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Swear to God, he and Lauren are better at reading me than I am myself.
Kyle takes a sip of coffee and sets it in the cupholder. “Dinner at Mom’s tonight. Be there at seven.”
“Can’t,” I answer.
“Youcan, andyouwill. You know how I feel about people bailing on my mother.”
Not a lie. Kyle will throw down with anyone to defend her.
“I have to pick Lauren up from the hospital after her shift.”
No doubt he’ll find amusement in that.
“You her chauffeur now, too? Driving Miss Demon?”
“Her car broke down this morning. She needed a ride.”
His green eyes light up in amusement. “Bring her with you.”
I glance over at him before pulling out of his driveway, seconds passing, to verify he’s the one in the car with me.
I snort when I realize he’s not kidding. “That’s a big fuck no.”
“It’s my mom’s birthday dinner, bro, and she’s been asking about you nonstop since you moved back. You’ve been blowing off every invitation since you’ve been home. Not cool.”
Damn, I feel like an asshole.
He’s not lying. I haven’t done much of anything, except work and hang out with my dad.
“I’ll drop Lauren off and then be there. That cool?”
“Not so fast. You opened up the can of worms. Bring her with you. I want to see with my own two eyes that you’re over her. Prove it to me.”
“And I want to kick your ass sometimes, but it doesn’t mean it’ll happen.” I narrow my eyes at him. “I take that back. You keep talking shit about Lauren and me getting back together, and I’mma end up kicking your ass.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Kyle mutters, fishing his phone from his pocket before hitting a name and pressing it to his ear. “Hey, Ma. I’m with Gage.” He pauses. “Yes, I invited him, but he declined.” Another pause, and he shoves the phone into my chest.
“Gage, honey,” Nancy says over the phone when I grab it. “Please come. Growing up, you were like another son to me, and I’d love to see you.”
“Trust me,” I say around a sigh, “I’d love to see you, but I wouldn’t be able to make it until after eight. That’s a long holdup for dinner.”
“No holdup whatsoever,” she replies in her sweet Southern voice. “I’ve been a night owl since retiring. I eat late.”
“All right then. I have to pick up a friend from work, and then I’ll be there.”
“The friend is Lauren!” Kyle yells in the background and grunts when I press my fist into his stomach.
“Lauren Barnes?” Nancy asks. “I haven’t spent time with that nice girl since my son shunned me from talking to her. I’d love to catch up with the both of you. See you tonight!”
The line goes dead.
I throw the phone into Kyle’s lap.
“I can’t wait for this shit,” he says, rubbing his hands together. “It’ll be the best excitement I’ve had—aside from your arresting her.”
“Remind me to file a request for a new partner,” I mutter.
Lauren is going to flip her shit when she finds out about this.
