“Well, it’s hard not to,” Jay groans from the table. “It’s all over the news and Colton didn’t text us back.”
“Like I said on the phone, we were advised not to.”
“And we can’t wait for you to explain that marriage,” Riley says with another way too big smile.
“I thought it would be the only way to win the case” Jenna says, eyes finding mine over Riley’s shoulder with a look that’s part amusement, part worried. Yeah, we didn’t really have a lot of time to discuss all of it without the fuss. The past few days were so busy. But I manage a crooked smile. I don’t want her to feel bad about what she did. She did it for us and I’m forever grateful for that. I was just shocked but thanks to Ethan, we might get away with it.
We slip into the empty seats, and I notice right away that Jenna’s closer than necessary. Not by much, but enough that our arms brush. It shouldn’t matter. It really shouldn’t.
But it does.
That tiny bit of contact is distracting in a way I don’t love. Like it’s going to slowly drive me insane if I think about it too long—which, unfortunately, I am.
I wish I could be more like her. She acts like it’s nothing. Like it doesn’t even register.
Meanwhile, I’m over here overanalyzing everything.
She probably still kind of hates me for what I did back in high school. And honestly… I get it. There’s something almost impressive about how unaffected she seems.
I just wish I felt half as steady.
Jay reaches across to shake my hand with our secret handshake. Yeah, we’re that idiotic. But Ethan’s right. Our team is full of idiots. “About time you brought her around, man. We read those articles and ’didn’t believe a thing Page Six wrote about you guys and then boom—You’re married.”
“Yes, spill the tea!” Rosalie says. Always straight forward.
“Relax, Rosie…” Riley says, rolling his eyes. “Colton ’hasn’t even gotten to drink a beer yet… I’m nosy too but let him take a breath first, okay.”
Riley gives me a beer and I nod, just as a thank you.
Jenna shifts slightly next to me. I never said it was going to be a chilled dinner…
“What would you like to drink? We’re having a barbecue but it’s going to be a bit,” Liora asks Jenna.
“A wine would be great.”
“Of course. Babe?” she grins up at Riley and he gives Jenna a glass, then when he sits at the table with us, he grins and raises his beer the minute he sits down. “To Mr. and Mrs. Kirillov,” he toasts, and laughter bubbles around the table.
I feel my jaw tighten. We’d agreed Jenna would keep her last name Davis for professional reasons. The paperwork says Davis-Kirillov—a hyphenated compromise for the marriage license. But hearing “Mrs. Kirillov” makes something twist in my chest. Something I don’t want to examine too closely.
“Actually,” Jenna corrects with a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes, “I kept my name professionally. Davis-Kirillov is a bit much for court documents.”
“Smart woman,” Liora says, leaning forward with interest. “I’ll do the same when Riley and I get married. Our situation was... unconventional too at first. I don’t know if Colton told you.”
“I bet not,” Riley snorts, taking another sip. “Colton isn’t a chatterbox.”
“He didn’t, no,” Jenna says, looking at me.
I just mutter an apology.
“We started out fake too,” she says, like it’s no big deal. “PR reasons.”
She threads her fingers through Riley’s and looks up at him. “Best decision I ever made, though. Even if he drives me insane on a daily basis.”
Riley snorts, flicking her nose. “Right back at you, babe.” Then he leans in and kisses her—easy, practiced, like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
Which, apparently, it is.
Unfortunately, my brain decides this is the perfect moment to replay the way I kissed Jenna. There wasn’t a hint of normal inthatkiss.
