels, her blonde hair in a tight ponytail that looks honest-to-God painful. I don’t know how girls do that. She puts a hand to Jared’s chest. “Ignore my boyfriend. He isn’t well-acquainted withentertainment news orCelebrity Crush.”

I almost roll my eyes at the trash tabloid. Okay, I have picked up the magazine at the grocery checkout before. But it’s certified crap.

Jared shakes his head. “Wait, he’s been inCelebrity Crush?”

“Yeah, with the Calloway sisters,” Ana says, pointing to me like I’m notrighthere.

Jared looks me up and down like he’s trying to figure me out now. “So are you dating one of the Calloway sisters then?”

I almost laugh.

They’re all married.

None of them to me. And if any of the Calloway sisters heard that question, they would most likely die in their own fit of laughter. Willow—she’d probably wrap her arms around me. I’d wrap mine around her. Just to saythis one is mine.

“Oh myGod.” Ana’s face roasts a shade of red. “Please stop talking, Jared.” To me, she says, “I’m so sorry. The second I have the chance, he’s bingeingPrincesses of Philly.” I haven’t heard someone mention PoPhilly in a while. The short-lived reality show happenedyearsago. I wasn’t in it. I didn’t even know the Calloway sisters back then.

A docuseries featuring the sisters and their men is ongoing and more current, butWe Are Callowayis critically acclaimed and covers serious topics like addiction and PTSD. Maybe too highbrow for this girl since she doesn’t mention it.

I’m not in the mood to explain how I’m connected to the Calloways, but luckily I have Ana here willing to do it for me.

She’s focused on her boyfriend. “You do know who Loren Hale is, right? If not, we can no longer date.” She crosses her arms over her chest, like she’s serious about this.

Jesus.

This is dumb.

It’s like watching a fucking train wreck withInterpolstill blaring in the background. Loren Hale should never be the decider for any relationship. If he were, mine would have ended before it even began.

Jared doesn’t blink. “Everyone knows Loren Hale.”

That’s just not true, but okay.

“Prove it.” Ana arches a brow.

“He owns Superheroes & SconesandHale Co. I have his baby oil in my shower.” Way too much information from my neighbor. And it’s not specifically Loren’s bottle of baby oil. The family-owned company manufactures baby products. Hale Co. is one of the most well-known brands in the country.

Jared looks to me. “Loren is also married to the sex addict Calloway sister.”

My skin crawls with how Jared just described Lily Calloway. Like that’s all she’s fucking known for. Not the fact that she’s the one who actually owns Superheroes & Scones. At one point in my life, I even workedforher.

Jared looks to me and continues on. “But I don’t get it. How do you know Loren Hale?”

I open my mouth.

But Ana answers first. “He’s dating Loren Hale’s little sister.”

And there it is.

I shouldn’t be famous. I shouldn’t be recognizable, especially when I’m not always around Loren or any of the Calloways. But it’s happening. And there’s only a small comfort in knowing that Ana at least took a few minutes to double check her phone before being able to recognize me.

It wasn’t instant recognition.

Good.

“Huh,” Jared muses.