Page 53 of Between Now and Always

“Oh my God. You came,” she shrieks and runs toward me.

“From the looks of it, you just did, too,” Jack’s dry drawl from behind me surprises me and I jump and turn to see him leaning at the kitchen counter, his expression as dry as his voice, his smile as shallow and fleeting as I remember from the night I met him in Winsome.

I turn back just as Nadia reaches me and throws her arms around me.

“This is going to be epic,” she says and then extends a hand behind her without turning mourned. “Ry, come let me introduce you.” She wiggles her fingers at her man and he smiles gamely and starts toward us.

“You might want to find a mirror, Ryan,” Jack’s bored drawl has Ryan stopping and looking the mirror as he passes. He expression widens in horror as he sees what he looks like. We all laugh while he runs a frantic, smoothing hand over his hair and wipes furiously at the lipstick on his chin.

“Your sister is wild. I can’t take her anywhere. I did my rounds with lipstick on my collar every single day last week,” he says without a hint of complaint and then comes to stand next to Nadia, smiling like the cat who got the cream as he slips a hand around her waist and pulls her into him.

Nadia flushes with delight and snuggles into him. “You should stop being so hot and then I could maybe keep my hands off you.”

Ryan looks at me and Joe, his expression apologetic. “I’m sorry, I’m not making a good first impression. I promise I’m not a nympho who goes around mauling my girlfriend in public. You can trust me. I’m a doctor,” he says jokingly and we all laugh again.

“I’m Joe. I’m a retired florist, and you can trust me, too.”

“I’m Beth, I’m … an artist,” I say testing out my new title.

“Oh, don’t leave out the most important part,” Jack drawls lazily.

His tone is benign enough, but there’s something in the way his eyes move between Carter and me makes my blood run cold.

“What else is there?” Carter asks his voice several degrees frostier than it had been a minute ago. His sage green eyes, which were warm a few minutes ago are now dark with warning.

“That she’s your sister, of course,” Jack says.

My stomach drops to my toes and my eyes follow its trajectory. I pray for the world to open itself and swallow me whole.

“What’d he say?” Joe asks.

I close my eyes, and am mortified when hot tears spill out.

“Jack, shut up. I mean it,” Penn snaps. And I can’t bring myself to look at anyone.

“Why? Is it a secret? I don’t understand,” Jack asks, his eyes wide and bemused as he looks around at the expressions that range from discomfort to gob smacked confusion.

If his innocence is feigned, then he’s a really good actor.

“You’re an asshole,” Porsha says, her voice low and dripping with anger.

I put an hand on her arm, as visions of flying pumpkins candle holders flash in my mind.

He whips his head to the left and peers at her. “Sorry, who are you?”

“Not a fan any longer. That’s for sure,” she says tightly.

Nadia lets out a low whistle.

“Wow, that’s a record Jack. People usually need at least ten minutes before they realize you’re only nice on tv,” Nadia snaps at him.

“I’m sorry, is anyone going to explain what he means?” Joe asks his voice louder than it needs to be and a queasy heaviness makes my stomach feel like it’s in free fall.

“There’s nothing to explain. Jack is an asshole,” Carter says, his voice dripping with hurt, I look over at him and his jaw clenched and a muscle in his cheek jumps. His arms are crossed and he’s glaring at his brother.

But I can’t brush this under the carpet and if we’re going to stay, I need to explain.

“Joe?” I walk over to where he’s standing and reach out a hand for his.

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