It was ridiculous to get worked up over seeing Keiran today. So, she liked his memes, looked forward to his messages. That didn’t mean anything. What was her problem? Seriously.

“What’re you thinking about so hard over there?” Remi asked as they rolled to a stop at a traffic light.

“Keiran.” Remi was her best friend. Keeping stuff from her was always a waste of time.

“Ah.”

“He’s not fitting into the box I tried to put him into. I don’t like this.”

“Hmm. Human beings are unpredictable like that sometimes. But not you, you’re super-predictable.”

“What?” Cherisse asked, offended. “I am not.”

The light changed, and Remi drove forward. “You know you don’t do casual but yet acted like you could. After I reminded you that you don’t. Sex is important to you in that it’s all wrapped up in your emotional connection to someone, and yet, you thought, oh, hey, it’s Keiran, so this’ll be easy.”

Cherisse stared straight ahead, arms folded across her seat belt. “So, this is your long-winded I-told-you-so?”

“Yup.”

“What do I do now?”

“I don’t know. You jumped on his dick, you figure that shit out.”

Cherisse continued to sulk the rest of the way to the club while Remi sang along jovially with the radio. But she was right. This was a mess of her own making, and she was the one who had to decide how to fix it.

Chapter 28

Keiran

MAXINE AND SCOTT WERE full of theories about why Eric and Ava had called them to the country club, ranging from Ava being pregnant to more outlandish things like a plan to elope. Keiran was too busy thinking about Cherisse and the supply closet to add anything useful.

“There’s no way in hell they’re eloping after all these preparations,” Maxine mused as they walked in.

“Eric’s parents are rich. They won’t even feel that loss of money,” Scott chimed in.

The attendant led them to the dining room, to a table where Ava and Eric were already waiting, big smiles on their faces. Remi, Julia, and Cherisse were already at the table too. Everyone was standing as if they, too, had just arrived.

Keiran’s gaze clashed with Cherisse as he came to stand next to her.

“Well, you’re looking better.”

She fiddled with the belt on her jumpsuit. “I feel better. Thanks again for the soup. You’re sweet. I mean, it was sweet. The gesture. Jesus fucking Christ.” She looked away as Ava urged them all to sit. He was close enough to have heard her muttered curses, but what intrigued him the most was her fumbling. Was Cherisse nervous? Interesting.

“Thanks for meeting us here, everyone.”

Keiran focused on Ava. He could ponder on Cherisse’s babbling later.

“Are you pregnant?” Maxine blurted out, and everyone stared at her. Ava chuckled. “What? We’re all thinking it.”