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Conrad looks at me in question, and I shrug. Gotta rip the Band-Aid off sooner or later. I follow him into the kitchen while Ivy heads outside, closing the door behind her.
Neither of us says anything as he passes me a beer, I twist the top off, tipping it back and downing half the bottle. “So, this is awkward,” I quip, stating the obvious.
He laughs. “You’re telling me.”
“Ivy seems happy.”
“We both are,” he says, taking a pull of his own beer. “Sorry about how you found out. We didn’t exactly plan it that way.”
“It is what it is. Can’t say I ever picked the two of you together, but it’s her choice.”
“It is.” He frowns. “I’m sorry I gave you such a hard time about dating Ellie. I was a real asshole, and there’s no excuse for what I did to you back then.”
I wince. This is getting into dangerous territory. “Forget it. It’s in the past.”
“Right.”
“Well, I guess we should get out there and enjoy the party,” I say, sliding the door open. The latest Forever Summersong greets us, and I laugh as I watch Ivy and Wren bouncing around, singing along at the top of their lungs. Maybe it wasn’t a bad idea coming after all.
“Harley?”
“Yeah?” I glance back over my shoulder at Conrad.
“Maybe we could get together for a few beers with Tom soon?”
I consider his request. I’m not sure I’m quite ready to play happy family, but Ellie’s right: it’s not Conrad’s fault our parents had an affair. “Maybe.”
SEVEN
HARLEY
“YOU CAME.”
Ellie finds me sitting against a tree in the corner of the Willis’ backyard, nursing a beer and watching on as everyone celebrates my best friend’s birthday.
“A really smart friend told me I’d regret it if I didn’t.”
“Oh well, thank goodness you listened to that really smart friend,” she says with a laugh as she sits down next to me, bumping me with her shoulder.
“Thanks for today. You were right. I just needed someone to call me out.”
“You’re welcome.”
I take a pull of my beer, and we both watch Conrad slip his arm around Ivy’s shoulders, pressing his lips to her forehead. She leans back into him, a serene smile tugging on her mouth.
“He’s not the bad guy in all this,” Ellie tells me again. “He was blindsided just as much as the rest of us.”
“I know.” She blinks up at me, and a smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. “I may have had a quiet word with him earlier.”
“You did?”
I nod, but the relief in her eyes is fleeting.
“I’m worried about the both of you,” she admits. “I don’t want you to keep bottling everything up. It’s not healthy.”
I arch my brow. “We’re big boys, El. We’ll be fine.”
She levels me with a look. “What our parents did was reprehensible, but lying about it makes it ten times worse. They’ve hurt a lot of people, and it’s okay to admit that they hurt you. You keep saying you’re okay, but you’ve cut yourself off from everyone who loves you, and we’re all worried about you.”
