Halle-fucking-lujah.
“Roped into dinner too?” Bri asked as she sat across from me with a glass of wine. I suspected it wasn’t her first one. It seemed to me she struggled with how our dysfunctional family was too, but I didn’t know why. She had way more freedom than I did.
“I actually eat with them a couple nights a week.”
“Glutton for punishment?”
I poured myself a glass of wine too and sat in my seat across from her. “Something like that.” Although instead of thinking of my parents I thought of Serena. “Listen, you need to stop telling people I’m engaged to Evie.”
Bri quirked a brow. “I don’t talk about you and Evie.”
“I’ve been told otherwise. I’m not marrying her.”
“Do Mom and Dad know?” she asked.
“Yes.”
She laughed. “Do they agree?”
“No. Mom threatened to disinherit me.”
Bri did a spit-take. “What?” She grabbed her napkin to wipe her mouth and her plate now covered with wine. “What did you say?”
“I said fine.”
“You’re going to walk away from nearly a billion dollars?” She smirked like she didn’t believe me.
“Yep.”
She leaned forward. “Holy shit, are you in love? Are you throwing it all away for love?”
“No.” I shifted uncomfortably. I didn’t want to go into detail about my complicated relationship with Serena. It couldn’t be love because it seemed to me love would be easier than whatever it was that I had with her. “But I’m not going to have my life dictated anymore. Besides, I invest my money. Plus, I learned a lot during my time in Europe. I can build my own billion-dollar company.”
She snorted. “I love that. Mom and Dad sent you away to make you grow up, but didn’t count on you growing balls too.”
I rolled my eyes. “My balls were always there.”
“That’s what the rumor is. So does Evie know you’re not marrying her?”
“She wants to marry me even less than I want to marry her.” I leaned forward in case there were prying eyes. “She’s seeing Jasper Lassiter. But don’t tell.”
Bri gaped. “As in Lowcountry Sinners the southern rock band’s Jasper Lassiter?” she asked.
“Yep.”
“Wow.” She sat back and looked like she was taking in the news. “But no one else knows?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“Maybe if the parents knew they’d back off you two.”
I laughed. “Can you imagine Mrs. Winthrop hearing Evie is seeing Lassiter?”
“She’d stroke out.”
“Right.”
Bri’s brows furrowed. “So, what were you and Evie doing hiding at the party if you weren’t showing her those big balls you say you have.”