Another nod.
“Oh my god.” She turned to Oliver, eyes wide. “I have to call him.”
“Ethan’s fine,” I said. “A little pissed, but fine. We’ll get past it.”
They exchanged identical skeptical looks. The synchronized-couple thing was really starting to grate.
“Is it serious?” Oliver asked.
I gestured vaguely. “Semi.”
He blinked. “What the hell does that mean?”
“We’ve only been together a couple of months.”
“And this is the first I’m hearing of…?”
“Luca,” I clarified.
“Luca, because…”
“Because…” I hesitated, their matching stares pinning me in place. “Because I don’t have to tell you everything. It would’ve come up eventually.”
Oliver’s eyes narrowed. “Right.”
Charlotte crossed one leg over the other. “So you’re going to keep dating him even though my brother just moved to the same city?” Her tone was edging toward accusation.
I smiled. “Is there something you want to say to me, Miss Bennett?”
She mirrored the smile, all sugar and knives. “Not that I want to meddle…”
“Of course not.”
“But are you kidding me?”
“I’m with Char on this,” Oliver said.
I shot him a look, but he just shrugged.
“We haven’t seen each other in four years,” I said. “We weren’t supposed to keep our lives on pause forever. I’m sure Ethan’s had partners too.”
They exchanged a glance instead of answering.
“Right?” I pressed.
“Right,” Charlotte said too brightly, that peppy tone back in full force. “I need to go check on the kids, but it was nice talking to you, Ash.”
“You too.”
She kissed Oliver’s cheek, then disappeared partly from the frame. He caught her hand half off-screen, murmured something soft, and they shared a quick kiss before she slipped away.
He looked back at me, tired and expectant. “So?”
“We’re having lunch on Saturday.”
“Who’s ‘we’?”
“Henny, Luca…” I exhaled. “Ethan and me.”
