Page 3 of Sugar

“What’s going on?” I pushed when it became obvious there was more.

“Mom and John are getting married.”

I bit back my squeal because it wasn’t the time for my excitement.

“You said you thought he was gonna ask,” I reminded her.

“I know.”

“Are you… I mean, your parents… It’s been?—”

“No!” she shouted before lowering her voice. “You know I’ve never been one of those kids who wants their parents back together. Never, ever,ever. I was happy when they split. And I love John. I think… I think I’m going to call him Dad.”

My heart swelled for my bestie. “Then what’s the problem?”

“He’s, like, mega-rich.”

This we knew.

John did something in finance with investments or hedges or something. He’d tried telling Wren, who’d then relayed it to Greer and me. But like all games of telephone, a lot got lost in the process. We might not have understood what his job was, but the gist was clear enough.

The dude was loaded.

“Okay, and?” Greer prodded.

“And now we’re going to move into his stupid giant house.”

I leaned forward, my brows lowering. “I thought you said it was plain and boring.”

Her mom had been dating John for almost a year, and every time we asked about his place, Wren dismissed it. Even when we were invited over, she would change the plans because she said there was nothing to do there.

The wordgiantwas certainly never mentioned.

“It’s… I don’t want to talk about it,” she snapped, putting her head in her hands.

I shook my head. “Too bad. I changed my mind. Iamforcing you to talk. What’s the deal?”

Keeping her gaze down, she sighed. “He lives in a mansion. A legit one.”

She might’ve been keeping that tidbit to herself, but I didn’t get the big deal. It wasn’t like our houses were exactly dilapidated shacks. “This is California. You can’t kick a can without it hitting a mansion. What does that have to do with us?”

“Money changes people. It’s stupid and causes problems.”

A lightbulb went off in my head. “Do you think we’re going to be upset that they have money?”

Wren gave a small, jerky nod.

My jaw dropped.

We’d never really discussed money. We all made the same allowance, so in my mind, it was even. Sometimes, we bought each other food or a movie ticket or whatever. Truth be told, it was usually Greer covering for us because she was way better with money. But we never kept track or considered it a loan. It all equaled out eventually. No biggie.

Or so I’d thought.

Worry tightened my chest. “Are you upset that our parents have more money than your mom?”

Her head shot up, and she shook it. “No way. ButRobertwas.”

Robert… Otherwise known as Wren’s dad.

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