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A few feet from the kitchen, Peg intercepts me. I prepare to choke out a cough and double down on my water excuse when an arm hooks around my neck and drags me away from her.

“Sorry,” Lincoln calls over his shoulder. Then he rests the side of his head against mine. “Food, Lex. You havegotto get to the food!”

Lex.

Despite his drudging up the nickname, I laugh and push away from him once we’re safe in the kitchen. Ford and Bentley’s baby brother holds his arms out, his wingspan easily the length of my body. When I don’t run into them, he pouts out a lip. I roll my eyes and step into him. He wraps me in a hug. I’ve missed him.

“It’s Bennett, by the way,” I mumble into his flannel shirt. “In case you forgot my name.”

“Nope. Bennett Lexus Reynolds-Ross. I remember it perfectly.” Lincoln steps back and gives me a wink, and I can’t help but smile.

While I dated Bentley, they dropped the A from Alexus, so I fit the car theme. Ford stopped when I asked, but Lincoln and Chevy refused. With or without their brother, they consider me family. How can I be upset by that?

Lincoln zeroes in on the two tables of food and pushes me out of his way. He fills two plates, tossing a few extras on my plate when he runs out of space. I let him clear the way back into the living room. We both bite the top of our cups, carrying them in our mouths to deter anyone from talking to us.

It’s an art, not getting trapped in conversations, and we’ve mastered the craft.

Ford catches up with us at the couch. With the plastic cup still in my teeth and my hands full, we exchange an awkward half-hug. By the time Liam and Keaton show, I’m wedged between the brothers while they pick over my food. She plays barrier to Ford, inserting herself in the inch gap by my leg until he moves to the arm.

“How’s your grandpa?” I ask Liam.

He finishes chewing a sugar cookie he popped into his mouth while passing Aunt Patty. “Should go home the day after tomorrow.” He wipes his hands on his khakis. “He kicked Dane and me out about an hour ago.”

Keaton grabs my wrist and brings my cup to her mouth for a drink. She pulls back fast, making a face. “Cherry vodka, soda, and Jägermeister?”

“What?” Jäger and I have a sordid history. We’ve been on a permanent break, so when I tip the cup and taste bad decisions, I whip around to Lincoln. “I looked away for two seconds, asshole.”

He yuks it up through a proud grin. “Two seconds too long.”

I elbow him and go for a drink that won’t land my head in a toilet. With everyone in the living room, I hang around the kitchen a few minutes before wandering to thesitting room. Peg fills the space with expensive furniture for a more formal area, but I’ve never known her to use it. Leaving the light off, I sit on the ottoman and check my phone.

Dane texted a picture a few minutes ago, feet up on his coffee table, next to an open bottle of wine and two glasses.

Are you trying to lure me to your house?I reply.

He answers right away.

One thousand percent yes. Is it working? Are you here? I’ll open the door.

More than a little tempting. Maybe after Keaton and I exchange gifts later, I’llgo for ice cream. Or tell her I’m going to see Dane and watch her head explode in visions of sugar plums and tandem bike rides.

“You used to hide in here and wait for me to find you.”

I might not have been moving much before, but all of me—outside and inside—stills at the voice, deep and gravelly across the room. Then, it all kicks back on at once, my heart hammering out of control and my head snapping up to the darkest shadow hovering beside the piano.

“Probably not why you’re in here now, huh?” Bentley steps in front of the window. The moonlight streams in silver on the side of his face, and he cocks his head to the side. “Hey, Lex.”

My hands shake, and I stand up fast. “Ford told Keaton you weren’t coming.”

“The exact reason I told Ford I wouldn’t be.”

As he steps forward, I back into the ottoman. I stoop to regain my balance and straighten up. I have nowhere to go. Bentley stops in front of me, the two of us face-to-face for the first time since the last time. When I was screaming and he was shouting.

“Tick-tick, Lex. You gonna hug me or hit me?”

I thought I knew the answer, but with him here, I can’t decide.

Bentley cracks a rare smile. “We’ll go the nonviolent route then.”

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