Hallie made a fake wounded sound. “Right. You’re one of those magical people who face the day without caffeine.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“No, no. No arguing. It’s true.”
Wes scoffed, shaking his head at the two of them. They both knew he loved it really, but he was definitely pretending to be disgusted at just how bewitched Hallie was by Audrey.
She couldn’t care less. They would already be in the car, driving back to Lansing, in two days. She was taking all the adoration she could get while Audrey was still with them.
Kissing her last night, falling asleep wrapped in her arms, was the happiest Hallie had felt in some time. And, now she knew what it was like to kiss Audrey, she was doing whatever she could to increase her chances of doing it again.
“How about you, Hallie?” Luca asked, walking around them with a pitcher of juice. “Favorite thing about the internet?”
“Communication,” she said quickly. Her mind didn’t even need to think about it. She had no idea what her answer would have been a week ago, but, now, with Audrey looking rested andradiant in front of her, it was always going to be the ability to stay in touch with that incredible person.
Luca chuckled. “That tracks.”
“I offered to help,” Audrey said quietly as the others moved around them, laying the table with an array of breakfast supplies.
Hallie leaned into her, smiling. “And I’d have murdered them in their sleep if they’d have let you.”
She laughed. “As someone who works in forensics, I feel compelled to tell you that I don’t think you’d get away with that.”
“Worth it.”
“Ah, I don’t know. It would be a lot harder to communicate with you…”
Hallie’s stomach dropped to her feet. Audrey was choosing that word for a reason, to point out, she, too, wanted to communicate with Hallie, to stay in touch, to put the internet to good use—the very best one Hallie could think of. She still didn’t really know what this whole thing looked like once Audrey went home, but she desperately wanted to find out.
She glanced around to confirm nobody would see before she stole a quick, chaste kiss. Her lips barely grazed Audrey’s—hot from the coffee—but it was more than enough to have her heart racing and her insides melting. She wassoglad her family was preoccupied with the table. “Okay. No murder.”
Audrey blushed and nodded, looking down. “I’m glad.”
Hallie held a hand out for her. She should probably be trying to be more subtle, more secretive about whatever was going on between them, but not a single part of her wanted to even try. Everyone knew what was going on. What did it matter if she acted like she wanted Audrey? “Shall we?”
Audrey took her hand. Right as her phone lit up on the counter and caused her to let out a heavy sigh, a crack in their otherwise blissful morning.
“Your mom,” Hallie said.
“Yep. Tenth time since I woke up.”
“Want me to tell her to fuck off?” Wes asked, reappearing in the kitchen and sweeping up Audrey’s mug to take to the table.
Even with the severity of the situation, Hallie couldn’t help smiling at how much her family were looking after Audrey. Of course, she could look after herself, but Hallie’s family adored her and the way they were showing that felt like something Audrey seriously needed.
She shot Wes a look, still holding Hallie’s hand. “No, thank you. I don’t think that would be the best approach.”
“What if we all tell her?” Isaac asked with a grin. “She can’t fight the entire Fuller family off.”
“Eh… You’d be surprised.”
“We’re not doing anything Audrey doesn’t want,” Hallie said firmly, noting the looks her brothers gave her—amused and proud and knowing.
Audrey squeezed her hand briefly. “It doesn’t really matter anyway. I think this whole thing doesn’t go away until I’m the one ready to tell her to fuck off, ready to walk away.”
“And, when that day comes,” Tracy said, wrapping an arm around Audrey’s shoulders, “we’ll all be there to help pick up the pieces.”
“Oh, that’s not necessary…” Audrey muttered, embarrassed and confused.
