Chapter One
Spring Roll Confessional
Sydney
Lauren is giving me the look.
I know the look. I’ve been on the receiving end since we were twelve, the time I told her I was going to cut my own bangs. The look saysI love you but you’re about to do something incredibly stupid, and I’m going to sit here and watch because you won’t listen to me anyway.
“Stop,” I say.
“I haven’t said anything.”
“You’re thinking it.”
“I’m thinking a lot of things.” She picks up her wine glass and tucks her legs underneath her on the couch. Lauren’s apartment is small and warm and smells like the Thai food we ordered an hour ago. Containers are spread across her coffee table—pad Thai, spring rolls, the green curry I always get but never finish. “I’m just trying to understand the timeline.”
“There’s no timeline. He called, asked if I could come help with the twins for a while, and I said yes.”
“You said yes….to moving to New York.”
“Temporarily.”
“To live in Archer Lockwood’s house.”
“He has a guest room.”
“To being a live-in—what, exactly? Nanny? Roommate? What are we calling this?”
“I’m helping out a friend. His ex-wife just moved out, he’s got two three-year-olds and an NHL schedule, and he needs someone.” I shove a spring roll in my mouth so I’ll stop talking.
Lauren watches me chew. She has that face—her corporate mask, the one she wears when a client pitches a terrible campaign, and she has to decide how honest to be. She usually goes with very.
“Syd.”
“What?”
“You quit your job.”
“I was going to quit anyway.”
“You ended things with Matt.” She ticks these off on her fingers.
“Matt and I were over.”
“You let your lease go.”
“The apartment was depressing.” I wave one hand.
“And now you’re flying across the country tomorrow morning to move in with a man you’ve been in love with since we were fifteen.” She says it the way she says everything—direct, calm, like she’s reading ingredients off a cereal box. “And you want me to believe this is about babysitting.”
I release a slow exhale. “We’re not doing this.”
“We’re absolutely doing this.”
“Lauren.”
“Sydney.” She gives me a pointed look.
