Page 13 of Shine For Me

Eva makes a scoffing noise. “Then he better invent a way for cis men to birth babies, because I sure as fuck am not doing it again anytime soon.”

Everly is watching with narrowed eyes as Alex takes a plastic cup from Eva. “Are you sure you should be drinking that?”

Alex raises a perfectly sculpted eyebrow then takes a huge sip while holding eye contact with Everly.

“Alex!” Everly squeaks. “It has booze in it!”

“That’s probably what makes it so delicious.”

Everly gives Alex’s flat stomach an exaggerated glance. “Yes, but are you supposed to be drinking right now?”

Alex groans. “I’m not pregnant, Lele. Stop listening to your mother’s gossip.”

Everly looks crestfallen. “Oh, I was hoping she was right this time.”

Alex rolls her eyes at me. “Aunt Paige is always convinced that every partnered-up female in this family is pregnant.”

“Mom’s a little baby crazy,” Everly says sheepishly.

“Your mom’s a little everything crazy,” Alex says. “And it clearly runs in the family.”

The others all laugh at Everly’s outraged expression and I can’t help thinking how nice this is, to sit in a sunny garden on a warm day with these girls, teasing and sharing a pitcher of margaritas. Is this what it feels like to have girlfriends?

And how sad is it that this is a foreign experience for me? God, I really need to spend more time with normal people.

“I’m pretty sure the next person in line for a baby is Rose,” Alex continues. “She’s been married longer.”

Rose makes a face. “No, thanks. I’m enjoying banging my husband whenever I feel like it.”

“But you’d have such cute babies!” Everly says. “River’s kids both got Jasmine’s coloring—we need little Ransomes with that white blond hair of yours.”

That makes me wonder what Fox’s kids would look like, which is a giant mistake. It was bad enough to see him holding his brother’s son earlier. The last thing I need in my head is the image of Fox Ransome holding an even tinier baby in those amazing arms of his—

“So you and Fox leave for location this week?” Jasmine asks.

I practically choke on my margarita at the sound of his name. “We do. Um. Yeah. I’m flying out on Thursday, but I think Fox is waiting until the weekend.”

“You aren’t going together?” Eve presses, and I realize they’re all looking at me a little too closely.

“Um, no. We don’t, you know, make our travel plans together?” It comes out more like a question, making it obvious how uncomfortable I am with their avid gazes. They seem to be implying something, but I’m not exactly sure what.

“They want to ask if you guys are secretly hooking up,” Rose says bluntly. “But they’re too chickenshit.”

Everly slaps her leg. “We just don’t want her to be uncomfortable!”

“And hinting about it like a bunch of preteen girls is going to make her more comfortable?”

“We’re not, um, hooking up,” I cut in, my face going red at the phrase. “Definitely not. Just friends.”

Eve’s face falls. “But all those pictures of you—”

“Are just pictures. Publicity. I promise.”

They all look disappointed. “Well I think you’d be really cute together,” Everly says.

I stare at her. “You guys know I’m engaged, right?”

Five sets of eyes snap to my bare ring finger. “I kind of thought that fizzled out,” Everly admits, sounding uncomfortable. “You don’t ever talk about plans for the wedding anymore so…”