Dylan and I break apart and turn to see Erin staring at us, her bright red lips parted in shock.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME
DYLAN
I back us into the narrow hallway by the bathrooms, Chloe perched on my hip, her curls brushing my jaw. Dahlia leans in, her body soft against mine, and somehow we’re hugging like we’re each other’s lifeline.
“That’s Ava, right? That’s her out there?” she whispers, sounding panicked.
“Yes, that’s her. Are you okay?” I lean back to assess how traumatic this is for her.
“I think so,” she says, and then she shakes her head. “No, not really.”
Her hand is cupped over mine on Chloe’s back. It’s crazy intimate, all three of us pressed together, the faint buzz of the bar around us, the scent of Dahlia’s shampoo making my thoughts dissolve. Chloe hums a little tune against me, in her own little world.
And then?—
“Well, isn’t this cozy.”
Dahlia jumps back like she’s been electrocuted. Erin ishalfway down the hall, holding a beer in each hand, and her eyebrows are raised so high they’re practically in orbit.
“Oh my God,” she says, grinning like it’s Christmas all over again. “What have we here?”
My heart drops into my shoes.
Dahlia goes bright red.
Erin saunters closer, smirking. “So this is why you keep vanishing, Dylan. We’ve all been betting you must have a woman, the way you’ve been disappearing off the face of the earth. And here you are—making out in a hallway with one. While holding a child. Bold move.”
Chloe lifts her head to see who’s talking. Erin’s eyes widen, then sparkle.
“And who is this cutie?”
“I’m Chyoe,” she says proudly, patting my shoulder like I’m her personal elevator.
Erin somehow manages to free one hand and wiggle her fingers in greeting. “Well, hello, Chloe. I’m Erin. You should know that I’m awesome. And I can tell you are too.”
Chloe nods. “Awesome,” she echoes.
Erin laughs, delighted, before turning her attention back to Dahlia and me. “Okay, seriously—why are you sneaking around? Your family would lose their minds in the best way. They’d be thrilled to meet…” She waits, expectantly, for us to fill in a name.
We don’t.
She lifts both brows. “Really? Nothing? You’re obviously gorgeous,” she tells Dahlia. “And the chemistry here”—she waves a hand between us—“is thick enough to cut with a knife. So what gives?”
I exhale, shifting Chloe higher on my hip. “Look,” I start, meeting Erin’s eyes. “Can you…forget that you saw us?”
Erin’s smile drops. She blinks, confused. “Why?”
I look at Dahlia, who is staring back helplessly at me.
Erin’s eyes dart between us, slowly narrowing. “Guys?”
My grip tightens around Chloe.
Dahlia clears her throat. “I’m Dahlia Granger.”
