19. Vivienne
Vivienne
“Bash and I aren’t having sex.”
I choke on my water. After setting my glass down, I dab at my lips with my napkin. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting that.”
Briar and I are at Bellamy & Co. for brunch. I invited her after our dinner last night, because if she’s going to be a part of this world, she needs a friend. We’re seated near the wall of stained-glass windows, which throw diamonds of color across our table.
Briar breaks off a piece of her croissant and smirks. “Let me guess. You thought he’d shag me, then drop me, right?”
I poke at the remains of my truffle omelet. “It’s kind of his MO, yeah.”
“I gathered as much the second I met him,” she says, brushing crumbs from her lap. “I told myself nothing would happen, but I didn’t expect to fall for him.”
Setting my fork down, I stare at her. “You’re in love with him?”
“I know it’s too fast, but I’ve never felt this way before. I always thought—” Her voice breaks, and she swipes at her eyes, but she makes no move to finish her sentence.
“Hey,” I say, reaching for her hand. “It’s okay. We’ve all fallen for people we shouldn’t.” I shove the images of Cass out of my mind.
Briar sniffs and nods. “If I tell you something, will you promise to keep it to yourself?”
“Of course,” I say.
She drops her gaze to her plate. “I’m a virgin.”
I blink at her. “Okay . . .”
“I just wanted you to know that it’s not about sex for Bash and me.”
Sitting back in my chair, I try to school my expression, but I’m sure some of my surprise leaks through.
“Does he know that you’re a virgin?” I ask, my face heating.
No matter how many times Marlowe and Sutton talk about sex in front of me, the topic still makes me slightly uncomfortable, probably because I’ve never even come close to having it myself.
She sucks in a deep breath as if she’s afraid I’m about to scold her. “I told him I wanted to take things slow. But no, he doesn’t know that I’ve never . . . you know.” Cheeks turning rosy, she takes a long drink of water.
Sinking my teeth into my bottom lip, I run my thumb over the tines of my fork as I consider what to say.
Talking about my brother’s sex life is dead last on the list of things I want to do, right after be used as shark bait and jump head first into a volcano.
But Briar’s my friend, so I’ll just have to pretend we’re talking about someone else. “I see.”
“You think I should tell him, don’t you?” she asks.
“Tell him, don’t tell him—I don’t think it will make much difference,” I say, folding my napkin. “Bash won’t care.”
Her brow furrows. “Why not?”
“There’s something you should know about my brother. About most men in general, but doubly so when it comes to Bash.” I lean forward and clasp my hands in front of me. “They like the chase.”
She traces a drop of condensation on her glass and looks at me. “That’s it?”
I give her a sheepish smile. “Yeah, sorry.”
Laughter bubbles out of her. “I have a brother. This is not news to me.”
“Cass works for him, right?” I say his name as nonchalantly as possible, but it feels like I’m swallowing a knife.
Briar nods. “Do you know Lux Colombia-Clarke? The socialite?”
“She’s one of my sister’s best friends,” I say. Lux’s wedding was the talk of the season two years ago.
“She married my brother,” Briar says, taking a sip of water.
“You’re kidding.” Somehow I didn’t put the pieces together before now. “Lux is your sister-in-law?”
“Yep, and she’s amazing. Slate pursued her for months. I had to live with him, so I’m all too aware of the lengths men will go to to get what they want.”
“Then you know that Bash isn’t any different.”
The side of her mouth pulls up in a sad smile. “See, I think that’s where you’re wrong. Bash is different. He opens up to me in a way he doesn’t with other people.”
There are so many ways I could pick apart that statement.
I want to show her that she’s wrong, prove to her that Bash says whatever he thinks you want to hear.
That he has the ability to make a woman feel like she’s the most incredible thing in the world, but will drop her the next minute because a shinier toy just hit the shelf.
It’s possible he’s telling her things he hasn’t shared with anyone else, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t simply a means to an end.
“Just be careful, okay?” I say. “My brother doesn't always think before he acts. I don’t think he would intentionally hurt you, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go slowly. He loves nothing more than a challenge. And right now, you’re the biggest challenge in his life.”
She swipes a bit of raspberry coulis off her plate with her finger and sticks it in her mouth. “You think he’ll try to win his way into my pants, then break up with me the second I give it up?”
“He’s not completely heartless, so he’ll drag it out for a little bit, but yeah, pretty much. I’ve seen it happen more than once.” Too many times to count, in fact, but it’s not my business to tell her how many girls he’s been with.
Briar sits back in her chair with a sigh. “But how will he ever change if no one believes he’s capable of more?”
“I’m not sure it’s that simple. Bash has a lot of things he needs to work through on his own before he’ll be able to give someone else what they deserve,” I say with a sad smile. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re great for him.”
“Thanks,” she says quietly, dropping her gaze to her lap.
“A word of advice?” I rest my hand on the table, and she looks back up at me. “I wouldn’t be too quick to give him your virginity, not if it’s important to you.”
“It is important to me,” she says, straightening in her chair. “I’m twenty-two. There have been plenty of offers.” She frowns. “Although I’m not sure how many of them would’ve followed through if my brother caught wind of it.”
A surprised chuckle slips past my lips. “Brothers are the worst.”
She lifts the side of her mouth in a half-smile. “They really are.”
“If it makes you feel any better,” I say, arranging my silverware on my plate, “I’m still a virgin, too.”
She blinks as if she’s waiting for the punchline. “Wait, you’re serious?”
I nod as that familiar crimson flush floods my cheeks. “Unfortunately.” It’s not that I haven’t wanted to have sex before now. It’s that the right person hasn’t wanted to have sex with me.
“But you’re engaged. I just thought—” She stops abruptly as her own face grows red. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed.”
“It’s fine,” I say. “You’re far from the only one.”
Briar shrugs. “That does make me feel a little better. About waiting.”
“Good. There’s nothing wrong with saving yourself for the right person.”
“How do you know if they’re the right one, though?” she asks.
“I think you just have to trust your heart,” I say. “But use caution, because it can steer you wrong sometimes.” Like into the arms of the wrong person.
She reaches across the table and squeezes my fingers. “I’ll be careful, I promise.”
“That’s all you can do.” We both stand and grab our bags. Before heading to the door, I place a hand on her arm. “Thank you for seeing my brother as more than a pretty face and charming smile.”