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“The one and only.” He gives her his most winning Hollywood smile, and my sister nearly has a heart attack.
I roll my eyes. “Don’t encourage him,” I tell Lily.
Her eyes swing to me. “You’re dating a movie star? Since when?”
“Uh…a year, give or take?”
“Officially one year since our first kiss next Saturday,” Blake provides, squeezing my shoulders. “And I have video evidence.”
I blush, grinning at the man I love. It’s not like I’d forget that first kiss.
Lily’s brows lower over her eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?” She seems…hurt?
I clear my throat. “Well, Lily, you haven’t had a phone in five years. We get postcards from you once every six months or so, and I never know what country you’ve traveled to. You don’t even have social media.”
“I have an email. I’d like to know when my sister shacks up with a literal Hollywood movie star!”
I flinch. “I’m sorry, okay? You’ve been jet-setting around the world for over a decade. I didn’t think you’d be interested in my boring little life.”
The hurt in Lily’s eyes disappears when she drops a blank mask over her face. She shakes her head and takes a deep breath. “You’re right.”
“If only Trina were here, we’d be all together for the first time since your thirtieth birthday.” She shakes her head. “That’s ten years.” My mother puts her hand around Lily’s waist, as if she can’t believe my sister is really here. “Tell me you’re staying more than a few days.”
Lily bites her lip, eyes darting from me, to my mother, to the rest of the assembled crowd. She lets out a huffed laugh and spreads her arms. “I was kind of planning on staying…for good.”
Her smile is wide, but there’s something dark in her eyes. My sister is hiding something—and it’s big.
But before I can ask her anything, Jen walks out of the kitchen, and my sister moves to greet her. Then Dorothy insists on restarting the video again, since we haven’t actually gotten through a full viewing without interruption. Jen takes that as her cue to leave, and glances at a wide-eyed, exhausted-looking Nora and her protective older brother hovering nearby.
“We’re leaving,” Jen proclaims, not leaving any room for discussion.
Nora's face relaxes, and she nods. “Okay.”
Fallon glances at me, Lily, then at his own little sister, grabs her bag, and says his goodbyes. The three of them walk out the door and I turn back to Lily, but she’s already collapsed on a chair looking close to exhaustion.
Giving her the third degree will have to wait—but I’ll find out what she’s hiding sooner or later.
CHAPTER 10
Jen
Nora lets out a long sigh when we get to my place. It looks like she’s only holding on by a thread.
While Fallon busies himself carrying her bags to the spare bedroom, I turn to her. “Do you need to be alone, or do you need us to stay? Either is fine.”
She blinks, then lets out a huffing laugh. “I think…alone, if you don’t mind. I won’t mess with your plants.”
I give her a sharp nod, then turn to look at Fallon as he enters the living room.
My mouth waters.
He’s just so…big. Over six feet tall, with shoulders nearly the width of a standard door. My apartment looks like a hobbit home with him in it. His hair is tousled from the thousand times he’s run his fingers through it. A threadbare tee clings to his muscular shoulders, and I wonder what it would feel like to nuzzle into its softness.
Is it wrong that I want him to fall out of the cot tonight so he has no choice but to sleep in the bed with me?
He stalks out of the guest bedroom, eyes on his sister for the briefest moment before flicking to me. Fallon must see the hungry expression on my face, because one eyebrow arches ever so slightly.
“We’re going,” I blurt.
