I recoil. “None of your damned business.”
He blinks, refusing to back down. “You don’t remember anything from that night, do you?”
“Not much,” I admit reluctantly.
He leans forward conspiratorially. “You asked her to follow you into the bathroom to help you with your aim … in front of me … after you called her asexy Rapunzel.”
“What?” I shake my head in disbelief. “I never said?—”
“Bruh, you totally did.” He sits back and crosses his arms over his chest. “Ask her if you don’t believe me.”
“There’s nothing going on between us besides the fact that we’re roommates. And even if I’d actually said any of those things, I meant it as a joke.”
“Then how do you know what she looks like naked?”
I gulp. Not only because he’s got me cornered, but also because I’m picturing Daisy in her underwear again.
“This is a completely inappropriate discussion.”
“It is,” Ethan confirms. “Which is exactly why you never should have said all that crap in front of me in the first place.”
I stare at him for a second longer. “What do you want?” I ask again.
He sighs. “Look, as entertaining as it is for me to watch you mess with JD and Blake, do us all a favor and give it up. It’s impossible to resent them forever. Trust me.”
I furrow my brow. “That’s it? You want me to pretend I like the Bourgeois brothers?”
“No, I want you to quit making yourself and everyone around you miserable by trying to one up them.”
My stomach turns with guilt. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I get it, you know, being torn between loving and hating them, knowing how good they really are and realizing you’ll never measure up to them.” He sniffs indignantly. “And even though it’s not exactly the same, I think I understand how you felt about Blake marrying your sister. You don’t need to worry about her, though. He’s loyal.”
“What the hell would you know about Blake Bourgeois and my sister?” It almost comes out as a growl. But I’m over Blake and Loren’s marriage, if I’m being honest. It’s the way this kid just called me out on most of my biggest insecurities that’s making me consider breaking the Hippocratic oath at the moment.
“A lot more than I know about you and Miss Daisy,” he retorts with a grin. “Or should I sayMrs. Reed?”
My nostrils flare as panic shoots through me, but I clamp my jaw shut and stop to reassess the situation before I speak again. “So what, you just go around minding the adults’ business?” I pose, buying myself some time.
He shrugs. “Yeah, kinda. Well, technically, they just sort of forget I’m around or post crap in the wrong group text, but here we are. Just know that whatever Blake’s done in the past, he’s not that guy anymore. I’ve watched him change, all because of Loren and those babies. But that’s how these guys operate. Once they decide they care about someone, that’s it. There’s nothing they wouldn’t do for the people they love.”
“So what’s it to you whether I go on hating my brother-in-law forever?”
“Look, believe it or not, Blake’s done as much for me as anyone else. And that shit you said at the wedding really hurt him, especially because it was true and he’s been killing himself to get past all that. You owe him an apology.”
“I’ve already apologized to my sister.”
“You owe Blake an apology,” he repeats slowly, his voice stern. “And although I personally find it hilarious because I’ve never seen anyone get under JD’s skin the way you do, you should apologize to him, too.”
I clear my throat. “For …”
He smiles. “For the borderline disrespectful comments you made about his wife while you were drunk, particularly when you implied you still had a thing for her and wouldn’t let something as silly as her being married stand in your way.”
I gulp. Daisy had warned me about that part. “I must not have said anything too bad about Tenley if I’m still alive,” I blurt my thoughts aloud.
“Actually, you have me to thank for that,” Ethan offers smugly. “Like I said, it was fun to watch. I’ve never seen JD so close to losing his temper. Congratulations.”
“Shit,” I say, then sigh. “For the record, the only feelings I have toward your aunt are respect … and maybe a healthy fear.”
