She mumblessorry, but I wave her off, heading inside for paper towels.
“It was surprisingly easy to find out who you are,” she continues, patting herself and the table dry. “I moved here last month, so I’m not up to speed with local celebrities, but my neighbor knows all about you. I asked if she knows a Colt who has two identical brothers, and that’s all it took.”
“Who’s your neighbor?”
“Kaya Addams.”
My head whips toward Addie so fast I hear a crack. “Kaya? Tall, slim, unstable brunette?”
“Definitely tall. Not skinny. She’s a bit bigger than me. I’m not sure about unstable... she seemed fine. She said she dated your older brother Nico years ago.”
My eyes narrow, a vein ticking on my temple.
One of the darkest times in Hayes brothers history resurfaces, threatening to piss over my good mood. I shove the memories aside, or I won’t be able to stomach a single bite of food.
“Did she mention she was bat-shit crazy, an alcoholic and a cheater?”
“Not so blatantly,” Addie mumbles around a bite of garlic bread. “She said she ended up in rehab when Nico’s daughter was born, then relapsed when he married Mia, but she’s doing okay now. Sober, dating a banker.”
Huh, I didn’t see thatcoming. I can’t say I’m surprised her marriage to Jared fell apart. It was never going to last with her promiscuous attitude and undying love for my brother.
Kaya disappeared from the scene shortly after Nico’s wedding last year. She crashed the reception, drunk out of her fucking mind, made a scene, got escorted out by security, and that was the last we heard of my brother’s ex.
“So what did Kaya tell you?”
Addie whips a piece of paper filled with neat writing from her back pocket. “My cheat sheet,” she proudly announces, handing it over. “I’ll go find the bathroom while you check it’s right and decide what else I should know.”
“Corridor by the main entrance, first door on your right,” I say, skimming the bullet-point list.
The information about my brothers is limited to names, ages, spouses, and kids. Some kids’ names are missing, so I grab a pen from the side table in the living room and go back out, adding the relevant details, my scruffy writing contrasting Addie’s elegant script.
I doubt anyone will quiz her on this, but knowing it won’t do any harm. I also jot down a quick note about Rose, then add my siblings’ professions.
“I have this committed to memory if you want to check,” Addie says, plopping down beside me. She’s closer than before, peeking at the sheet, her face so close I can smell her cherry lipstick.
“Maybe later. We have more important things to talk about than my brothers.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?”
“How long have we been dating, Addie?”
The faintest trace of a blush heats her cheeks, and the sight stirs things within me I don’t want to name. I need to cool my jets. I met heryesterday.
She scoots away, taking her plate, and curls her feet under her butt on the outdoor sofa. “That’s a story we can fabricate as we please. Other than telling my mother my boyfriend’s tall, handsome, and dark haired, I left out everything else.” She stuffs her mouth with a forkful of pasta, chewing slowly. “We could tie it with me moving to Newport, so... five weeks?”
“Based on what you told me, I don’t think your mother will take us seriously if we’ve only been together a few weeks. Where did you live before?”
“On campus in Pomona. I couldn’t keep pets there, and I love the beach, so Dad bought me a house in Newport.”
If I didn’t know she was twenty-two,campuswould be a red flag. I left college girls behind when I finished college myself. Most are too young for real commitment, so no point taking them out. Thankfully, we cleared the ages earlier, and nowcampusmakes me curious. Post-grad, I guess.
“There’s a lot here I want to unpack, but before we change the topic... three months sounds better than five weeks. Your mother will think you moved to Newport for me.”
“Three months it is. We’re kind of serious, aren’t we?”
“Seems so. And yet I don’t know your surname.”
Her eyes widen as a soft half-laugh half-groan fills my ears. “That’d be helpful, wouldn’t it? Weston. Audrey Weston. I only have one brother, Benjamin, so you’ll have it easier. He’s twenty and has worked with my father since he turned sixteen.”
