27. Sloan
SLOAN
Why in the hell did I agree to come out?
Besides the fact that she had no idea who the hell Anna was and that Kyle was acting like a weird robot version of himself, Sloan really could have used a smidge more time to mentally prepare before seeing both Liddy and Elle tonight.
Or actually put two seconds of effort into her appearance.
Once upon a decade ago, Elle and Liddy had been like big sisters to her.
The Winnicks were all really close anyway, but they’d welcomed Sloan into their family like she was one of them.
They’d cried at Mom’s funeral with her, swapped funny videos over texts, and caught Kyle and Sloan in more than one compromising situation.
She swallowed hard.
She sidled up to Jeremy, of all people, as they started toward the bar. “Can I hide behind you?” she whispered. At least he was being relatively normal in this incredibly weird situation.
He arched a grin at her, matching her slower pace enough that they were a few paces behind Kyle and Anna. “I take it you haven’t hung out with Liddy and Elle recently,” he said in a low voice.
“I literally just moved back a week ago,” Sloan confessed.
Jeremy had always been a nice guy. A practical jokester who spent far more time in detention than anyone else she knew, but not because he was a bad guy. He was funny. And easygoing.
And right now, she hoped that enough of their shared background would let him throw her a lifeline.
“So, you haven’t seen them since Kyle got arrested because of you?”
She winced. “Can we please not bring that up?”
Jeremy shrugged. “I mean, sure, but people who don’t know”—he nodded toward Anna—“are just one google search away from finding out all about that episode.”
“Still rather it not be tonight.” She gave him a pained, pleading look.
“Noted.”
They slowed as they approached Liddy and Elle, who were already hugging Kyle, who introduced them to Anna. Her heart pitched forward at a rapid pace as Elle flicked a glance toward her.
Then, to her credit, Elle smiled warmly. “Sloan.” Elle took a few steps toward her, waddling slightly due to her clearly late-stage pregnancy. “It’s been so long.”
Oh crap. Do I hug her? Shake hands?
Sloan’s hand tightened on her bag strap. “Hey,” she managed in a voice that didn’t sound natural. “It’s so good to see you again.”
“I didn’t know you were coming,” Liddy said, stepping beside Sloan to greet her.
Is that a good or a bad thing? Still, Liddy didn’t say it in a negative way, and Sloan tried to push through her discomfort.
“Uh . . . neither did I.” Sloan gave a half-hearted laugh. “I was just getting back home after a job interview and ran into Kyle on the way out.”
“I wasn’t planning on coming out tonight either.” Elle smoothed her hand over her stomach. “But Liddy’s heading back to London tomorrow morning, and I couldn’t resist the urge to hang out with both my siblings.”
“You live in London?” Sloan asked Liddy, falling into step with her as they headed into the bar. That was something she could talk about. A connection point. She’d spent plenty of time in London over the last handful of years.
“Yeah, my husband, Callum, is from there.” From the warm sparkle in Liddy’s eyes when she said his name, Sloan could tell right away how happy Liddy was with him, too.
“Yeah, yeah. Mine is from England, too, and we don’t want to live there.” Elle rolled her eyes, her tone salty.
Sloan gave Elle a surprised look. “Your husband is from England, too?”
“Yeah, they’re childhood friends, actually,” Elle said with a shake of her head. Then she reached over and poked Kyle in the ribs as they headed to the high-tops in the bar. “Clearly, Kyle has done a great job of telling you all about us.”
“Oh, Kyle’s communication skills are shining brightly tonight,” Jeremy said with a hearty chuckle.
Kyle kept his gaze studiously forward, as though his life depended on picking the right place to sit.
Which, honestly, it might. Why is he acting so weird? He must have some history with Anna. That had to be it. Anna had not-so-subtly hinted at that in the car, anyway.
She couldn’t quite gauge what was going on, but Sloan recognized catty drama a mile away, and she was so not here for it.
Last night he’d been practically flirting with her on the couch, and now he was hanging out with Jeremy—who seemed intent on being a shit-stirrer, not surprisingly—and Anna, who didn’t appear to understand what personal space meant. Or, at least, not with Kyle.
So . . . what, then? Was he casually dating this girl?
Or had they dated?
Kyle veered toward a table in the corner of the bar that was big enough to fit all of them.
Sloan slowed slightly, letting the others funnel ahead of her.
Anna didn’t hesitate, following right behind Kyle.
She slid onto one of the tall stools and angled her body toward Kyle like it was the most natural thing in the world, her knee brushing his as she sat beside him.
Not subtle.
Not even a little.
Sloan’s grip tightened on her bag.
Don’t be weird. Except it was weird, and she sort of hated herself for getting riled so easily.
