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“Who’s we?” I ask, dumbfounded. I answer my own question as Alice steps into view as well.
“Were you eavesdropping?” Pippa asks the two of them with a grin.
“No, we followed the smell of the food,” Blake replies. He and Alice sit in the two remaining empty chairs at the table, whisking the plate of leftovers from me. My stomach is still empty.
“But we couldn’t help overhear you say that you didn’t plan on pestering Emilia,” Alice tells Pippa. “Don’t worry, Summer and I did it for you. She’s head over heels where our brother here is concerned.”
I look at Blake for help, but the bastard is just stuffing his face with my food.
“Girls,” I say in a firm tone. “Keep out of it. Emilia and I are taking it one day at a time, enjoying getting to know one another. I’m not going to tell you anything more.”
Alice raises a brow. “You’ve known each other for almost twenty years.”
“Things are different once you get in a girl’s pants,” my brother supplies helpfully.
“What he said,” I reply. “Only I wouldn’t have phrased it like an asshole.”
Blake shrugs, helping himself to more leftovers from the fridge.
To my astonishment, Pippa says, “Okay, we won’t meddle.”
“No offense, but I have a hard time believing that,” I say.
Rising from her chair, she paces around the kitchen, patting her enormous belly. “I think you’re right. You both need time to learn each other. You were tight as kids, yeah, but now it’s different. Just be careful. Don’t hurt her.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I feel as if someone punched me in the gut.
“It means you haven’t had a serious relationship before, and men usually need one relationship—”
“Or ten,” Blake chimes in.
Pippa glares at him before focusing on me again. “Or more, until they get it right. From what Alice said, Emilia has a lot on her plate without heartbreak on top of it.”
A loaded silence follows before Blake bursts out laughing. My sisters and I all turn to him.
“What’s so funny?” I ask him.
“Man, Pippa couldn’t push Sebastian and Logan hard enough, and she’s actually warning you not to mess up.” Leaning back in his chair, he places his hands at the back of his neck. “I guess it just feels good not to be the only one on the receiving end of warnings all the time.”
Ignoring the stab, I focus on Pippa. “I won’t hurt her. This isn’t some sort of trial or fun for me. I’m serious about her. I’ve never felt this way about other women. Maybe that’s why I didn’t make an effort before.”
Blake rolls his eyes, but my sisters have strange expressions on their faces.
“I’m serious about Emilia,” I repeat. Pippa and Alice exchange glances before they both burst out laughing and high-five each other. “What’s going on?”
Alice props her head in both hands, grinning widely. “You got played, that’s what’s going on. You wouldn’t tell me much when I questioned you at Blake’s bar, so I thought it would be best to hand the reins to the queen.” She points to Pippa, bowing her head mockingly.
“I knew the only way to make you talk was to attack you,” Pippa says simply.
“So wait, this whole don’t hurt her crap was a ruse?” Blake asks, visibly disappointed.
Alice shrugs. “It got him to tell us what we wanted to know. That he’s serious about her.”
“I thought you were on my side, Alice,” I say accusingly.
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She jerks her head back. “Whatever gave you that idea?” She and Pippa share another malicious look. They manage to play me every single time. How is this even possible? Yet as I look at my two sisters half in awe, half annoyed, the warning—real or fake—does gnaw at me. What if I do end up hurting Emilia?
