"I didn't do anything." Miles doesn't even look up from his plate.
"Miles told a girl in his lecture that he was a doctor."
"I said I waspre-med adjacent."
"You're studying finance," Declan answers with a laugh.
"Finance of the healthcare sector. It's adjacent."
Lileah buries her face in her hands. "I share DNA with you. It actually horrifies me."
Hayden's dad laughs quietly from the end of the table, shaking his head. Trixie signs something quickly to Declan, eyes bright with amusement.
Declan glances at her, then points at Miles. "She says you're an idiot."
Miles puts a hand to his chest, genuinely wounded. "Trixie, I thought I was your favorite."
She shrugs one shoulder.
"She's my favorite," Mason announces. "Has been since day one."
Hayden's mum sets food in the middle of the table, swatting Mason's hand away before he can grab it first. "You wait until everyone has some."
"Mom, I'm literally dying of hunger?—"
"You’re not dying, you had three bread rolls before dinner."
"That was pre-dinner. That doesn't count."
Hayden's not saying much tonight. He’s just watching. But every now and then he glances at me with this small, quiet look that makes my chest ache in the best way. It’s like he's checking I'm still here. Like he's still getting used to it.
"Olivia." Lileah leans forward slightly. "Is it true you used to read Hayden stories from your books when you were kids?"
I blink. "Who told you that?"
"Mom."
I turn to Hayden's mum, who’s very busy suddenly serving food and definitely not making eye contact with anyone.
"He used to pretend he wasn't listening," I say.
"I wasn't listening," Hayden says flatly.
"You remembered every plot point."
"I have good passive retention."
Mason chokes on his drink. Miles slaps him on the back, hard. I’m not sure if it’s to help, or just for the opportunity to hit him.
"He told me the ending of a book once," I continue, warming up now because the look on Hayden's face is absolutely priceless. "A book he claimed he hadn't read. In detail."
Lileah gasps, "Hayden."
"I skimmed it."
"You quoted the last chapter."
The table erupts.
