“You can come eat with us,” Bethany offered.
“Oh no?—”
“I have to go soon,” Scarlett blurted out. “In fact, I might have to take this to go.”
Kerrigan sisters weren’t the only bad liars.
Autumn yawned. “And I told Gideon I’d help him at the house tomorrow.”
I’d wager half a concert’s revenue that was false. “I thought you hired contractors.”
“We did. We need to figure out, you know, the details.” She flagged down one of the teen servers rushing past and asked for to-go boxes. “Girls, do you want to help June move her plate?”
Embarrassment cut off my air. I sputtered.
Autumn snapped her fingers. “A ride. Scarlett’s chauffeured all of us. Rhys, do you mind seeing June home?”
His expression was deadpan. I’d rub my temples, but that’d only show how tragically badly this was being staged.
“Sure,” he said.
The to-go boxes were dropped on the table, and three minutes later, I was seated by Rhys.
Rhys
All I’d wanted was a quiet night without figuring out what to make for dinner. No juggling Bethany’s hatred of green beans and most other green foods with Hannah’s adamant protests that cooked vegetables are awful. They both agreed we had too many hamburger-based meals, except for hamburgers themselves, and while they claimed they liked pork, their actions didn’t match their words. Every time I mentioned chicken, they groaned. I was running out of protein sources. Yet if Curly’s prepared the same exact thing I would’ve cooked, the girls loved it.
June’s body heat seeped into me. The girls had argued over who got to sit next to June and had compromised; neither of them would get the honor. They’d put her next to me.
She was close, but we weren’t touching. Something I’d like to remedy. I’d fought my libido for the entire meal, starting from when June had excitedly chatted with each girl about their favorite thing to eat to now, when I wanted the check to arrive but also hoped it’d take another hour.
“I’ve gotta go to the bathroom,” Hannah said. Both girls scooted out of their side of the booth and hurried off.
“That’s twice,” June said. “Are they feeling okay?”
“We’re lucky to get out with under three bathroom breaks. It depends on how bored they are.”
The check came.
The girl who’d waited on us hesitated with her hand on the receipt, her gaze on June. “I, um, didn’t know what to do with your meal...”
Instead of telling the teenager she could’ve asked, June smiled her social media special grin. “It’s fine. I’m treating everyone tonight.”
“No, you’re not.” I dug out my wallet. “Keep it all together.”
June blinked. “I can pay.”
“I know.” I handed the server my card and she scurried off.
June spun farther in her seat. “I crashed your meal.”
“Is that what you call it?”
“It sounds better than my sisters dumped me on you.”
I didn’t mind June joining us. I liked it too much, as was often the case when it came to her. The why behind her sisters’ sudden departure intrigued me. They had seemed like they were spending quality time together.
Did her sisters know something I didn’t? Was the chemistry between us so powerful it made people around us hope that we’d become a thing once more? They’d been left wanting once, and I had no desire to repeat history.
