She chuckles again, sitting up in her chair and resting an arm on the armrest to face me. “I don’t want to spill all of Reid’s secrets because I think he’s a secret romantic and I don’t want to spoil that for you, but just know he talks about you every chance he gets. To the point that Charlie is nauseated.”
I realize I’m clutching the chair, leaning towards her as I wait for more of what he’s said about me. “Tell me more.”
She huffs another laugh. “He thinks you’re funny and gorgeous, obviously, and he’s happy that he said no to Kate all those years ago, even if she glares daggers at him every time he gets caught staring at you. And that’s it, that’s all the intel I’m giving you.”
I let out a wistful sight, leaning back in my chair with a smile on my face.
“I think I’m in love with him,” I say softly.
I thought the admission would be scary. Vulnerable. I thought it would be putting a piece of myself into the universe that could be stolen and shattered and leave me with a crumpled heart in my chest. But it feels liberating and exciting. I feel like I want to drive to that mountain top inThe Sound of Musicand spin in circles just like Julie Andrews.
I fell swiftly and furiously in love with him. And what scares me about that admission is that it actually doesn’t scare me at all—hedoesn’t scare me at all.
“I know,” Elise says beside me.
“But I don’t want him to break my heart,” I admit.
“I highly doubt he will.”
I tilt my head to look at her. “You don’t?”
She shakes her head. “Like I said, he’s completely enamored with you. I wouldn’t be too afraid to take that leap with him. I think he’ll be there to catch you, even if you fall clumsily on top of him and break his arm or something.”
I scoff. “I would fall daintily, like a lady.”
“Sure, Jane.”
“Iwould.”
Elise says something else, but I can’t hear her because my mind is already replaying her words on a loop:he’s completely enamored with you.
“It’s awful,” Lydia whines, wiggling her toes with a slightly darker shade of pink polish on them.
“I like it,” I offer.
“You would like it. You used the same color.”
“Yeah, because it’s a good color.”
“No it’s not. I wanted a pale pink.” She pouts and I draw in a breath, already sick of talking about nail polish.
Kate flops in the chair next to me, a fresh limoncello in her hand as we wait in the lounge for mom, Elise, and Jess to finish getting their nails done.
“Are you still upset about your color?” Kate asks with just a hint of satisfaction in her voice.
“Just look at it.” Lydia extends her foot toward Kate who rears back away from it.
“No, thanks.” She looks at me and something about the look on her face has something prickling in my skin—like my fight or flight is preparing just from the sneer on her face. “What were you talking with Elise about before?”
My heart stops. My stomach fills with dread. I can tell by the arch of her brow and the purse of her lips that she heard. That she knows about my feelings for Reid, and she’s going to get to the bottom of them and squash them here and now.
“Nothing.” I say the word too quickly.
“I heard Reid’s name come up,” she pries.
“I . . . I mean he is in the wedding party. It only makes sense to talk about him.”
There. That feels believable.
