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“Not to be an asshole, but am I missing something? Is it the waffles?”
“That guy.” Mason points at me with his fork. “It’s him.”
Nate glances at me. “I didn’t think he lookedthatpathetic.”
Jameson laughs so hard he chokes on a piece of waffle. Jacob thumps him on the back, bemusement in his blue eyes. “You do this every Saturday?” he asks.
“We try not to choke on our food so much, but yes, every Saturday,” I tell him over the general commotion of the table.
Elise leans over and kisses my cheek. “It’s one of the best days of the week.”
Jacob raises his eyebrows. He looks impressed, though it’s undeniably weird that my ex-boyfriend now has a standing invitation to Saturday brunch. That’s Sunshine’s fault. Charlotte was adamant that Catherine and Jacob be invited.Both of her sisters are going to be here! We are not banning them from brunch.
I wasn’t sure he’d actually come, but he and his father aren’t on great terms at the moment.That’san ironic reversal. The Hill family isn’t a disaster anymore.
Really, I think Jacob’s here for Catherine. She likes a set time to see her sisters every week, and he’s in love with her.
I can tell, because he’s pretending very,veryhard not to be. It’s all flirty jokes and familiar touches and winks.
I’m not sure if Catherine knows how he feels, but my guess is that she doesn’t. She wants a chance to figure things out without her tyrant father looming over everything, and Jacob won’t ruin that for anything.
After brunch, the massive crowd that’s become our family goes to the living room to choose the TV show, and I detour to Mason’s office with him and Jameson.
We take the chairs by the fireplace. Mason stretches his legs out on the ottoman, then gives me an appraising look.
“So, how’s it going?”
It’s a very vague, casual question, but I know he’s asking if the emotional tidal wave from last week spilled over into my new life with Elise at my brownstone.
Ghost locks try to slide into place over my ribs. My mind offers up an array of options for dodging the question. I could change the subject. I could ask him a question. I could make a sly joke that only pretends to reveal the truth.
“We tried…” Jesus. I can’t tell my brothers about this in any kind of detail. “We’ve tried some things. In the bedroom.”
Jameson narrows his eyes. “Are you okay? You don’t get tripped up by describing sex acts.”
“I get tripped up by describingthis, asshole.”
A sage nod from Jameson. “She fucked you, didn’t she?”
Mason studies his fingernails.
“Nothing? You’re going to say nothing?” At my bewilderment, Mason looks at me from under his brows. “Not a single word?”
Mason clears his throat, turning pointedly to Jameson. “Jameson. Don’t be rude.”
“Was Iwrong?”
“No. Jesus.” I rub my hands over my face. “It wasn’t what you’re thinking.”
“Trust me.” Jameson holds both hands up. “I’m not thinking about it. I would never. I would rather die. I would rather launch myself—”
“Jameson,” Mason warns.
“I was merely trying to help Gabriel share his feelings about when Elise fucked him.”
“Listen, jackass, I’m trying to say that I haven’t done that since the guy in the alley—” Fuck. I can almost smell it. The heat’s next. The bricks. His hand on my neck.
No.
