I nod. I do know. I’ve been nervous about it too.
“I feel like I wouldn’t be your annoying little sister if I weren’t honest with you. She has to pass my inspection, too.”
I smile, my palms growing sweaty once more.
“And you know I’mveryhard to please.”
Natalia owns one of the best bakeries in Rehoboth, but it took her a few years to find the right place. And then she had me help her paint it no less than five times because she couldnotfigure out which shade of green she wanted to stay married to.
Natalia also hasn’t dated in forever. I’ve asked her about her love life, and all she does is wave me off and change the subject.
Edward coughs into his fist by the door, gesturing for me to follow him. His glasses are blue today, and I can tell he has concealer that’s a shade too dark under his eyes.
“Things are going to be okay, you got it?” my sister confirms, giving my hand one more squeeze.
“It’s going to be great.”
CHAPTER 11
COOPER
The nerves are really starting to settle.
We’re at an estate across the water from Baltimore. All I did this morning was follow orders like a good boy, get in the van when I was told, and be ready when I needed to be.
I left the wrangling of grown men to the producer assistants.
I look over to Leo, his face a little green. “You doing okay, handsome?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “I’m here because I love you, man. But I amnotdoing well.”
The man ate thirty crabs last night.
Thirty.
It was a challenge. I’ve never seen a man crack a crab so fast. There was hardly any talking. Hardly any words were exchanged at all between him and Dirwin, who traveled back here to Maryland to be here with me.
Dirwin ate twenty-five.
Leo could have stopped at twenty-six.
The night was one of the best I’ve had in a while. Dirwin being here made everything so much more special, and myfriend Damon and his wife traveled in from Seattle. He appeared for a little while, but decided it was better for him to hang back. He said the cameras make him a little nervous.
Which is understandable. Because they areeverywhere.
“I can’t believe I’m about to do this,” I tell him.
He agrees with a nod. “In under an hour, you could realize that the next several months of your life are going to be completely miserable or not.”
“You’re not helping,” I groan, throwing my hands up.
His lips pull at the sides. “I’m just messing with ya. Though I do hope that whoever they are gets along with the girls. That would be,” he pauses, his eyes growing wide. “Awkward. Can you imagine?”
I can imagine. I can especially imagine one person in particular who would either not care a single bit or kill her.
But killing her would be for sport. She doesn’t want me. It would purely be to assure my eternal suffering.
As if that hasn’t already been assured years ago.
