I nod, not trusting myself to respond. Because the thought of Stella as more than a friend both thrills and terrifies me in equal measure.
twenty-eight
. . .
Stella
Blair's livingroom has been transformed into the ultimate girls' night setup with blankets everywhere, wine glasses scattered across the coffee table, and enough takeout containers to feed a small army. But the real star of the show is baby Ruby, who's currently being passed around like the most precious item in existence.
“I can't get over how perfect she is,” I say, cradling the tiny bundle against my chest. Ruby's fingers curl around mine, and something in my chest goes soft and warm. “Look at those little fingernails.”
“She's got Wyatt's nose,” Jess observes, leaning over to stroke Ruby's cheek. “But Blair's stubborn chin.”
“She's going to be trouble,” Sophia adds with a grin. “I can already tell.”
Blair beams from her spot on the couch, looking tired but radiant. “She's been sleeping better this week, thank God. I was starting to forget what it felt like to be human.”
“You're doing amazing,” Natalie says warmly. “Single-handedly growing a human and then keeping it alive? That's superhero-level stuff.”
After Ruby goes down for the night, we settle back with fresh glasses of wine.
“So,” Jess says, leaning back into the couch and fixing me with that mischievous grin she gets when she's about to stir up trouble, “I think we all agree we want the update on your fake boyfriend.”
“Which part?” I groan, already knowing where this is going. “When I blurted it out in a panic or when I had to move in with him for a week?”
“All of it!” Jess laughs. “But especially Brandon's face when you asked him to pretend to be madly in love with you. That man does not half-ass anything, so I can only imagine his reaction.”
“He was surprisingly good at it,” I admit, taking a large sip of wine. “Too good, actually.”
Blair raises an eyebrow. “Too good how?”
“That's what I want to know,” Natalie says, leaning forward with obvious interest. “Because you've been telling us for months how you two are 'just friends,' but something clearly shifted.”
“Wait, back up,” Sophia says. “How did things actually go with your mom? Did she buy it?”
“Completely. She absolutely adored him.” I curl my legs up under me, getting comfortable for what I know is about to become a long story. “She kept going on about how perfect we were together, how he was such a gentleman, how I'd better not mess it up because good men like Brandon don't stay single forever.”
“Smart woman,” Jess says with a grin.
“But,” I continue, and I can feel my cheeks warming, “some things didn't feel very fake.”
“Finally!” Natalie exclaims. “I've been waiting for this part.”
“There's nothing to wait for. We're just friends!” I protest.
“I told you not to jinx it. That shit creeps up on you when you least expect it,” Jess says.
“What shit?” Blair observes with amusement.
“Feelings,” Jess says, twisting her face in disgust, which is hilarious because those feelings are exactly what have her the happiest she's been in maybe ever.
“It's not my fault! The fake kissing was like a gateway drug. One minute, we're putting on a show for my mother; the next minute, we're making out on his couch like teenagers.”
“Shut up!” Natalie jumps up to pour more wine into all of our glasses. “I'm going to need more specifics.”
I bury my face in my hands. “It got complicated. Really complicated. By the end of the week, we were sharing a bed and waking up tangled together and…” I trail off, not sure how much detail to share.
“And?” Jess prompts, clearly not willing to let me off the hook.
