We’re on our own.
“Howcouldyou, Lucy?” Liza’s reddened blue eyes blaze as she tears into me before my behind ever hits a kitchen chair. “That video’s blowing up. I can’t believe you broke Sam’s heart …for him!” she wails, pointing at Jude with standard-edition fourteen-year-old drama.
“Good morning, Liza,” I say without giving her a reaction. “I don’t know which part of that to address first. You remember DC, right?” I tilt my head to the chilled cucumber next to me.
Jude stifles an amused grin, fully on board with not allowing her to overdramatize whatever she’s going on about. “Hey, Liza,” he says sweetly, but I do my best to stay in front of her ambush.
They’ve all met before, but it’s been a while. Layla pops her head around the corner and waves at us. When she meets my eyes behind Liza’s back, she gesturesto wish the odds to be ever in my favor and slinks back to her room.
“You’re going to hear me call him Jude, but that’s as complicated as I wanted to get today. Thanks for saving me from that plan.”
“Oh, I can think of something to call you,” she bites out in Jude’s direction.
He easily disarms her attack with his undivided attention. I mentally add another item to his list of sexy superpowers. Seriously, what is this voodoo?
“Liza, I’d never hurt Sam. Tell me what video blew up.” He leans forward with rapt concern, already navigating to Sam’s social media to see what she means.
He’s going to earn all his kisses today.
She glares at him, but her eyes briefly shift to me to show her surprise. We aren’t used to being heard.
I raise my eyebrows in an attempt to convey,I know! Isn’t it the hottest thing you’ve ever seen?but I doubt she got all that from one look.
She turns her attention back to Jude. “The video he posted last night—it’s already got fifty thousand views. It hasn’t even been a whole day yet.”
I squint at her, tilting my head in confusion. She pouts like this is a bad thing.
“Didn’t Sam bring you my phone last night?” I ask as I pour Jude and me orange juice and begin cooking omelets. I don’t need to ask. I know he’s starving.
She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, I have it.”
“Did he look upset to you?” I press.
“He seemed quiet.”
Jude sees where I’m headed and jumps in. “Did he smell like Buddy the Elf got ahold of maple syrup and hug you senseless?”
“Well,yeah,” Liza admits.
“I’m sure he’s fine. He won’t eat when he’s upset,” Jude assures her.
I, however, am running dangerously low on patience. “He was exhausted, Liza! It was a long day. And Sam doesn’t postanything. It had to be Annie.”
She considers this information and hands over my phone from the pocket of her overalls.
Jude plays the video in question on his screen, and we watch it together. Annie made an adorable montage of clips from the show, but she set it all to Sam’s original song, “Love by the Lake.”
We sound great on that one, if I do say so myself. It was the perfect choice. But that’s not the song we’re singing in most of these clips. Admittedly, the song choice makes our antics appear more flirty than they were.
Annie slowed the video clips down, and I see how it could appear romantic, but Liza knows better. She’s being ridiculous, and I am beyond tired of defending my actions.
“I think I see the problem,” Jude tells her. “People don’t realize the effect music has on our perception. Let me show you.”
He closes the app and pulls up his own video of what Sam and I wereactuallysinging—a snarky breakup song, at least in some of it. He plays the video for Liza at normal speed all the way to the end, when Sammy spins me around and Jude yells, “That’s my girl,” drawing my attention back to him as I bring our food to the table.
Jude shows her the moment I spot him off the side of the stage. Sam’s grinning ear to ear, pumping his fist—talking to thecrowd while he watches us. Jude stops the video, studying Liza’s reaction.
“See? Changing the song and the speed made it look like they were a couple. You can text him if you want. He’s probably up.”
