We come to a stop at the street’s edge and Chloe and Quinn crack up at something again.
“My favorite thing about the series are the familiars. They’re cats!” Quinn tells Chloe, reaching up and brushing her hair back. Lesbian stuff might not be so far off after all.
“No,” Archer groans, rolling his eyes. “Don’t talk about cats.”
“What’s wrong with cats?” Chloe asks, and I chuckle, knowing of Archer’s annoyance with their cats.
“Nothing,” Quinn says harshly, looking at Archer. “They are majestic creatures and I really love them. We have a few.”
“A few?” I raise my eyebrows. “That’s not what I heard.”
“We have seven, you want one?” Archer deadpans, and Quinn pouts. The light changes and I make sure the girls, who might be a little tipsy, cross with us and don’t get lost in the sea of people.
“It’s nice to see them getting along,” Archer says. “I don’t think—wait, we’ve never met a girlfriend before. For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve never used that word. You flat-out refused to.”
I swallow hard. “Because there was only one person I wanted to use that word for.”
“And now you have her.”
“Now I do.”
“You two look happy,” Archer says. “She’s good for you, and if it even matters, which I know it doesn’t, I like her. Your sister won’t shut up about her either. You’d think Rory was the one dating Chloe, actually, by how much I hear about her. I think she’s already planned your wedding, so let’s hope Chloe will go for a gothic Lord of the Rings themed ceremony.”
I laugh. “I think she would, actually.”
“And you?”
“I’d marry her in Vegas tonight if that’s what she wanted.”
“So, I take it you…you haven’t told her yet, have you?”
He doesn’t have to specify to know what he’s talking about. “Not yet. She just got here and…and…fuck. I want the weekend together without ruining everything. Does that make me a selfish asshole?”
“Kind of, but I don’t blame you. Enjoy it, but know the longer you keep this from her, the harder it’s going to be to tell her. And when she finds out you didn’t tell her, she’ll be upset.”
“I don’t like you being so logical and wise. It’s unsettling.”
“It’s about time you start taking my advice, though your advice to fuck her out of my system did work in a way. I didn’t quite get her out of my system, but our one-night stand has turned into years of marriage.”
“And a million kids.”
“Some days it feels like two million. And don’t even get me started on the cats.”
“You have one for each kid.”
“And then some,” Archer grumbles.
“Just have more kids.”
He gives me the side-eye and I laugh.
“Enjoy your weekend,” Archer goes on. “Then tell her.”
“Right. I can’t put off the inevitable. I should just tell her tonight…well, maybe not since she’s been drinking. Or maybe I should open a bottle of wine first. Fuck.”
“It’ll work out,” Archer assures me, though I don’t share his confidence. “It doesn’t change how you feel about her.”
“Right,” I say again. It doesn’t change how I feel about Chloe, and if anything, reminds me just how much I want things to be perfect between us. But it does change our plans, and she just brought up the fact our long-distance relationship is able to work because neither of us are tied down—for the time being. How am I supposed to go visit here in LA or join her on book tours when I’m trying to co-parent a child with a woman I’m not even in love with? “I gotta rip it off like a band-aid,” I go in, speaking mostly to myself. “And just tell Chloe.”
The second the sentence leaves my mouth, Chloe snakes her arms around my waist. I turn, looking at her beautiful face and her innocent smile, which widens when she locks eyes with me.
“Tell me what?”8Chloe“Tell me what?” I ask, arms around Sam’s waist. The air is cool and he’s nice and warm up against me. I might be a little tipsy, and I’m having a fabulous time tonight.
“That Mason is responsible for me finally making a move,” Sam rushes out.
“Huh? Mason…I’m…I’m confused.”
“That night,” Sam starts, angling is body toward mine. “Remember how weird Mason was being.”
“Yeah, he was very handsy.”
“He was?” Sam’s brows push together with anger. “That asshole. I swear to fucking god I’m going to—”
“I’m joking. He was very friendly, but not handsy.”
“He was doing it on purpose to egg me on because he knew I was in love with you.”
“He knew I was in love with you too,” I say slowly. “That’s why you wanted to thank him.”
“Yeah.” Sam puts his arms around me and kisses my forehead. We’re stopped at a street corner, and I rest my head against Sam’s chest, looking out at the city.
“Since Nightfall takes place in a fictional version of Silver Ridge, my characters have on occasion traveled down to Chicago,” I tell Sam. “It’s cool seeing it like this. It’s inspiring too.”