“Right. For Teddy,” Isla echoes.
Imogen’s eyes gleam. “You’re playing a dangerous game.”
I feign innocence. “What does that even mean?”
“It means,” Imogen says, counting on her fingers, “you’re funny, you’re gorgeous, you’re in his house at least five nights a week, and you smell like vanilla. He has eyes.”
Zoe lifts her glass, voice gentler. “Ignore them if you want. But also remember this, Liv—your life is yours. You get to choose what it looks like. You get to choose joy, even if it’s messy. If it’s real, it’s worth it.” Her eyes reflect something old and tender, the kind of wisdom that only comes after surviving the worst and choosing yourself anyway. My phone buzzes on the coffee table. Sebastian’s name lights the screen. My pulse stutters.
“Busted,” Imogen sings.
I flip the phone, face down, like that’ll help. “It’s probably just about Teddy.”
No one believes me, but they let me have it. The conversation drifts to wedding speeches and Imogen’s plan to teach Joseph to fold laundry for “character development”, and while they tradejokes, I slide the phone into my lap and open the message. Heat blooms in my chest.
Sebastian:Hey.
Me:Hey.
Sebastian:So… there’s no other way to beat around the bush.
I frown. The dots appear, disappear, and return. My stomach dips entirely at the thought of what is coming next.
Sebastian:Teddy asked me to invite you to the Wattle Creek Fair tomorrow. He’s very sure you should come with us.
Right. Only because Teddy wants it. I swallow, then type what I’m brave enough to say.
Me: So I’m only coming because he wants me there?
Sebastian:Well, not just Teddy.
Sebastian:I want you there too, Trouble.
There it is. Simple words that feel like a blanket and a warning. My heart thuds a little faster because even through a text, he has this ridiculous ability to flip me inside out; calm and chaos wrapped up in one man.
Sebastian:That a yes or no?
Sebastian:What if I said… please?
Oh, God. I swear I canhearhim saying it, in that deep, gravelly voice of his. The one that slides down my spine like it knows exactly where to settle. And just like that, the horniness returns with a vengeance.Now is not the time.I’m surrounded by wine, women, and emotional vulnerability, and my uterus has been waging war for days. I curse silently, squeezing my thighs together under the table.
Me:Well, since you asked so nicely. Sure thing, Bash.
A warmth spreads through me that has nothing to do with the wine the second it sends. My chest feels too full, my heart too stupid. Everything feels bigger lately. I’m too vulnerable this week. Maybe Imogen’s right. Maybe I am playing a dangerous game. Because somewhere along the way, babysitting turned into casual dinners, then late-night talks, heated touches, hell… moments like this. Me, catching feelings for a man I was never meant to fall for.
A brutal thought pops into my head. What if this isn’t real? What if I’ve built it all up in my head? The idea that he might actually want me—not out of convenience or comfort, but because he sees me. That’s the part that terrifies me. The part that feels impossible—theideaof becoming something we haven’t named—and I can’t figure out if I’m brave or delusional. My eyes sting.
Imogen notices first. “Whoa. Hey. Why are you crying?”
Isla’s already scooting closer, hand warm on my knee. “What did we do? We’ll undo it.”
“I’m fine,” I say, which would be more convincing if my voice didn’t wobble. “I’m just—” I gesture helplessly because I havebecome a leaky tap, and there is no dignity left. “I’ve just been an emotional wreck lately. I’m on my period. Sorry.”
Zoe sets her glass down. “Don’t apologise.” She squeezes my fingers. “You can talk to us.”
“I know,” I say, blinking at the ceiling. “I just—” Words tangle. “It’s a lot. Teddy drew a family tree and put me on it, and I cried. Sebastian said I looked beautiful with a raccoon face, and I cried. Then he called me Liv, and I cried harder like an idiot. I like them. Both of them. And that terrifies me.”
Imogen’s eyes go wide. “Wait—he called youLiv? As opposed to…?”
