Leo chuckles beside Nate and me.
Claud puts her arms around Juliette’s neck. “I want you to come home with me. I don’t want to be without you.” Her lip wobbles, and I already know Juliette will cave.
Who could say no to that lip?
“Okay, we can both go home together.”
“No.” Harrison shakes his head. “Claud, you’re a big girl now. You knew that if you came here, you’d have to leave with Mémé Inés.”
“But Mom said yes,” she cries.
Harrison’s jaw twitches.
“She’s right. I did.”
“Jules. You cannot say yes every time she asks for something. She will go home with your mother, and you’ll stay here with me, as we planned.”
“Funny, I remember you leaving me at this very party last year, for the same little girl.” She raises her voice in French. “Et tu n’as pas à me dire ce que j’ai à faire, Harrison.”
He lifts a brow—no words, just a silent command.
“What is she saying?”
Nate smirks. “Yelling at him for telling her what to do. She’s gotten bolder since being pregnant.”
Juliette passes Claud to Seb without a glance his way, then takes Harrison by the arm and pulls him away from the party.
“They’re going to hate fuck. No doubt,” Leo mutters, then holds the back of his head. “Ouch.”
Inés, Juliette’s mom, smacks the back of his head, then does it again.
“One for me, and one for your mother. If she were here and not in Spain, she’d do worse.”
He cringes. “Sorry, I didn’t realize you were standing right behind me.”
She tuts and walks away with Becks, and I’m left with the guys and Claud.
The waitress walks by with more champagne and scotches. I shouldn’t, but I take another, knowing that I’ll need some liquid courage once Nate and I are alone again.
The thought alone sends a pulse through me, and when I dare a glance at him, his eyes are already on me…dark, unreadable.
I flush and lift my glass to cover it.
“Uncle Sebby, can you dance with me?”
Sebastian kisses Claud’s forehead. “I hate dancing, but for you, I’d do anything.” He walks off, and I almost cry at the sight of him twirling her around.
Turning back to the guys, I ask, “Is someone going to tell me what Juliette was talking about? And why are they dressed so off-theme?”
Juliette is wearing a beautiful gold-gilded butterfly mask, and Harrison’s is a black replica of thePhantom of the Operamask.
“I’m not the only romantic brother in the family. Those masks are the ones they wore last year when they first met.”
“Did you just call yourself romantic?” Leo questions.
I duck my head to hide my snicker.
My abs are going to be sore tomorrow from laughing all night.
