“Colin,” I said again, but my eyes had already drifted back across the fire to where Stella stood.
She’d turned away from Holly and Harrison, her attention fixed on me. Even from here, I could see the slight curve of her lips, the way her eyes softened when our gazes met. She lifted her beer in a small, private toast meant just for me, and something warm unfurled in my chest.
I couldn’t help it. I smiled back.
“—and I know I should’ve kept my mouth shut, but you know how I get, and—” Colin stopped mid-ramble. “Wait. Are you smiling?”
“What?” I shook myself out of my Stella-induced stupor and turned back to my best friend.
“You’re smiling.” Colin looked at me, then back at Stella, then at me again. His eyes went wide. “And you’re not doing the murder-face thing anymore. You’re doing that stupid puppy-dog thing you do when—” He sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh my god.”
“Colin—”
“Oh my god!” he blurted, his voice going up an octave. “It’s Stella. She’s your mystery woman, isn’t she?”
My pulse kicked up, heat that had nothing to do with the nearby flames crawling up the back of my neck. Of course. Of fucking course I couldn’t make it one damn day without giving us away.
I glanced across the fire to where Stella stood, still watching us. Was she going to be pissed? We’d agreed to keep this quiet, and here I was, less than an hour in, getting read like a goddamn picture book by her brother. “Keep your voice down.”
“Holy shit!” He laughed, loud enough that a couple of people nearby glanced over, and grabbed my arm, nearly making me spill my beer. “You’re sleeping with my sister!”
“Colin, I swear to god …”
“This is amazing!” His free hand came up to grip my shoulder, shaking me slightly. “This is the best thing that’s ever happened.”
I glanced around to see if anyone was paying attention to Colin’s outburst, but most people were focused on the bonfire or their own conversations. Except for Stella. She was watching us, one dark eyebrow raised, her expression a mix of resignation and amusement.
She knew.
Of course, she knew. Hard to miss her brother losing his damn mind.
“When did this start?” Colin demanded, still gripping my arm.
“Keep your voice down,” I hissed, peeling his hand off and dragging him away from the crowd, toward the darker edge of the clearing where the firelight barely reached.
“How long?” he asked again, bouncing on the balls of his feet like an overexcited golden retriever.
“A few days,” I admitted.
“A few days?” His mouth fell open. “That’s it?”
“Yeah.”
“But you’ve been into her for, like, ever.”
I bit back the urge to point out that Colin had supposedly been into Cassidy “for, like, ever”, and she barely knew he existed. Except I didn’t actually believe Colin was into the kindergarten teacher, and comparing his situation to what I felt for Stella seemed like sacrilege.
Colin dragged a hand through his hair, his expression somewhere between delighted and dazed. “So what happened? How did this even start? I need details, man. Tell me everything.”
“Ew. That’s yoursister. No way am I giving you details.”
Just then, Stella appeared at my side, her arms crossed over her chest. “What details?”
Colin’s hand shot out, pointing at her, then at me, then back at her in quick succession. “Details about how you guys got together. Like, together together.”
Stella’s jaw tightened, and for a second, I thought she was going to deny it.
My chest constricted, something sharp lodging itself between my ribs at the thought.
