Brady’s eyes slid to hers. Sloane couldn’t help but smile into her glass.

“You know, Brady, I was surprised to hear that you two are together,” Ruby said, cutting off whatever Arnesha had been saying. She had lipstick on her teeth. It reminded Sloane of a shark mid-feed. “I mean, you know, considering.”

“And, may I ask, why’s that so hard to believe?”

He gave her a look that conveyed barely veiled annoyance. Ruby, no matter if you knew her or not, had the magical ability to turn people off just by existing. She was, as Sloane’s mom would have said, a cup of tea without a drop of sugar in it.

Ruby remained undeterred. “Oh, I guess because of Felicity.” She shrugged. “I heard you were head over heels, never would have eyes for another woman in love with her. Y’all were together for three years, right?”

Sloane sputtered into her glass. What in the double fuck?

Ruby had to be mistaken. Brady and Felicity?

No. No way. It wasn’t like they swam in the same social circles. Maybe she was just confused.

Surely, if Brady was in love with Felicity, the last place he’d want to be was sitting across from her and her new fiancé, and, surely, he would have brought it up.

Sloane looked at Brady, waiting for him to jump in and shut down the preposterous rumor, but saw instead a man tight-lipped with a quick side of grumpy.

Then it clicked.

That’s why Brady was all too gung ho to fake date. It wasn’t to help Sloane; it was because of Felicity. Somehow and for whatever reason.

Nice, my ass.

“We broke up more than a year ago,” Brady finally said, tone missing his usual humor. “We’ve both clearly moved on.”

Sloane could hear Ruby take in a breath, no doubt gearing up to press on the crack in their armor she’d just found, when movement made them all look outside the greenhouse.

Carol and her sun hat were walking around the fountain. In tow, the newly engaged couple.

They were smiling and happy and perfect.

They had no idea how fucking annoying their uncomplicated happiness was.

Sloane eyed the nearest exit.

Antarctica was looking really good right about now.

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Well hot damn if a lot of things didn’t go wrong, right, and confusing all at once.

Sloane nearly choked to death on her sweet tea.

Marcus and Felicity showed up just in time for a distraction from the truth bomb Ruby had just dropped.

Felicity was in the same vicinity as Brady for the first time since she’d shit on his heart a year ago, and he didn’t quite know how to feel about it.

“Oh, dear, are you okay?” Mrs. Robertson had a hand on Sloane’s back faster than Ruby could lean in to the obvious surprise that had caused the sweet-tea fiasco.