Page 71 of The Doctors Will See You Now

I pressed my face into his chest and grinned.

Yeah, fuck that cape. I’d take Will’s face between my legs.

He might’ve snagged the coolest cape in the history of capes, but I was definitely the winner of the day.

Who needed egg rolls?

I spotted the trio of trouble the moment we stepped inside the restaurant. They were loud and disruptive, and they looked like they were having so much fun that none of the patrons around them even looked annoyed.

“I can’t believe you talked me into meeting your sister,” Melody griped, swiping at her hair in an effort to look presentable. Truth was, she looked flawless.

“Why? Are you actually worried she isn’t going to like you? Have you met you?”

“Yes!” she whisper-yelled. “I have. And quite frankly, I’m a little bit of a bitch.”

Laughter, uproarious and unchecked, burst from my chest at the lie.

Three sets of interested eyes—those of Georgia, Cassie, and Winnie—locked on to us immediately. “Whoops,” I whispered, pushing Melody slightly in front of me with a hand at her back. “Looks like we’re busted.”

She moved the first few steps like her feet were encased in cement, so I used my hand and pressure to suggest she move a little faster.

“It’ll be fine,” I whispered right before we got to the table. “They’re going to love you.”

Melody’s eyes bounced over her shoulder, and I knew it had to be the tone of my voice. It said the words I didn’t: they’re going to love you. I know because I do.

I surprised even myself when I didn’t panic. I wasn’t completely sure if I was actually in love with her, but I knew what I felt was a little more than affectionate. I also knew we’d been together barely any time at all, but we spent literally every day together. Working, talking, laughing—all of it made me that much fonder of her.

“Hey, brother!” Georgia greeted, jumping up from her seat to give me a kiss on the cheek. “I didn’t know you were bringing a friend.”

“Yeah.” I looked to Melody and back to the group of women. “I hope that’s okay.”

Georgia waved my comment away. “It’s fine! The more, the merrier.”

“Great. But actually, Melody is—”

“We get it, Will,” Georgia cut me off, waving her napkin back and forth before putting it back in her lap. “You’re not dating. Winnie taught us the important lesson of what a woman ‘too smart to date Will Cummings’ looks like.”

“Yeah,” Cassie remarked with a laugh. “Hot. Stacked. Fire in her eyes. She’s definitely too smart for you.”

A tiny little river of hurt carved its way through my chest, the doubt it left in its wake making me wonder if they were on to something. Melody was good. She was positivity and a real conduit for change. And she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on. The sum of all those things easily outnumbered the total of what I deserved.

“Actually,” Melody cut in, her hand snaking out and linking itself with mine, “I’m not too smart.”

Fuck me. Doubt effectively dried up, I felt a little like puffing out my chest.

Winnie’s eyes were the first to light up. “Yessss.” She banged a hand so hard on the table it made everyone else jump. “I’m finally here for the fun stuff.”

Melody’s expression turned uncertain, so I leaped to explain with a pointed glare in Winnie’s direction. “She’s got a brilliant mind, but Winnie is just as deranged as my sister and Cassie. Ignore her words until they actually make sense.”

Cassie took no offense. “Don’t mind us. We just love to watch the drama.”

“You love drama?” Melody asked, slightly horrified at the prospect of what I’d gotten her into.

Cassie was once again unfazed. “Go through it, no. Watch it, yes.”

“There’s no drama,” I interceded. Fucking hell, this lunch was going to be long.

“Of course there’s no drama…” Cassie muttered. “Yet.”