“There isn’t much to say about Tony, the stalker. We have no idea where he is. He deleted all of his accounts, but he did break into my house last night and destroyed it, so I’ll be staying with Dutton until it’s safe to go back.”
A mix of gasps, and I’m pretty sure Quinn swears.
But it’s Grace whose hand reaches out for mine. “You know you can always stay with me, right?”
I nod.
“I do. I just … with Dutton…”
“It’s different,” Shay finishes for me, a knowing smile on her lips. “Are you two dating?”
“No,” I say. And the smile on her face falls.
“Oh.”
“Are you sleeping with my brother?”
The water in Sadie's mouth sprays all over the food in front of us.
Shay starts to giggle, and Quinn’s eyes go wide.
Now, I know that Dutton and I haven't actually had sex yet, but I am curious about Grace's response.
“Would that bother you?” I ask her. I watch as she takes a breath.
“Honestly, I don't know.”
“Okay. Then honestly, no, I have not had sex with your brother. But I have thought about it.”
“Are you going to date him?”
“It's not something I've thought about.”
“But you want to sleep with him.”
I nod. “Can you sleep with someone and not be dating them?”
“You can, but this is my brother, and he might be a big grump and say crude things, but he deserves love just as much as the next person.”
I love that she’s looking out for her brother. I wish my sister had been like this for me.
“You’re right, and I won’t forget that.”
“Good.”
“So back to bowling,” Quinn says. “What time is this happening, and do we wear matching colors to make it fun?”
We fall into discussion of what we should all wear tonight as if we are celebrating something special. And maybe we are. It’s been so long since we’ve had an official girls’ night, and it's been even longer since we have all been together with the guys that wasn’t a wedding.
After the girls and I have all the details sorted out, they leave, and I get back to work.
That is, until I overhear a table whispering about Dutton.
I pause in front of them, and without a word, I give each of them a look that says they need to stop.
One lady clears her throat. She looks familiar, but I can’t quite place her face. Maybe from school?
“I’m so sorry, Brooke. We just … Dutton is an entirely new person. I don’t know how you did it.”
