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"A little too quick, if you ask me." Zack laughs. "You only got here eleven minutes ago."
Laurel laughs. "I stopped for coffee."
"Then why did you get here at the same time as Daphne?" he counters.
"'Cause she drives like a maniac," I say.
Laurel nods that is true.
I don't take their bait. I need to stay on mission. Only I have two missions right now: to convince my siblings I'm dating Damon for real and act as if it's fake in front of Daphne. That's not at all confusing. "Where is Daphne?"
"Outside with Jackson," Laurel says. "Wonder why she wants privacy with him." She raises a brow and adopts a typical Laurel expression. There's only one reason to want privacy with a man. There's only one reason to want anything to do with a man, really.
"Maybe she wants to get away from your obnoxious ass?" Zack suggests.
"My ass is not obnoxious," Laurel says.
"No. That's your face," he counters.
"They'll do this all night," I say.
"Only most of the night," Zack says.
No. All night. It's even worse when Mom and Dad are here. They act even more like teenagers.
I take Damon's hand and start to lead him to the backyard.
Laurel stops me. "What if we promise to be good?"
"Are you capable of that?" Zack asks.
Already, they're in their own universe, the Rosencrantz and Guildenstern of the Steele family.
Damon laughs. "You two really do oversell it."
My obnoxious siblings share a look. Zack turns it back to me. "We oversell it? Not the two of you?"
Ahem. "What are you talking about?" I ask.
"You're still going with this relationship thing?" Zack asks.
Damon shoots me a curious look. He wants me to explain, I know, but I've told him everything I know. I claimed relationship. They sorta kinda bought it. The end.
Is it better if they don't buy it? Then they won't start asking questions about our sex life. They won't tease Jackson about it. He won't come to me with concern.
I don't want him to come to me with concern.
Only what if the concern is well-placed?
What if there's another reason why Damon is hanging out at his parents' house, a house without alcohol? If there's another reason why he agreed to work with me?
I don't know what it means. Only that it means something.
"Damn, is it really that bad?" Laurel asks. "You look like you're going to throw up, Cass."
Damon moves close enough to whisper. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Good." I nod. "Just parched."
"What do you want to drink?" he asks. "I'll grab it."
Laurel raises her eyes good boyfriend move.
"A gin and tonic," I say. "Thanks."
He nods sure and moves around the table into the kitchen. No mention of the temptation of alcohol. Or me numbing my discomfort with alcohol. Or him assuming the role of designated driver.
Because he doesn't want to discuss it? Or because there's nothing to discuss?
No. There's something to discuss, somewhere. If I didn't know better, I'd think Damon is a guy who simply doesn't like to drink.
Only I know better.
I know that isn't the case.
"Seriously, Cass, we're not that obnoxious," Zack says. "Are you okay?"
"Fine, yeah." I take a seat next to Laurel.
She looks me up and down. "Your dress is a little rumpled." She studies my face. "And your lipstick is smudged."
"It is not." I fixed it in the car.
"And you're still flushed." She looks to Zack. "I think they really are having sex."
Footsteps grab the troublemaking twins attention.
Jackson and Daphne step into the hallway. They're in the middle of a conversation, and they're both totally tuned to each other.
She brushes a hair behind her ear.
He leans in close to whisper something to her.
She laughs and holds out her hand. He offers his drink. She brings it to her lips and takes a slow sip, like she knows he's watching her.
Like she has no idea the four of us are watching her.
They stay in their own world for a moment, then he takes his drink back, and he moves toward us, and he stiffens. Back to the brother I know. The one in control of the universe.
He likes her too.
She likes him.
But what the hell are they doing with that?
Laurel and Zack trade a knowing smile. At the same time, they both look to the possible pair.
Laurel starts the torture. "Don't you two look nice together."
"What?" Daphne jumps away from my brother. She smooths her dress as she stammers. "We're just talking about drinks. I don't usually… I…"
"What she's trying to say is, we're glad you're here, Daphne." My mother's voice fills the space.
My dad is next. "And you would make a cute couple."
"But you're adults who make your own choices and we respect that," my mom says.
They're even worse than Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Which means Laurel and Zack trade another look of triumph.
Jackson shakes his head ridiculous, and Daphne forces a smile. She looks to me and mouths sorry.