But the truth was, the vast majority of the time she’d spent with Kyle, especially around other women, he had been hers.
And they were friends now, so maybe she had to get used to the concept that Kyle was single and no one owed her the respect of hiding their attraction toward him.
Jeremy grabbed the stool across from Kyle’s, effectively boxing him in. Not that Sloan had been angling to take that chair. That might be even weirder.
“Pregnant lady gets a real chair,” Elle announced, already claiming one of the two stools with normal backs at the end of the high-top. She eased herself down with a soft exhale, then patted the chair beside her. “Sloan, sit. Save yourself before you end up climbing one of those stools in heels.”
Sloan blinked, then gave her a grateful smile. “Thank you.”
She slipped into the seat beside Elle, hanging her bag carefully on the back of the chair.
Across the table, Kyle’s gaze flicked to her—quick, as if checking on her—and then away again.
Her stomach dipped.
A server appeared, handing out menus, and the brief distraction gave Sloan a second to breathe.
“First three rounds are on me.” Jeremy glanced toward the bar. “I’ve been trying to get Kyle out for weeks now. Getting all three Winnicks feels like an accomplishment.”
“You say that now,” Liddy said lightly, sliding onto the stool beside him. “We’ll see how committed you are after round two.”
“Deeply committed,” Jeremy shot back. “It’s a personality trait.”
Kyle leaned back in his chair. “Just ask the betta fish he forgot existed on his windowsill.”
Jeremy scowled. “Cheap shot. It wasn’t my fault I didn’t know it didn’t get its food from the plant in there with it?”
“Yes. Yes, it is,” Kyle said with a firm nod.
Anna laughed, her hand landing on Kyle’s arm again like she’d been doing it for years. He didn’t shift away.
Sloan studied her menu. I didn’t think he was dating. At least, he hadn’t said anything when the whole conversation about Tara had come up.
Then again, they’d talked around a lot of important things but had skipped getting into details that maybe needed to be fleshed out.
“What are you drinking?” Anna leaned in slightly toward him, reading off his drink menu.
Beer. He’s a beer guy.
That answer came almost reflexively, though Sloan could be completely wrong. She hadn’t spent enough time with him recently to really know, though that’s all she’d seen him drink when he had drunk anything around her.
“Beer,” Kyle said.
Sloan bit back a smile.
“Oh, which one?” Anna leaned closer still.
Okay, lady, well, you don’t have to drape yourself on him.
He shrugged. “Whatever’s on tap.”
“They have a really great smoked old-fashioned here.” Anna tapped on the menu. “You should try it. That’s what I’m having.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Kyle said with a noncommittal shrug.
Anna glanced across the table. “What about you, Sloan?”
Sloan set the menu down. She had planned on ordering something with gin, which was her favorite, but Anna’s question rankled her. “A beer,” Sloan said casually.
Elle’s gaze flicked between them, taking notes in an older-sister way that Sloan recognized so well.
“So, Sloan,” Liddy said, drawing her attention back. “Kyle mentioned you were out job hunting on Friday when I was helping him move in.”
“Yeah.” Sloan could have kissed her for the question, thankful for the shift. “I found one, actually. At a paint n’ sip place. It’s not anything huge, but—”
“It’s phenomenal,” Liddy said warmly. “That’s exciting.”
“It is,” Sloan admitted, a small smile tugging at her mouth.
“You’ve always been ridiculously talented,” Elle added, reaching for her water. “I’m not surprised.”
Heat crept up Sloan’s neck. “Thanks.”
Across the table, Kyle’s head tilted slightly, like he was listening without looking.
She hated this. Not just because she was uncomfortable and didn’t love talking about herself, but because the one person she wanted to be talking to was in the corner with Anna, who appeared to be having a private conversation. She laughed again, her leg pressing more firmly against Kyle’s.
Sloan’s fingers tightened slightly around the edge of her menu.
Stop.
She forced herself to look back at Elle. “How far along are you?”
“Thirty-six weeks.” Elle rested a hand over her stomach. “Which means I’m at the point where I’m here solely for the company and the gossip, because I can’t drink and all food gives me heartburn. I’m this close to begging my doctor for a firm eviction date.”
“Don’t do it before Callum and I have our flight booked.” Liddy frowned at her. “I’d like to be here on time for this one.”
“Lids, I love you, but I’m not waiting for anyone when it’s go time. Not even Quinn.”
“You’ll be regretting that when I gift your infant son his own drum kit at age two.”
“Oh, I support that sort of devious behavior,” Jeremy piped up. “Just let me know where I can chip in and help. I think my old tuba from high school is still in my parents’ attic.”