Betty tilts her head, eyes kind. “And if he’s worth the tears, he’ll come find you first. I’ve seen the way he looks at you, he’s one of the good ones.”
“Heart love,” Zoe murmurs softly.
The lump in my throat grows too big to swallow. I nod, fingers tightening around the mug as Betty fixes me with her twinkly eyes.
“And cry down here if you must, but showers have better acoustics for tears.”
Zoe snorts. “She’s right. Nothing beats a good shower sob for echo and efficiency.”
“You two are ridiculous.”
Betty straightens her robe, unbothered. “We’re experienced, Sugarplum. There’s a difference. Now drink up before I start singing you a lullaby. I’ve had two gins and I’m not above it.”
The world narrows to the steam curling off my tea. I take two sips before I hear a car pulling into my driveway, the low rumble of the engine cutting off.
Zoe’s eyes flick to mine. “Please tell me that’s a food delivery…”
It’s not. A car door slams, then another, and my phone suddenly buzzes on the counter.
Tamara:I tried to get him to cool down, but he insisted. I’m sorry. We’re outside.
“I’ll handle it.”
I set the mug down with shaking hands, but Zoe's already up, rolling her shoulders like she’s walking into a press scrum. Betty pads to the hallway and clicks on the porch light, her chin lifting with lethal-grandma resolve.
The knock is hard enough to rattle the frame, but before I can answer it, Betty catches my wrist and gently squeezes. “We’re right here, Sugarplum.”
I force a breath, nod, and open the door.
Tamara stands on the stoop looking apologetic and furious on my behalf, fingers tight around Eli’s sleeve like he’s a storm she’s barely holding back. Eli’s eyes jump straight to my face. They’re red and flinty, still wired from the ice and the fight and everything that exploded after.
“Can we talk?” he says, voice tight.
Zoe appears at my shoulder. “Inside voices or I'll eject you. House rules.”
Tamara elbows him, and he grunts his reply. I step back to let them in.
My living room looks offensively normal—throw blanket folded just so, my candles dotted around with precision. Eli doesn’t sit. Instead, he plants himself in the middle of the rug like center ice.
“How long?” he asks, straight to the point.
I taste metal. “A while.”
“How long,Tallulah.”
“Since the season started,” I whisper. “It wasn’t supposed to—”
He laughs once, flat and disbelieving. “Right… And you didn’t think to tell me?”
Anger flares hot under my ribs. “You’ve made it crystal clear I’m not allowed to have a life you don’t approve of.”
“That is not—” He stops and drags a hand over his face. “It’sMiller. He’s supposed to be one of my guys, a brother who doesn’t lie to me.”
Betty steps in, gentle but steel-spined. “Tea?”
“No, thank you,” Tamara says quickly, eyes bouncing between us like she’s tracking a live grenade.
I square my shoulders. “This isn’t about you thinking Logan’s a bad guy. You know he isn’t. This is about you not wanting to feel blindsided, and I get it. But you don’t get to make me feel ashamed about being with him.”
