While on the one hand, I feel like she has no right to keep me from my sister, I also feel bad for making her feel like a crazy person when she most definitely isn’t one. Her suspicions are dead accurate.
“Allow me to apologize,” Lumen suggests, rising to her feet and giving one of those award-winning smiles of hers. She could charm a leprechaun out of his own gold with that grin. “I should’ve clarified our plans with you.”
“No, no, you’re allowed to go out and get coffee,” Tess suggests, opening her eyes and huffing out a breath. “I’m sorry. I’m just wrapped up in this deadline; I haven’t released a book in months and my readers are getting impatient.” She trails off and blinks a few times, like she didn’t mean to give up her insecurities so easily. “Oh, but you kids don’t care about that. I just … I’m going to grab a coffee to go and leave.”
She heads for the line as I turn wide eyes back to my … friends? I mean, I know Lumen’s my friend, but I guess Parrish and Chasm are, too? When the fuck did that happen? Don’t we all hate each other? I mean, I do hate Parrish a lot …
“You’re welcome,” he drawls, lounging like he’s on a throne crafted of gold. He has so much easy confidence but at the same time, there’s a frightening level of insecurity beneath the façade. It shouldn’t be intriguing but somehow it is anyway.
“Did I say thank you?” I quip back, when really, I should probably thank them all. “How did you guys put this together?”
“Lumen and I share a tutor,” Chasm says, shrugging and using the general chatter and the clink of dishes in the café to keep his words hidden from Tess. “We decided to come to your rescue. After all, I didn’t want Tess to take away my tutoring privileges. Looks too good on my college apps.”
I narrow my eyes at him as Lumen chuckles and unashamedly continues to drink Maxine’s iced chai. She deserves that and a whole lot more, I have to admit.
“Your three suitors, all together at one table,” she says, which makes my face flush red. “Lucky you. You could have your own harem.”
“Speak for yourself,” Parrish snaps, giving Lumen a dark look that she returns. I still have no idea what their deal is. When I first met them, I assumed they were a couple. That, or exes at the very least. Now I’m wondering if there’s a part of the story that I’m missing. My stepbrother turns that punishing gaze of his back to me. “You’re her only girlfriend.”
“Lucky me then,” Lumen challenges back, turning her brown gaze back to Tess. She’s on her way out the door now with a coffee in hand, giving a loose wave to our table before she disappears into the crowd passing by through the front window. “That was a close one, Dakota. You should be more careful.”
And she’s right. If Tess had caught me with Maxine, what then? Would she pursue a case against Saffron? Threaten my grandparents? Hell, Maxine is an adult: Tess could make my sister’s life a living hell.
Speaking of …
“Thank you,” I say finally, even though the look on Parrish’s face makes me want to grit my teeth. “All of you. Excuse me a minute.” I push up from the table and head into the bathroom to find Maxie in a texting frenzy with Maxx.
“X says hi,” she tells me, offering up a watery smile. “Is she gone?”
“She’s gone,” I reply, hefting a tired a sigh. “Did I tell you that she’s forcing me on a family trip this weekend?” My sister’s brows go up as I glance her way.
“Where to?” she asks, sliding her phone back into her pocket. She’s wearing denim overalls today with a t-shirt underneath, a pair of hiking boots on her feet. I suspect she’s going to sneak a hike in before she drives home.
“Bend,” I reply, shrugging loosely. “It’s a town in Southern Oregon. We’ll be so close to you but so far away. I highly doubt it’d be safe for us to see each other while I’m there.”
Maxine watches me carefully for a moment before taking out her phone again and holding it out for me.
“Call grandma and grandpa.” She gestures with the phone for emphasis. “I know you’re mad, but you can’t avoid talking to them. Remember: we don’t have to agree but we always talk problems out.”
It takes me a second to accept the phone from her, but I do, excusing myself from the bathroom and slipping outside the café’s patio. It’s raining—it’s fucking always raining here—but I’m used to it now. Leaning against the side of the building, I make the call and my grandmother answers on the first ring.
