Page 51 of The Mirage Guild

“It doesn’t really make sense for a single woman to buy a place meant for a family,” I said, knocking back the rest of my drink.

“Well, it would make a great spot for a family one day,” Natalia said.

“Come on, Nat, you and I both know the odds of that ever happening, I don’t really make the best choices when it comes to the men in my life, now, do I?” I said.

Natalia’s eyes widened at my admission.

Shit, Max was right here. He must know I don’t mean him. Even though I kind of do. We both knew we were just keeping each other company until we both found someone better suited for us.

I dared a glance his way and immediately regretted it.

Not just for the look of confusion on his face but because Dom was looking his way too. In a way, that told me he was apologizing for my behavior. That meant Dom did know something was going on between us. Realizing that Dom might know about us felt like being doused with cold water.

My initial embarrassment about the situation with Max morphed into a deeper discomfort, knowing my brother might be privy to my personal life in ways I hadn’t intended. The thought of Dom judging me for engaging with someone younger, especially someone as close to him as Max, knotted my stomach. It wasn’t just the age difference that made me uneasy. It was the fear of being seen as irresponsible or flippant in my brother’s eyes, someone whose opinion I valued deeply. The potential for his disappointment added a layer of anxiety to an already complex mix of emotions.

“Well, I personally think that women can make whatever investment they choose to make with or without the excuse or desire of a family,” Emma said, saving me from the awkward silence that filled the air.

“Yeah, maybe,” I said.

The rest of the group went around answering the question for themselves. Even as my ears buzzed with embarrassment. My brain picked up on tiny details as they spoke. Jessie had always dreamed of going to the Himalayan salt caves for a retreat, and Liam mentioned something about rescuing a specific kind of dog.

Sitting there, my mind whirled with conflicting emotions, the words I’d uttered hanging heavy in the air. Max’s posture had stiffened slightly. Was he hurt by my words? Disappointed? Or was I reading too much into it? I shifted my focus back to the group, trying to engage in the conversation and laugh at the right moments. But my laughter felt hollow, my smile forced. I couldn’t shake off the sense that I’d inadvertently created a rift, however slight, between Max and me.

Finally, I stood and gathered up a couple of empty glasses to take to the bar. I dumped the ice down the sink and pushed the glasses on the water spigot to rinse them before turning to load them in the dishwasher. Dom’s body blocked me from opening the stainless steel door.

“I’m going to cut some of the awkwardness that I’m sure you’re feeling,” he said.

“Gee, thanks, bro,” I said.

“I know that you and Max have been hooking up,” he said, not making eye contact with me. “And that’s whatever, but I wanted you to know that I knew so you would stop being all weird about it. And maybe you could actually give it a real chance since I don’t have a problem with it.”

My face was warm. I didn’t know, and didn’t need to know, how Dominic had found out about Max and me. But did his knowing help make my feelings about Max any clearer?

“It’s not just that, Dom, he’s . . .” I glanced over at the group, who were all huddled over Jessie’s phone as she showed them the inside of the caves she wanted to visit. “He’s younger.”

Dom’s eyebrows scrunched in a scowl. “Oh, I was waiting for you to say more.”

I rolled my eyes and scoffed. “That’s plenty of a reason, you know. If he were dating someone seven years younger than him, it would be no problem, but for me?”

“Listen, I’m not going to pretend to understand the ins and outs of how age gaps are different for men and women,” he said. “I’m going to trust that you’re the expert on that, but if that’s the one thing holding this up, I think that’s a pretty weak argument.”

“There’s a lot to it, Dom,” I said.

“Have you actually shared about these concerns with Max?” Dom asked. “You know, talked about them?”

I fixed my eyes on Dom.

“Thought so,” he said, shaking his head. “You always do this, Iz, you make assumptions about what everyone else is thinking and feeling so you can make the choice for them. That’s not fair. Talk to him.”

“When did you become so introspective?” I grumbled.

Dom grinned back at me, shrugged, and headed back out to the lounge. If Dom was bringing this up, that meant he actually didn’t have a problem with us dating or whatever we were doing.

Wasn’t that the hangup I’d been dreading? And now, if that’s not a problem . . .

I shook my head to clear my thoughts. Dom was right. All of this should be a conversation with Max. But having an intentional conversation about whatever was going on was admitting that there was more to the hookup.

That maybe I did want more.

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