36. Jules #3
Vin looks at me in question, frowning slightly. Nodding, she says, “I need to pee, and order a new round of drinks.”
“I’ll come with,” I say.
I slide out of the booth, adjusting my dress. It’s sage green, with a built in beaded corset and faux feathers along the hem to give it a flapper style effect.
I lead her towards the restroom, which is miraculously empty. It’s dark and moody, with wood paneling and maroon walls. There’s a settee in the center of the room and I sit down, patting the spot next to me.
“What’s wrong?” Lavinia asks, frowning. “Are you okay?”
“There’s something I have to tell you, but you have to promise you won’t share it with anyone.” I grab her hand, widening my eyes meaningfully. “No one can know.”
“You’re scaring me,” she says.
Sighing, I take my phone out of my clutch and call Drew. We said we’d do it together and just because my guilt is about to eat me alive doesn’t mean I’m not going to involve him. I press the phone to my ear as it rings.
“Miss me already?” Drew answers on the third ring. I roll my eyes even as I blush.
“I’m going to do it,” I say.
“What, now?” Drew asks in surprise.
At the same time, Lavinia says, “Oh my god, you’re dating. You’re dating my brother.”
She makes a face. “You’re dating my brother?”
The last part she says like she’s asking if I’m sure I want to date her brother when I can probably do better.
I sigh with the relief of having it out in the open. Putting my phone on speaker, I set it on my lap.
“You’re not mad?” I ask.
“She can’t judge. She got drunk and married a man she barely knew,” Drew says drily.
Lavinia’s cheeks color. “We’ve known Roman since we were kids!”
“Seriously, you’re not mad?” I ask again, concerned.
Breathing out, Lavinia pushes a piece of her hair behind her ear. “I’m not mad. Astounded is more like it. I mean, the two of you don’t even like each other.”
“Living together makes you see a lot of different sides of a person,” I say. “It’s very new, we haven’t even been on a date.”
“We wanted you to know, no matter what happens,” Drew says.
“If we do break up, the death threats we gave each other will make a lot more sense,” I say wryly.
Lavinia looks at me and I see the questions in her eyes, questions she can’t ask with Drew on the phone.
“Drew, I’ll call you back,” I say.
“Sure. Vin, talk to us before you jump to any conclusions, okay?” Drew says.
Lavinia nods. “Sure.”
I hang up and we sit in silence for a long minute. My hand still rests over hers and I wonder if she’s going to tell me to end the relationship. She knows everything about me. Maybe she thinks it’s better if me and my trauma find someone else?
“Are you okay?” Lavinia asks. “After what happened… Does Drew know? Do you feel safe?”
Tears gather in my eyes instantly. “Wait, you don’t think Drew and I should end things because he’ll be affected by my trauma?”
Lavinia looks stricken. “No! I’m worried about you!”
My tears fall and then she’s also crying because I’m crying. I reach for her, hugging her tightly. Befriending her was the single best decision of my life.
“I want you to be safe,” she says. “I know Drew and he’ll never hurt you, but you need to know that as well.”
I pull back to look at her through teary eyes. “He’s been very patient.”
“Have you told him?” Lavinia asks quietly.
I shake my head. “Not yet. I know I need to, but I just told him about my parents. I don’t want to add that to the mix. Although, it’s probably better I tell him now before things get serious. That way, if he wants to dump me, it won’t hurt as much.”
Lavinia laughs quietly. “He’s not going to dump you, trust me. I know my brother, and he’s smart enough to recognize the best thing that’s ever happened to him.” She claps excitedly, her smile wide. “We’re going to be sisters!”
My stomach swoops nervously even as I giggle, hugging her again. I would love nothing more than to make the Callahan’s my family, but that’s a long way from now. I’m not getting my hopes up only for them to crash down.
“You have to promise not to tell anyone,” I say. “Especially the family. Knowing Aunt Constance, she’ll start planning the wedding and I don’t want that kind of pressure on us before we’ve even had the chance to properly figure things out.”
Lavinia nods. “I promise not to tell the family. Should we tell the girls, though?”
“Yeah, let’s do it.”
Now that Lavinia knows, and her reaction was the one I was most worried about, I don’t mind telling Sage and Elena.
We stop on our way to order a round of drinks for the table before making our way back.
“Drew and I are dating,” I announce, as soon as we sit down.
Sage pauses mid sip, her eyes wide in shock, as Elena hoots with laughter.
“I knew it! I was hoping for Sage and Ford tea, but this is even better,” Elena says.
“There is no tea,” Sage protests.
We all side-eye her because we’ve all seen the way the Titans defenseman looks at her and the way she avoids him.
“You’re all sworn to secrecy,” I say. “No one can know.”
Holding my hand out, I extend my pinkie finger. The three of them hook theirs around mine. Now they’re sworn to secrecy.