Page 27 of Knocked Up By the Silver Foxes

“So,” I echo.

“Why did you want to know about my parents?” She taps one finger on the table. “Is there something you want to talk to me about?”

Um…

“I mean,” she starts, “you’re an adult, I’m not going to tell you who can and cannot be interested in.”

“Really?” Because that’s not the reaction I thought she’d have.

“Of course not,” she laughs, “I’ve seen how Uncle Asher and Uncle Mad Max look at you. And Dad…”

God, it’s so weird to hear her call Killian dad.

“As long as he doesn’t hurt you, it’s fine.”

“You care more about me getting hurt than me hurting them?”

“Well, duh,” she laughs, “we live together. I don’t want you taking your revenge on them by eating through my cookie-dough ice cream.”

Lorenzo appears at the table with a new bottle and Raphael behind him with another round of waters and the moment dissolves as cleanly as if it never happened. Sophia straightens up and the question disappears into the noise of them settling back in and the new bottle being opened and Raphael saying something that makes Lorenzo groan and Sophia cackle.

I smile at all of it and reach for my glass and feel the wine and the evening and the specific looseness of a night that has gone genuinely, unexpectedly well settling through me.

I reach for my phone.

I tell myself I’m just checking the time.

I open my messages.

I tell myself I’m just checking my messages.

I navigate to the contact saved under his name and I type before I can talk myself out of it.

Harper: We’re celebrating at vine if you’re free

I set my phone face-down on the table and take a sip of wine and look at Sophia who is gesturing at Raphael about something and absolutely not paying attention to me.

My phone lights up.

I flip it over.

Maddox: Who is included in the ‘we’

I grin before I can stop myself.

Harper: Sophia, Lorenzo, and Raphael...

Three dots appear. Disappear. Appear again.

Maddox: Omw, sweetheart

I lock my phone and set it back down.

I reach for my wine and take a long, composed sip and look across the table at my best friend laughing at something her boyfriend said and feel the evening settle around me with all its complications and warmth and bad ideas and possibilities.

11

MADDOX