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When I’d finished spilling my guts, Imogen’s mouth opened and shut a few times, like she had a million questions but couldn’t decide where to start.
“But Halo, you’re not… I mean, does this make you… Are you—”
“Gay?” I said. “Honestly? I’ve asked myself that, and I don’t fucking know. Does being attracted to Viper automatically put me in that category? I don’t know how this works, Im. I’ve never thought about it before, and I just…” I gripped the back of my neck. “I don’t know.”
“Hey.” She reached for my free hand and squeezed. “You don’t have to figure it all out right now.”
I squeezed back. “I know.”
Imogen rubbed her thumb over the back of my hand. “You really weren’t going to tell me any of this, were you?”
I shook my head.
“Halo?” She waited until I looked up at her before saying, “I’m glad you did.”
“Yeah?”
“Duh. We don’t have secrets, you and me. And it’s not like this changes anything. You’re still the best person I know.”
“Yeah, I am, aren’t I?” I grinned, and she pulled her hand away, rolling her eyes.
“Let’s not get cocky about it.” She stopped herself and then laughed. “Oh God, the puns that are gonna present themselves now.”
“Feel free to keep ’em to yourself.”
“It’s gonna be hard,” she said, chuckling again, as she cut into her waffle, which had to be cold by now. As she chewed, she shook her head. “I told you Viper was fucking hot. Didn’t I tell you?”
“You told me, all right.”
“Damn. I feel like I deserve some recognition or something for putting the thought into your head.”
“You didn’t put the thought in my head.” But then I remembered her telling me about how hot he was and the way I’d caught myself looking at him...and his lips. “Okay, maybe you did kind of push me in that direction.”
Imogen grinned. “You’re welcome. I’d ask how he is in bed, but I really don’t wanna know about that anymore.”
“I’m not telling you shit. Don’t worry.”
Sitting back, Imogen shook her head. “My brother has a hot boyfriend. Who would’ve thought.”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” I said, pointing at her with my fork. “Just get that much outta your head.”
“But he could be.”
“Nah. Viper isn’t a relationship kind of guy.”
“Maybe not, but you are,” she said, and my hand paused from where I’d piled hash browns onto my fork. She’d nailed it right on the head. I’d never been into the casual-fuck scene, and spending so much time with Viper only proved it.
Before I could say anything, she was talking again.
“You gonna tell Mom and Dad?”
“I don’t see a reason to. Do you?”
Imogen frowned. “I guess not.” Then she tilted her head to the side, seeming to think something over. “Do I get to meet him?”
“Nope.”
“Aw, come on. You’ve gotta introduce me sometime. I’ll pretend I don’t know.”
“Negative.”
“Please? I’ll do your laundry for a week.”
I snorted. “Only a week? That’s all a meet-and-greet with the Viper is worth? I’ll have to tell him.”
“Ugh.” Imogen crossed her arms and sat back in the booth, pouting. “You’re an asshole.”
“Guess Viper’s rubbed off on me after all.”
Imogen began to laugh. “Oh God, the puns. I can’t…” She laughed harder, wiping the corners of her eyes. My sister in hysterics was always contagious, and I found myself chuckling along with her, shaking my head at her ridiculousness. But inside, the knot in my stomach loosened, because I’d told my sister about Viper and my world didn’t fall apart. She was making jokes and didn’t seem bothered in the slightest by my revelation.
As her giggles began to subside, I reached across the table, and she put her hand in mine.
“Love you, Im,” I said, grateful that I had this person in my corner, as my sister and my best friend.
“I love you too, Halo. Thanks for telling me.”
“Thanks for forcing me to.”
A brilliant smile lit up her face. “Anytime.”
Thirty-Four
Viper
“YOU’RE DOING WHAT?” Killian’s voice echoed down the corridor of my condo, where he was waiting by the elevator for me to grab my shit so we could head to the pub down the street.
I poked my head around the corner. “What? It’s not a big deal. You’ve met my mom. Slade and Jagger have met my mom.”
“Uh, don’t you think this is a little different?” he asked, his voice growing louder as he headed up the hall, and when he rounded the corner, I looked up at him. “You meeting his family too?”
I screwed my nose up and continued rummaging around through my drawers, searching for the drawing I’d done. “Fuck no.”
“I don’t know, V. I think you might be in over your head with the angel.”
“And I think you might be a nosy motherfucker, but I don’t call you out on it.”
“Uh huh. So you’re admitting it?”
“Jesus Christ.” I slammed the drawer shut, what I was looking for obviously not in there, and headed toward my bedroom, Killian hot on my heels. I lifted the clothes piled on my nightstand that needed to be put away, and felt around for the sketch. Hopefully I hadn’t left it sitting here where Halo could’ve seen it, but my brain had been scattered lately, so there was no telling.
