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Emma hustles over to a kitchen drawer and pulls out a paper and pen. “Could you say that one more time?” She scribbles furiously on the paper.
Meghan shoos her friend away. “That’s so freaking romantic,” Meghan says. “And he’s a complete goner for you. He was so torn up when he thought you two wouldn’t end up together.”
“Yeah,” Emma confirms. “He was a big, tall, pathetic shell of a man. It was sad to witness.”
My chest tightens, thinking about Harry that way. I really hate that I resisted him so strongly at the beginning.
“My brother is a big softie,” Nicky tells me cautiously, taking my rewashed plate and drying it with a dish towel. “Be careful with his squishy heart.”
I’ll guard it with my life. But that sounds a bit dramatic to say out loud so instead, I give her a nod. “I really do love him. So much.”
“Have you had relationships before?” Meghan asks.
“Oh, uh. I have,” I say, instantly feeling awkward at the memory of my exes. “I’ve had a couple relationships over the last few years.”
“Serious relationships?” Nicky asks.
I cringe. In retrospect, it’s so embarrassing how hung up I was over those losers. “I might have thought so at one time. But no, they were nothing like Harry. I’ve never met someone as caring and charismatic as him. He’s so thoughtful and kind. When I speak, I can tell that he’s listening. He’s so genuinely interested in knowing every little thing about me. And…” I give her an apologetic look. “And I know you’re his sister and all, but—oh my god—that man’s abs!”
Nicky rolls her eyes. “Girl, more power to you.” She bumps her shoulder into mine. “You and my brother have all the sparks. Growing up, we thought he was a crazy hopeless romantic with his head in the clouds. But it looks like Harry’s going to get his perfect love story after all. Seriously. The chemistry is off the charts between you two.”
I chew down on my smile, sinking my teeth into my bottom lip. “It is,” I say, sounding dreamy to my own ears. Then my next words just slip out on their own. “And the sex is…”
Nicky’s eyes bulge and she grabs my bicep with her wet hands, bringing the entire conversation to a halt. “Wait—you guys had sex? You took Harry’s v-card?!” She screeches and I’m sure her voice reverberates for at least three counties over. She bounces around happily. Then she stops abruptly and pouts. “Ugh. Now that’s one less thing I can give him shit about.”
My cheeks tingle. “I didn’t realize his virginity was a trending topic. Does the whole family know?”
“Yup,” Nicky confirms with a nod.
“How freaking awkward…” I mutter. “Is that…normal?”
“Unfortunately, around here, it is.” Meghan slowly shakes her head.
Emma shrugs in acceptance. “Welcome to the Westbrook family. Boundaries are a work in progress. Brace yourself for inappropriate conversations and feel free to leave your own filter at the door.”
I laugh. Hell—who am I to judge? I come from a family where my grandmother spritzes me with pheromones before I go on a date, and my mother is, well, my mother is Cleo. I’m pretty sure my dad still thinks I’m his innocent little girl. But, frankly, that’s just denial on his part.
I lean against the counter and sigh. “Sometimes, I still have to pinch myself. I totally hadn’t been expecting to fall for Harry. Especially not as hard as I did.”
The girls share a knowing look. “You should see your face right now,” Meghan beams.
“Yeah. You are totally in love,” Nicky declares, downing a mouthful of wine straight from one of the bottles.
“Isoam,” I squeak. At this point, I can’t even deny it.
“Hey, none of us were expecting to fall in love,” Emma says. “Sometimes—maybe most of the time?—it just happens. Look at me. I didn’t expect to fall in love with my best friend’s brother.” She bumps Nicky’s shoulder with her own, and Nicky sticks her tongue out. “And I especially didn’t plan on becoming an insta-mom.”
“And I never planned to fall in love with my friend over a silly marriage pact we made as teenagers,” Meghan adds.
I turn to Nicky. “You and Simon—how did you fall in love?!”
Nicky coughs violently, spraying a mouthful of wine across the room. We all jump back, startled.
“Me?!” She sputters out, eyes wide, wiping her mouth and nose with the back of her hand. “Me and Simon?! Me and Simon are not in love! Ha! So funny! Me and Simon don’t even like each other that much! We aren’t even friends!”
Meghan and Emma share a confused look.
“Uh, oh. Sorry, I just thought I saw…” I shut my mouth when I realize I’m just digging a hole. But I’m not blind—there’s definitely a story with Nicky and Jasper’s best friend.
