The guy frowned, deep lines slashing across his forehead, but then a girl called out to him and he got up, heading over to her instead of continuing the conversation. Thankfully, the others moved on, but every so often, they asked me something about myself or my life back in Chicago.
It was easy to be honest but light on the details until a girl I’d never met before wandered over. She dropped into the lap of one of the newcomers from another campsite, smiling as she looked around.
“Hi, I’m Mara,” she said happily, cuddling into the guy who was obviously her boyfriend. “This is Mike. He did remember to tell you guys that, right?”
One by one, we leaned forward to introduce ourselves, but when my turn came, she suddenly blinked hard. “Wait a second. You look familiar.”
Fuck. That’s not a good sign.
“I have one of those faces,” I said, reaching out to shake her hand. “Theo. It’s nice to meet you, Mara.”
I prayed she’d leave it there but she spun to face me fully, squinting until she suddenly snapped her fingers. “Hey, I know who you are. You’re TheoWestwood.”
Avery glanced at her, seeming a little puzzled. He’d known my last name all along. It was on the check I’d given him weeks ago when I’d first gotten into town, but he hadn’t seemed to think anything about it until now.
“Yeah,” I said, still desperately hoping she’d just let it go, but instead, she lit up like a fucking Christmas tree when I confirmed it.
“I’ve read about you,” she gushed. “You arethatTheo Westwood, right? Alex’s brother. The youngest one.”
Double fuck.
“Yep.”
She let out a legitimate squeal of delight as she clapped her hands together. “This is so cool. I love your brother, by the way, but I think I prefer your cousin.”
“Sterling?” I guessed quietly, nodding without even waiting for her to respond. “Yeah, I hear that a lot.”
Unfortunately for me and my attempt to continue flying under the radar, Alex and Sterling were both infamous at this point, and it wasn’t even only them. Ever since they’d both attained the age of majority, the press had latched onto our family, tracking all of us throughout our adult lives like we were the Kardashians.
Only luck had gotten me this far in Quartz Pass without encountering any gossip magazine junkies, but it looked like fortune had finally abandoned me. If this girl had favorites out of us and our cousins, it meant she devoured those very same tabloids I’d been hoping people didn’t buy in this part of the country.
“Yes!” she half-shouted as she tipped back on her boyfriend’s lap and clapped her hands again. “Sterling. God, he’s so hot. Imean, he’s old now. I know, but still hot. Is it true that he owns acastlein Europe?”
“Scotland,” I said quietly, very aware that Avery, Jared, and Luis were all now listening intently. “Yeah, it’s not as nice as you’d think. Very drafty.”
Most people around the fire seemed a little confused about why she was so excited. Nobody else jumped in with immediate, intimate knowledge of my family, but the damage was done. My identity was official out there.
After Mara turned back to Mike to whisper some explanations, a few others asked some questions. Then they fell back into other conversations. At least that part was refreshing.
My secret was out, but no one except Mara truly seemed to care. The downside was that she was now telling everyone who would listen why the Westwood family was so significant and what exactly it meant that I was part of that family.
I tuned her out after a while, glancing over at Avery to once again try to get a read on his reaction. He hadn’t said a word since she’d dropped the bomb, simply staring at me for a few seconds until he reached into a cooler and opened another beer.
Raquel stood near the water with a group of the other girls, laughing about something and thankfully unaware of the conversation she’d missed. Guilt still smacked into me as I looked at her, though.
I wasn’t even entirely sure why. It wasn’t like I’d lied to her or maliciously hidden anything, but still. The countdown was officially on.
Rising from my chair, I headed over to the folding table to mix myself a drink stronger than beer. Avery appeared beside me. He handed over a bottle of vodka and I took it, catching his gaze as I twisted open the bottle.
“Thanks,” I said.
“Sure.” He took a long sip of his beer before he turned to watch me mix my drink. “So, uh, I’ve got a question for you.”
“Uh-oh,” I joked, wondering if acting like I didn’t know what he was talking about would make this less or more awkward. “Have we finally gotten to the part where you threaten me?”
“No,” he said, the expression on his face still a little flat. “Why didn’t you mention you were loaded, Theo?”
Triple fuck.
