Page 107 of Instigator

Oh, right. Because tonight is the night I tell my sister I’m autistic. No big deal. Not worth freaking out over.

Except I’m totally losing my shit. I told Ceci first because, as my partner, she had a right to know. If it changed the dynamic in our relationship, she deserved to know before we got in too deep.

Hailey doesn’t have a choice to stop being my sister. Sure, I don’t think she’ll excommunicate me over it, especially after the way we lost our parents. But she’ll likely have questions I’m not sure I’m ready to answer.

Ryan side-eyes me. “What’s up with you?”

“Nothing’s up with me.” My voice cracks, and I clear my throat. “Dinner?”

“You’re twitchy,” Hailey accuses as she slides into her regular seat across from me. “Why are you so twitchy?”

“Fuck off.”

She opens her mouth to argue.

“Just… not now.”

Hailey stops in her tracks. “You’re not getting married, are you?”

“Fuck no,” Ceci blurts.

My sister flinches.

“Sorry. No offense. I’m not getting married again. Ever. Once was enough of a mistake.”

Hailey’s face creases with hurt. “You think marriage is a mistake?”

“For me, trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, yes. I’m not meant for it.” Ceci crosses the room to stand beside me, and I slide my hand into hers. “I can have a committed romantic relationship without the legal declaration of marriage.”

Ryan clears his throat. “That’s actually what we wanted to talk to you about.”

“About me and Ceci getting married?”

“No. About Hailey and me.”

My gaze darts to my sister. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong, everything is fine,” she says, but her voice comes out high-pitched. “Why would you think something is wrong?”

“You’re both being weird.”

Ryan takes her hand, running his thumb over the diamond ring on her finger. “We’ve decided to get married.”

Blinking a few times, I try to understand. “But you’re already engaged.”

“This weekend,” Hailey clarifies. “We want to get married now. During the All Star break. We don’t want to wait any longer.”

“Why now?” They’ve been engaged for at least a year. Never so much as mentioned a date.

Hailey bites her lip. “I had a flare last week.”

Hurt smacks me across the face. “You did? You didn’t tell me.”

“It’s fine, I’m fine,” she adds. “I called the concierge doctor, and they gave me an IV and some meds. You guys were away. I didn’t want to bother you. I didn’t even need to go to the ER.”

“You’re never a bother.”

She opens her mouth, but I cut her off, leaning across the table so she knows I’m serious.