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“Hey, Luce,” I say as I rush past her to my bedroom. My bag is on the bed and pretty much ready to go. I just have to grab a couple of things out of the bathroom. When that’s finished, I quickly change into jeans and a T-shirt and top it off with a hoodie before returning to the kitchen, where Lucy’s dishing out Chinese takeout onto one of the four plates that I own.
“You don’t have much in this kitchen,” she informs me. “Fourplates, Drew?”
“I’m one person. How many do I need?”
Lucy rolls her eyes just as the doorbell rings, and then Erin saunters right in.
“Having a party?” I ask.
“Hey, favorite cousin,” Erin says to me with a grin. “Lucy invited me over for Chinese.”
“I thoughtIwas your favorite cousin?” Lucy demands.
“I say that to everyone,” Erin reminds her. “Hey, Drew, we’re planning a cousins’ ski trip to Montana in a few weeks. You need to bring London. We planned it for your bye weekend, so I know you won’t have a game.”
I blink at her, surprised. “That actually sounds really fun. Are we going up to Cunningham Falls?”
“No, we’re trying somewhere new. Some place called Bitterroot Valley. They have a killer ski hill, and we’re going to rent out some short-term rentals and stuff. I’ll send you the dates. Like I said, bring London.”
“What makes you think I want to bring London?”
I’ll absolutely bring London.
“Dude, you’re taking her out overnight tonight. You’ll want to bring her. The rest of us are dying to meet her.”
“How did you know—?” I stop and stare at Lucy, who just smiles and waves at me. “Right. I’ll mention it to her.”
“I’ll do my best not to interrupt London this evening,” Lucy promises. “I think we have everything handled, so she can just unplug for the next twenty-four hours.”
“Thanks. Don’t have a huge party here tonight and disturb the neighbors, okay?”
“You’re such a party pooper,” Erin replies with a wink. “Go have fun. Use protection!”
“Oh, shit, the protection.” I drop my bag and run back to the bedroom, listening to the girls laughing the whole way, and grab the new box of condoms I bought and toss them into my bag when I return. “Thanks for the reminder. Okay, see ya.”
I wave and head out, eager to get to London’s place and have her all to myself for a while.
The drive from my condo to her house conveniently takes less than twenty minuteswithtraffic, and before long, I’ve parked in her driveway and am ringing her doorbell.
“Who is it?” Caleb yells from the other side of the door.
“Drew,” I call back, and the door swings open. “Hey, kiddo.”
“Hi. Quinn’s here already, and Mom has her bag by the door. Want me to put it in the car for you?”
I grin down at him. “Yeah, let’s do that.”
I reach for the bag, but Caleb shakes his head and muscles it down the steps himself, then waits for me by the back of the SUV. I join him, and when I’ve opened the hatchback, he moves to lift it in, but I beat him to it.
“Thanks for the help,” I say as we walk inside. “Are you trying to get rid of us?”
“No.” He laughs at that, and I see London hurrying down the stairs, lookingamazing.I’m surprised my tongue doesn’t just roll right out of my mouth.
She’s in my favorite look of hers: jeans, sneakers, no hair or makeup fussed over, and today, she’s wearingglasses.
Black-rimmed glasses.
“I didn’t know you wore those.” I nod to the spectacles on her nose, and she shrugs.
