I wish it made sense to apply a full face of makeup before a day on a construction site. I wish I were wearing a trendy outfit, just so that dark-haired girl with the red lipstick would stop staring at me like I’m raw sewage seeping up from the gutter.
She’s the first one I spot, not only because of her sour expression but because she’s standing closest to Ethan, her hand resting on his arm possessively. The sight is the final crushing blow to what has been an all-around terrible day. For some silly reason, I’d dismissed the idea of Ethan having a girlfriend. Once I found out who Isla really was, I just assumed there was no one else. It’s not as if I’ve heard him talking to a girlfriend, but then we’re not together all day, every day, even if it sometimes feels that way.
If he is dating her, it has to be a recent development considering what happened between us in that bar—either that or he cheated on her. I discard that thought immediately. While Ethan might have a list of bad qualities that could stretch a mile long, I don’t think being a cheater is one of them.
“Taylor!” a feminine voice calls, and my attention flies to the woman on the other side of Ethan, the one not only waving me over but doing so with a giant smile on her face, a smile that looks eerily familiar. His sister. Isla. I blink fast, trying to reconcile how it’s possible that she could look so much like her brother and yet completely feminine at the same time. I realize they share the same eyes and the same mouth, but her chin is heart-shaped and demure. Her hair—the same rich brown as his—is shoulder-length and curled. She’s closer to my height than his and must have soaked up all the positive energy in their house growing up, because while her brother is a stormy raincloud, she’s a ray of sunshine.
“I knew it was you the second I saw you,” she says, coming forward and wrapping me up in a tight hug as if we’re the closest of friends.
I freeze with my hands at my sides, completely taken aback, but if my nonresponse offends her, she doesn’t let on. She steps back and her smile is still there, possibly even wider than before.
“You’re even prettier than I imagined,” she says, her voice so low no one else can hear. “No wonder he’s been so angry lately.”
I frown, trying to decipher what she means, but I don’t get the chance.
The others are closing in now, demanding introductions. Now that Isla’s given her stamp of approval, they’re all eager to meet me. Well, other than the black-haired woman and Ethan. They hang back, and yes, her hand is still on his arm.
Is she incapable of standing upright without holding on to him for support?
Isla tugs me close to her as she starts the introductions.
“Guys, this is Taylor. Taylor, this is Tanner,” she says, pointing to the guy closest to my left. He’s handsome with shaggy honey-brown hair that barely touches the collar of his black shirt. He reaches out to shake my hand and his grip tightens as our eyes lock. The edge of his mouth curves into a seductive smile.
“Tanner works in the art department with me at the agency,” Isla continues. “You should see his stuff—he’s crazy talented.”
I swear he blushes as he steps back and lets go of my hand.
“She’s exaggerating,” Tanner insists before Isla waves her hand toward a couple standing beside him.
“This is Brody and Liv.”
Brody has tattoos running the length of his arms and a buzz cut. Liv is tall and delicate with a loose braid and yellow cotton dress. She looks like a librarian and he looks like the bad boy who skips class to go check out the librarian.
“They’re married and boring,” Isla continues. Brody protests and she laughs. “I’m kidding. Just don’t expect them to stay awake past ten o’clock.”
Beside them she points to another couple she introduces as Jace and Alice. Jace stands beside Alice with his arm wrapped around her shoulders. In fact, they’re squashed so close together, you couldn’t slip a piece of paper between them if you tried. Not only that, they almost look alike. Either they’ve coordinated on purpose or it’s a subconscious thing, but they’re both wearing thick black-framed glasses and worn Converse.
“As you can see, they’re in that annoying new phase of a relationship,” Tanner quips. “It’s like if they stop touching, the other person might die.”
Alice shoots him a sarcastic glare. Jace just flips him off.
I smile at how comfortable they all are with each other. They poke fun, but it feels like it comes from a place of love.
“And that’s Camille. She and Liv work at the same law firm,” Isla explains as she waves to the woman near Ethan.