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“No, I don’t.”

“You look weird. Are you okay?” Her eyebrows crinkle together, and in this moment, I hate myself so fucking much. I pussy out. I’ve decided it’s better not to tell her yet. She’s busy with school stuff, and it might distract her from the MCAT, which wouldn’t be fair. Besides, there’s nothing to tell yet. A meeting is a meeting. If Apex walks, I’ll have worried her over a flight and a hotel room for nothing.

“Label stuff. They want me in LA. Some annual thing, signatures, in-person meetings, the usual quarterly nonsense. I have to fly out tomorrow morning.”

She stops in the doorway.

“Oh. For how long?”

“I’ll be back in a week or so. Quick as I can make it.”

“Okaaaay. Why are you being so weird about it?”

“I’m not. Hey. Hey.” I close the distance. Put my hands on the sides of her face, my thumbs at her temples, kiss her on the forehead. “I’ll be back soon. I’ll bring you back some airport snacks.”

“Giant Reese’s?

“Of course.”

“Okay.”

She lets me kiss her on the mouth, and for a half-second, she leans into me and lets all her weight come forward against my chest. I hold her with both arms around her shoulders, and I do not, I want to be clear, I do not—at any point in those several seconds—say any of the things I would have to say in order for this to not be the moment at which I first lied to her.

She pulls back. Smiles. Finds her keys.

“Don’t get into trouble in LA, Mr. Fox.”

“I won’t.” My voice goes higher pitched. Fuck. This is getting so much worse. I should just tell her.

I should just explain the whole thing.

* * *

The phone buzzes in my pocket as I am putting my now poorly packed duffel on the passenger seat.

Mabel

HOPE YOU HAVE A LOVELY WEDNESDAY MY SWEET BOY. THE TEA IS GOOD AND KIM IS BEING ANNOYING. ALL LOVE M

She has no idea anything has happened. I made sure that all the emails and posts get redirected to my name. Hopefully, she’s sitting in her chair looking at the Rockies, finding Kim annoying.

I should call Bea. Right now. Before the airport. Before any of this happens. While it is still small. I should tell her about Mabel.

But what if she tells someone and it all unravels? Then I’ve broken Mabel’s trust and her promise. I think about everything Mabel did for me over the years, and I can’t bring myself to do it.

I put the car in drive and head to the airport.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Bea

I’ve told the girls.

Not all of it, obviously. Not the feel of Callum’s mouth against my throat or the fact that I now know he makes a very, very sexy sound when I run my nails down his back.

But I have told them the important thing that we’re for sure seeing each other.

Which is how I end up in the living room at nine-thirty, cross-legged on the couch with my MCAT flashcards abandoned in my lap, while Sydney paces in front of me. It wasn’t a secret that Cal and I were hooking up, but we’re now something more.