Page 120 of Well That Happened

“Uh-huh. That ‘stuff’ sounds interesting.”

I laugh, trying to sound casual.Breathe, Rilee. “Just the usual.”

If the usual involves two of his teammates making me sore for the past two days.

“Alright, I’ll let it go—for now. Can’t wait to catch up in person.”

“Me neither. When are you coming?”

“Next weekend,” he says.

Nextweekend?

“That’s okay with you, right?” he says, doubt creeping in.

“Of course,” I stammer. “I’m just still, you know, homeless and staying with the guys.”

He makes an unconcerned sound. “No worries, the number of times I’ve crashed on their couch, I’ll be right at home there. They’re treating you alright?”

My brain scrambles as visions flash before my eyes. Caleb’s close inspection of me post-sex. Grayson’s appraising frown. Hunter’s tortured look.

“Yep!” I squeak.

Fletcher chuckles. “Good. Because if I found out they touched one hair on your head, I’d fucking end them.”

My stomach bottoms out.

“Riles? Still there?” he asks at my sudden silence.

“Yeah. Sorry.” My hands shake, and I set down the knife, abandoning a snack I’m no longer interested in eating.

“It’s okay. Look, I’ve gotta go. But I’ll see you next weekend, okay?”

We exchange goodbyes, and I hang up, already internally panicking about having my brother here.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Caleb

Rilee’s been… off.

Not like “someone pissed in her coffee” off. More like “ghost of her former self” off.

She’s curled into the corner of the couch, blanket up to her chin, hoodie three sizes too big—I think it’s Gray’s—and a mostly full mug of hot chocolate cooling on the end table beside her. She’s watchingGilmore Girlswithout snark. Without commentary. Withoutquoting Dean’s dialogue to make fun of it.

I lean over the back of the couch and stroke her hair. “You okay?”

She doesn’t even glance up. “I’m fine.”

“That’s the universal signal for ‘absolutely not fine.’ What’s going on?”

She shifts. “It’s just… shark week.”

I blink. “Are you… surfing?”

Grayson—silent and brooding from the armchair—raises one eyebrow.

Rilee groans. “The red wedding.”

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