“Really, it wasn’t what you think.” Vanessa started inspecting her nails.
“I don’t know what to think, because up until this second I didn’t know about this development.”
“Ohmigod, Lu, it’s not a development! It’s not like I called him over.” Her sister’s face twisted. “I barely know Joel. You two were way closer than I ever was. I’m like a baby sister to him. Not even. A baby cousin maybe. An annoying baby cousin who can’t take care of herself.” Vanessa flipped her long ponytail over her shoulder in a frustrated gesture. “Argh, fine. He came to get me from Vancouver a few days ago, okay?”
Silence slid between them and numbed everything. The noise in the bar faded. A few days ago? When he left abruptly, with nothing but a sticky note and pastries in his wake. “Why would he go get you?”
Vanessa sighed loudly. “Because of you. You were trying to get a hold of me for days. You’d texted me about your engagement, but so did everyone else. Jesus, that night of Mariana’s wedding, I think I got messages from every female in our family. And two from Zio Gambo. Apparently, there was an epic bathroom scene where Joel walked in and declared undying love for you.”
“Exaggeration,” Lucy said. “But go on.” She gestured with her hand impatiently.
“Anyway.” Vanessa averted her gaze. “Things in Vancouver have been complicated. We have this producer, he’s—used to getting his way. And I didn’t think I could leave, but being away when all this juicy stuff was going on for you, it made me sadder than I already was, and so I didn’t respond because I didn’t want to drag you down. But I guess I underestimated how much you really wanted me here.”
“I did. I do.” Lucy reached across the bar table to claspedVanessa’s hand. “You’re my sister. Plus, I need your help deflecting Mom.”
A sad, half-smile cracked Vanessa’s lips. “I thought I wouldn’t be much by way of company, and Kurt, the producer, was making things…” She twirled the stem of her glass between her fingers for a few seconds. “Difficult for me.”
There was more there. Much more, and if they had been anywhere but the middle of a bar surrounded by family, she might have pried.
“And, geez, you should have seen Joel take him on. Kurt’s such a fucking bully and no one ever challenges him. But Joel was so smooth, so quietly kickass and intense, Kurt didn’t stand a chance. Anyway, the next thing I know, I’m sitting in a private jet with the Morgan name written on the side, coming home for my big sister’s fake,” she whispered this word, “engagement party.” She leaned over and gave Lucy a side hug. “He told me not to say anything to you, by the way, so you cannot tell him I told you. He’d never trust me again. Lu, you’re so lucky. But also, you deserve it, and I’m happy for you.”
Lucy’s mind was a tornado of thoughts, everything her sister had said made her dizzy. He’d disappeared to go play hero and hadn’t told her why.Again.And he told Vanessa to keep it a secret from her. Frustration tightened her chest. She’d thought they’d shared all their truths last night, but he’d left this one out.
“Why?” she asked aloud. “Why didn’t he tell me?”
Vanessa shrugged her elegant shoulders. “Maybe he wanted to surprise you? Or maybe he wanted to shield you? The paparazzi make a big deal out of everything in his life, and mine. There was no reason to draw your attention to it. He was doing a good deed. That’s all. Let him.”
“Shield me from what?” How deeply had Joel’s life changed in four years?
Vanessa’s eyes narrowed. “Do you really not scroll the socials, sissy? Like, not even a single Google search on your guy, or what?”
Lucy frowned. “More and more I’m thinking it’s a good idea not to.”
“And you would be absolutely right.” Vanessa nodded. “The pap took pictures when they saw us together at the airport and I don’t know how those losers do it, but they make everything look compromising. He didn’t touch me even once, but somehow there’s a pic on TMZ of us boarding a plane with his hand on my back. Like how?”
Lucy choked on her drink.
Her beloved sister simply offered another casual shrug. “Billionaire and his model mistress. Makes good press, even if it’s a load of shit.” She tossed her hand in the air. “And what the fuck is with that anyway? I might not be a billionaire, but I’ve got enough cash in the bank to retire if I wanted right now. Models have such a bad rep, like all we’re good for is looking pretty and sex.” Her gaze lowered. “Actresses aren’t much better, apparently.”
Too much information was coming at her at once. Lucy swallowed the rest of her drink and leveled her sister with a glare, her mind fixated on one thing. “There are photos of you and my fiancé floating around with the titleBillionaire and His Model Mistressattached to it?”
Vanessa smirked. “Welcome to my life, Lu. And his.” Her expression softened, and this time she reached across the bar table to take Lucy’s hand. “And you wonder why he doesn’t tell you stuff? He doesn’t want to stress you out. Besides, I don’t think the drama lasted long. His money carries power. He makes things go away pretty quickly.”
“It’s the internet, Ness!” Lucy barked. “Nothing ever goes away!” Since when was her sister this naïve?
But maybe she wasn’t, because Vanessa’s whole body immediately tensed, shifting away from Lucy. “No shit, Lu. Tell me about it.” She sighed loudly. “Okay, maybe he can’t make things go all the way away, but he does better at it than most of us. And in this case, I think he moved pretty quickly.”
Lucy’s mind raced. The thought of rumors circulating about Joel and her sister was nauseating. Paparazzi had never followed him around before, not to her knowledge. But then again, he was a different caliber now. Apparently.
“I’m not surprised he’s head over heels for you,” Vanessa went on. “Because, hello, you’re a total catch. Smart, beautiful, patient. But a life as Joel Morgan’s wife? That’s not going to be basic. Are you sure that’s what you want? Paparazzi and the kind of power that can bend even the will of men like Kurt Robertson?” She regarded Lucy with an arched brow. “I know you two had a spontaneously wild Vegas wedding, and things were probably fantastic when you lived in a private bubble that no one knew about. But what happens when the bubble pops, Lu?”
The bubblehadpopped, and they’d fallen apart. What would the difference be this time?
“Speak of the devil,” Vanessa muttered under her breath. “Here comes Mr. Not Basic in the flesh, looking like a million bucks. Or shall I say, a billion?”
Lucy whipped her head to the entrance. Joel entered, all athletic grace and innate power decked out in his corporate gear. He moved like the leader of a pack of lions, with an air of authority both dangerous and magnetic. Today’s custom gray suit hugged his body like it had been designed for him alone, the dark fabric highlighting every impressive cut ofhis anatomy to perfection. Everything about him made it impossible not to stare. No wonder the press loved him.
“And he’s all yours, sis,” Vanessa mused, with a light pat on Lucy’s hand.
