Page 57 of Filthy Twisted Devil

“Eden doesn’t count,” Brinley says. “She was your fake pity girlfriend after⁠—”

“—After you ruined my reputation with your column?” There’s no bitterness in Luke’s voice now. It’s the first time I’ve heard him bring up the Peppermint article without a tinge of anger or hurt. This time, he just looks genuinely pleased he can use it to win an argument with his sister.

“Fine. Eden counts,” she concedes with a sigh. “Now get your grubby mitts off her. She didn’t ask for that.”

I have to stop myself from glaring at my best friend, because the last thing I want is for Luke to take his arm back.

“Not yet,” Luke says. “We still need to take today’s selfie for her brothers.”

He pulls his phone out of his pocket and turns the phone back on us, angling the screen so Brinley’s in the shot with us. She makes a disgusted face while Luke kisses me on the cheek. I look embarrassed but pleased.

Luke removes his arm from my shoulders but leans in close so I can review the selfie with him.

“It’s a good one,” he says. “Should you send it to Wade, or should I?”

Guilt swells in my chest. Before, when we sent photos to my brothers, it felt like part of a performance. Now, it feels…confusing. We’re not pretending to our friends anymore, so the lie feels more targeted. Like I’m making a fool of my family.

Except the emotion in that picture is genuine for me. Luke kissing me in front of his sister isn’t just an act. It’s something I wish could be true.

I’m letting myself be fooled by our performance.

“Can you send it?” I ask. My voice sounds strained, and Luke glances over at me.

“You okay?” he asks quietly.

“Fine. Just tired.”

Another lie, one Luke reluctantly accepts. As James presses play on the Sequel app and Die Hard starts, I’m still feeling uneasy about the whole thing. I can’t tell what lies bother me most—the lies to my family, or the lies to myself.

23

LUKE

“Can I just say how fantastic it is to be in a hospital because Maura’s having a baby instead of a heart attack?” Beau sighs, putting his arms behind his head as he lies back on the hospital bed.

“You can, but I wouldn't advise saying it in front of James,” Nate says. “He’s a nervous wreck.”

“I feel bad,” Cat admits. “Maura’s in labor and the rest of us are pretty much just having a sleepover.”

Just like he did when a cardiac event landed Maura in the hospital earlier this year, James paid the hospital to keep a spare room open down the hall for us, his friends. The whole thing does have a sleepover-type vibe. Brinley and Ryan are flipping through a celebrity gossip magazine in one corner while Pippa paints Cat’s nails pink. Beau brought several gigantic Tupperwares full of gourmet sandwiches and Nate sent his assistant to Costco to get more chips, cookies, sodas, and granola bars than we could possibly eat in a week. We offered some to the nurses on the floor, but unsurprisingly, James had already arranged for meals to be delivered for everyone on staff.

“We’re providing important moral support,” Pippa says. “Once Maura’s done getting her epidural, we’re going to go do all the breathing exercises with her.”

“Exactly,” Brinley says. “So we need fuel. Pass me the Oreos?”

Nate tosses her a sleeve of cookies, which she practically drops twice before getting a good grip on it.

“Don’t throw stuff at Brinley,” Eden reminds him. “Athletics aren’t her strong suit.”

“Because the universe is fair,” says Brinley. “I have too many other strengths. If I were an amazing athlete too, people would start to resent me.”

A nurse appears in the doorway. “Sorry to interrupt,” she says. “Mr. Keller asked me to send in Maura’s friends. She won’t be in active labor for a few hours yet, and she could use the company.”

“Come on, ladies,” Pippa says, getting to her feet. “Time to distract Maura by any means necessary.”

Ryan holds up the celebrity magazine. “Wanna take this? It has some interesting articles. Turns out, Brad and Jen’s relationship is in trouble.”

Pippa does a double take. “How old is that magazine?”