Page 169 of Built to Fall
“You’ve been here before, haven’t you?” Abby asks, still guiding her by the shoulders in a very maternal way.
“Yeah. We came here for Christmas.”
“Perfect, so you already know your way around!”
In the kitchen there’s a huge pink, white, and gold balloon garland, and a lot more over-the-top decorations of the same colors that I don’t take much notice of in the same way Abby and Claire would.
Still, I can admit it looks beautiful and veryAbby.
Claire disappears into the pantry, yelling something about frosting colors. At the same time, I notice Abby move a hand to her back, which makes me pull out one of the dining room tables.
“Why don’t you sit, Abs?” I suggest, and she almost immediately smacks my hand away. Still, she takes the seat.
“Don’t start treating me like an ice sculpture, or else I’ll revoke your baby shower invite,” she warns with a pointed finger. “Pregnancy is only a sympathy card whenIwant it to be.”
I hold up both hands in mock surrender, grinning. “Noted. No touching the sculpture.”
Lina laughs softly, and when I glance at her, she’s watching me with that look she only ever gives when we’re around other people—there’s something impossibly gentle about it. Like it’s just for me.
Abby turns her attention back to the gift baskets Claire left on the table, and I cross the kitchen to Lina. She’s running herfingers over the garland, clearly amused, probably wondering if it was purchased or handmade. It’s definitely the latter—Claire is psychotic about details.
I step in close, dropping my hand to her lower back, my hand grazing where her sweatshirt meets her sweatpants. “So,” I murmur, “are you ready to spend an entire weekend pretending you’re not the favorite?”
She snorts. “They hugged me before you. That has to sting.”
“Cut me deep,” I say, mock-pained, and she gives me a sly smile that tells me she knows she has the upper hand. She always does.
“Evangelina,” Abby calls before pausing. “Can I call you that?” When Lina nods, she continues, “Good. Because I’m actually sort of offended that it’s your name.Evangelina Vandenberg?Are you kidding? It’s perfect. But now I can’t use it because you exist and you’re perfect and charming and would totally outshine my daughter.”
“Evangelina Vandenberg is good. You should use it,” Lina tells her, sounding honest. “Having a baby named after me would beawesome.”
It makes me cringe. Evangelina Everhart is the only Evangelina I want in my life. When there is an Evangelina Vanderberg, it will beher.
“I can’t! That’s your name.”
“No, it’s not. Vandenberg’s not my last name.”
“Maybe notnow…” Claire muses suggestively as she emerges from the pantry.
A wary look passes Lina’s face. She doesn’t look necessarily uncomfortable—she rarely does—just a bit caught off guard. It’s to be expected when your boyfriend of a month’s sisters begin suggesting marriage.
“Woah,” I say, before Lina can say anything, giving her side a light squeeze. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,ladies.”
“I’m not saying I’m scared,” she murmurs under her breath, just for me. “But I might need a drink before this baby shower even starts.”
“You and me both.”
Lina’s fingers sneak into the hem of my sweatshirt, her nails grazing just enough to send a chill up my spine. I glance down at her, but she’s pretending not to notice the effect she has on me.
I lean down close to her ear, whispering gravely, “Stop trying to get my cock hard when people are around.”
All she does is giggle under her breath because she knows exactly what she’s doing.
Showing Lina how good sex could actually be has turned her into a menace. She loves riling me when there’s nothing I can do about it, except recount as many documentary facts as I can in my head to stop myself from getting a raging hard-on.
But even then, my chest warms—and despite how she drives me crazy—it fills me with pride knowing she’s finding confidence in the one thing that made her feel small.
Out the dining room’s picture window, the sun is starting to set. It’s the only indicator I’ve had of what time it is since we got on the plane. I’ve been too distracted to check.
