"Mira's here."
"But what if something happens?"Claire's eyes are too innocent."What if Derek stops by?"
I go rigid.Luke notices.
"Derek?"he asks.
"No one," I say.
"Her ex," Harper offers with venom."Just got engaged.To a child."
"She's twenty-two," I correct.
"Basically a child," Claire insists.
"Congratulations," Luke says carefully, watching my face.
"It's fine.I'm fine.Everything's fine."I grab my clutch—another relic from my Seattle life."We should go.Don't want to be late for the...efficiency."
"Right.The efficiency."He offers his arm, and I take it, trying not to notice how solid he feels."It was nice meeting you both."
"Oh, we'll see you again," Harper says ominously.
"Soon," Claire adds.
"Very soon," they say in unison.
I drag Luke toward the door before they can threaten him further.
The October evening is crisp, and his driver is waiting with the car door open.
"Your sisters are..."Luke pauses, helping me navigate the gravel in my impractical heels."Intense."
"They're protective.And possibly insane."I slide into the car, the leather seats soft against my skin."I'm sorry about the ambush."
He gets in beside me, and suddenly the spacious backseat feels intimate."They seem to think this Derek person might be an issue."
"He's not."I focus on arranging my skirt."He's engaged.To someone flexible.Everything's fine."
"You said 'fine' four times in the last two minutes."
"I'm very fine."
"Of course."He adjusts his cufflinks."For what it's worth, he's an idiot."
"You don't even know him."
"I know he let you go."He looks at me then, those blue eyes serious."That tells me everything I need to know about his judgment."
"That's...thank you."
"Also, twenty-two is basically a child."
"Right?"I laugh despite everything."She still had a teddy bear collection when they started dating."
"That's disturbing."
"Her Instagram handle was FootPrincess2000."
