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His phone rings somewhere past Oxford.

Ross glances at the display before answering through the car.

“Sebastian,” he says.

His brother’s voice comes through the speakers.

“We’re back,” Sebastian says. “Finally.”

Ross smiles slightly. “How was Tuscany?”

“Good. Jane had a great birthday, Milan tried to ruin my mood before we left, and I’ve decided I’m ignoring everyone until tomorrow.”

Ross laughs under his breath.

“That should last about an hour.”

“Probably,” Sebastian says. “Are you in London?”

“We’re heading back now.”

There is a brief pause.

“We?” Sebastian asks.

Ross looks at me.

I immediately know where this is going.

“Blaire’s with me,” Ross says.

The silence on the other end lasts just long enough to make me glance toward him.

Then Sebastian says, “Blaire?”

“Yes.”

“Well, that changes the evening.”

Ross gives me a look I don’t entirely trust.

“What evening?” he asks.

“Dinner,” Sebastian replies. “Jane and I were going to keep it casual. Come over.”

Ross looks at me again.

“Sebastian wants us to have dinner with them,” he says.

There is no pressure in the question, but I still hesitate.

Seeing Sebastian again feels different from seeing Eleanor at the reception. Eleanor had been part of the larger world around Ross.

Sebastian was there from the beginning.

He knew me before everything fell apart.

Ross waits.