“I love you,” Adri said.
Stevie smiled. “I know you do.”
She nodded, then let Stevie go, kissing Vanessa’s cheek before she excused herself and went back inside. Vanessa hugged Stevie once, then followed her, leaving only Ren.
“I take it the fake relationship eventually turned pretty real,” they said.
Stevie just laughed. “Real as it gets.”
Ren nodded. “I’m sorry. For putting you in that position.”
“I’m not,” Stevie said, shaking her head. “I mean, yeah, it’s true you get a little overbearing—”
“Fair.”
“—but I don’t regret meeting Iris,” Stevie finished, then smiled at Ren, a lump in her throat. “Not one bit.”
Ren turned around so they were facing Adri’s apartment windows, leaning their elbows on the railing. “I can see that.”
Stevie looped her arm through theirs, leaned her head on theirshoulder. They stayed like that for a while, then Stevie felt Ren tense up.
“What is it?” Stevie said, turning to look at whatever had caught Ren’s attention.
“Isn’t that...” Ren asked, squinting and pointing to someone inside.
Stevie’s heart betrayed her, all anger flooding out of her system. She swallowed, her mouth immediately dry, eyes searching for red hair and freckles.
“...Iris’s friends?” Ren went on. “What are their names? The one with the tattoos and her fiancée who owns the bookstore?”
Stevie couldn’t breathe, her chest completely locked up. She spotted Claire and Delilah weaving through the crowd. “You invited her whole crew?”
Ren shook their head. “Just Iris.”
Stevie watched as Claire spotted her, waving and leading Delilah—who paused by the bar Adri had set up and grabbed two glasses of wine—in Stevie’s direction.
“Hey, Stevie,” Claire said, smiling sweetly.
“Um. Hey,” Stevie said, frowning. “Is...”
Claire shook her head.
Stevie exhaled audibly, pressing a hand to her chest. She didn’t mean to be so dramatic, but it felt like she hadn’t taken a breath in about an hour.
“I’m sorry,” Claire said.
Stevie waved a hand, swallowed around the balloon in her throat.
“So...” Ren said. “Okay, I’m going to go check on the food.”
They kissed Stevie on the cheek, then left Stevie on the balcony with her ex-girlfriend’s best friends.
“Does Iris know you’re here?” she asked.
“Are you kidding me?” Delilah said, sipping on her red wine. “She’d slip arsenic in our drinks first chance she got.”
Stevie sighed. “Then—and sorry if this is rude—but what are you doing here?”
“My fiancée is a hopeless romantic?” Delilah said.
