He waved me forward with an eyeroll. “I know I bite,” he said. “But not in public.”
That made me snort, my wariness melting away as I stepped forward to accept the offered hug.
Corey was exactly as I remembered him, a lean, hard body under his clothes and a slightly awkward few inches taller than me.
Simon and I were about the same height. He was softer in a way that made his hugs a lot more satisfying.
“Brothers?” Corey asked as he let me go, hands moving to my shoulders.
“Brothers,” I agreed.
I didn’t hate the idea of that, as it turned out. I’d always wanted a brother. Now I had one who didn’t hate me and was looking out for my happiness. This wasn’t exactly how I’d imagined it coming about, but at this point in my life, I’d learned to take what I could get.
“Do you love her?” I asked. The possibility hadn’t actually crossed my mind before—I’d been so caught up in the idea that this was something being done specifically to hurt me that I hadn’t considered not everything was always about me. Even things that felt particularly pointed.
Corey’s smile this time answered my question for me. I knew that look. I wore it whenever anyone mentioned Simon and he wasn’t in the room. Whenever I thought about him.
“I do,” he said. “Terrified the feeling’s not mutual.”
I glanced over at Simon, who was hanging back by one of the raised beds, keeping a big variegated monstera company.
“You could always ask.”
23
SIMON
I’m a genius
I snortedat Ellie’s text. The weekend had been such a blur so far that I hadn’t even remembered to tell her I’d arrived safe, which she’d made me swear to do. In my defense, I hadn’t expected to be dragged into a world of lies and intrigue before I could even pull my phone out.
I should have remembered later. I’d make appropriate, pastry-and-paperback-shaped apologies on Monday for that.
Seriously, you could model for Armani or whatever. I should go into celebrity styling.
Thank you, but given that half the wedding is made up of models and actors, I am Mr. Ugly Duckling
Not your fault, obviously
Most of the beautiful people had already left. The party wasn’t quite over yet, but where I’d been shouldering my way through the crowd to get anywhere earlier, the trip back from bathroom was unobstructed, punctuated by a few clusters of people who definitely should not be driving home. I was reasonably sure, for all her failings, Theo’s mom wouldn’t let them. If only because of the scandal it’d cause if one of themdidcause an accident.
Simon.
That’s what they call me
I wanted to tell Ellie about Theo. On the other hand, I never wanted her to know about Theo because I could already picture the look on her face if she ever knew what was going on.
Besides, it wasn’t as thoughIknew what was going on, so what would I even say?Theo dragged me into pretending to be his boyfriend, wait, don’t get mad yet, because then he kissed me for real and I’m scared to be happy about it because I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop but at the same time I’ve got everything I’ve ever wanted and it really is better than I thought it’d be. Minus the whole Sword of Damocles situation.
Ellie’s face, lips pursed and eyes narrowed, appeared in my mind as though she was standing right in front of me. If Iwasgoing to tell her all of this, I at least owed her the respect of making sure she could make that face in person at the time. After the shit she’d put up with from me regarding Theo, she’d earned that much.
Anyone I’d recognize?
None of them had been anyoneIrecognized, so I sincerely doubted it. All the same, I was grateful for the change of subject.
Have you learned the name of an actor or model since you were in college?
Excellent point.
