Lauren’s eyes hadn’t diminished in size, and she was giving me a whole different look than before, as if seeing me anew.

I didn’t like it.

My bedroom door was closed, but we could hear the sounds of the shower.

Grant sat at the table. “Got some booze?”

Owen sat next to him. “Or food?”

Lauren’s hand gripped Trent’s tightly. “Are we staying here?” she asked in a loud whisper.

Trent’s eyes met mine. I shook my head. No way, not after her reaction.

He mouthed Janet’s name.

I held up my hand. It wouldn’t matter. She’d see Janet anyway.

As if we’d had a whole telepathic conversation, he sighed and said, “No. We’re staying at Janet’s.”

“Yeah.” Grant spoke up, raising his hand. “I’m not trying to be a dick, but in the spirit of protecting my friend, you can’t say shit to Janet.”

It took a moment before Lauren realized he was talking to her. When she did, she looked around. Everyone was watching her. No one was laughing. Or grinning. Or looking any way other than deadly serious.

The door opened behind me. Hadley stepped forward, not her usual happy self. She charged right up to Lauren and said softly, but so damned clearly, “Janet cannot keep her mouth shut. You tell her one thing, and she’ll tell forty others by the end of the night. You want us to protect you when she rips you to shreds—because it’ll happen—you do us a solid now.” She motioned to me. “Don’t say a word about Charlie and Reese. Charlie isn’t hanging out with us because she has a friend in from out of town. That’s it. You don’t know who the friend is. She was someone from college. That’s all you say to her.”

She stepped back, all sunny-like now. “Do we have martinis here?”

Lauren turned to Trent. “Excuse me?”

Trent groaned. “Thanks, Hads. I was going to ease into the whole thing about Janet being a gossip.”

Hadley and Sophia both made exasperated sounds.

Hadley went to sit on Owen’s lap. “Right. There’s no way to ease into that conversation. We love Janet. We accept her for who she is, but we also know when to keep our mouths shut. This is one of those situations.”

The shower turned off.

A different headache began forming at the base of my neck.

Janet. I’d have to see her tomorrow. She’d not been subtle, wanting to know all about Damian the last time I saw her. I had escaped without much slipping, but it was hard under pressure.

The door opened. Feet padded down the hall. I smelled him at the same time I felt his warmth, then an arm curved around me, pulling me back into a very strong chest.