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“You are. It’ll be fine.”
“They’re going to have questions, Luca. We haven’t even talked about what we’re going to say.”
“Let’s talk about it now. We have time.”
She squeezed her eyes closed. “I don’t think you understand just how bad I am at lying. It’s going to be a shit show.”
Seeing her freak out soothed me. At least I wasn’t the only one unsettled by what we’d done today, although Saoirse didn’t seem to mind being married. Her sticking point was having to tell other people about it.
Then again, marriage meant nothing to her.
“Did you open the ottoman?” I asked.
Her eyes flew open. “What—? What are you talking about?”
I nodded toward the ottoman in front of the couch. “Open it and I’ll explain.”
She unfolded her long legs and stretched out her arm, opening the hinged top. Her mouth popped open when she peeked inside.
“Blankets!” She pulled one out and clutched it to her chest. “Were these always here and I missed them?”
I shook my head. “Nope. Someone told me I needed to buy some, so I did.”
Her brow dropped. “But what does this have to do with our story?”
“Everything. We’re going to tell the truth.”
Our friends beat us to the restaurant, which was my fault. Saoirse had been waiting for me by the door by the time I finally got my shit together. In cuffed shorts and a loose T-shirt, she looked drastically different than she had a few hours before, but she’d kept the orchid tucked behind her ear.
It was a constant fucking reminder of what we’d done. Not that I needed it. The metal band around my ring finger and the invisible one around my chest were enough for me to never forget.
The rooftop casual lounge was buzzing but not too crowded. We easily found Elise, Elliot, Weston, and his younger brother, Miles. They’d claimed a corner with padded wicker seats and vintage-style lawn chairs atop Astroturf. The place was designed to look like someone’s backyard. Not my style, but I hadn’t picked it, and Saoirse seemed perfectly pleased with the choice.
None of our friends blinked at Saoirse and me arriving together. In fact, Elise and Miles were in the middle of a game of cornhole, so we barely got more than a wave from them.
Elliot stood with his beer in one hand and shook mine with the other. “You’re almost not late,” he greeted.
“I’m turning over a new leaf. I told you that.”
Weston chuckled as he leaned in to brush Saoirse’s cheek with a kiss. “Did you two find each other on the way up?”
Her eyes slid to mine then back to Weston. “No, actually. We came together.”
His brow winged. “Did you?”
“So that’s why you’re on time.” Elliot brought his beer to his lips. “Good job, Kelly.”
She huffed. “Thanks so much, Levy. You know I live and die for your approval.”
Weston was still eyeing her. “Why did you come together?”
“Why not?” Saoirse shrugged and walked over to an empty chair, swiping the menu left there. “Oh, yum. Are we ordering food? I missed dinner, and I’m starving. There’s no way I can drink unless I eat something. Where’s the waitress?”
Her manic display caught both Weston’s and Elliot’s attention. Weston stared at her with a crinkled forehead. Elliot’s expression was less discernible, but he was studying her just as intently. Maybe because her hands were fluttering and she was reciting her favorite things from the menu—which seemed to be all of it.
She hadn’t exaggerated. Subterfuge and Saoirse didn’t gel.
Elise threw her arms up. “Yes! I told you I was good at this.”
