Page 235 of Wild Then Wed
Mom steps back, brushing a crumb off Miller’s shoulder. “How’s Veronica doing?”
Miller snorts. “Oh, peachy. Gambling away what little money she has for drugs and discount wine. So, you know. Standard.”
Mom winces, her smile faltering. “I’m sorry.”
Miller shrugs, like it barely lands. “I’m used to it by now.”
Mom’s eyes shift toward where Joey disappeared. “And Joey…? How’s he doing?”
Miller’s quiet for a second. She glances in his direction. “He seems to be doing okay for now. Good grades. Plays sports. Has friends.” She shrugs again, but it’s gentler this time. “He’s…trying.”
Mom nods. “If he ever needs somewhere to stay…”
Lark pipes up from behind her. “He’s always welcome at my place, too. Hudson would love having another boy his age around.”
Miller gives her a quick hug and nods. “Thanks. He’d always come stay with me if it got too bad, but he’s really doing okay right now. I just…” She trails off, her sharp green eyes flicking toward the door again. “With Veronica, you never know. Everything’s fine until it isn’t.”
I vaguely remember Veronica being Miller’s mom—mentioned a few times in passing when we were teenagers, always in that way where you could tell not to ask. But beyond that, I didn’t know much. I didn’t even know Miller had a brother until today.
Ridge is still watching Miller, but quieter now. Softer. None of his usual charm, no smirk, no exaggerated lean against the wall like he’s trying to make everyone in the room notice him. Just a curiosity. The real kind. Like there’s something he wants to ask—about Veronica, about Joey—but he doesn’t. And Miller doesn’t look at him.
Instead, her gaze flicks to me. Then to Sawyer. Her brows draw together slightly as her eyes land on his arm, wrapped loosely around my shoulders, his thumb resting on the edge of my collarbone.
She blinks. “Wait.” She takes a step closer, narrow-eyed and suspicious. “I thought this was supposed to befake?”
Sawyer kind of chuckles, and I can already feel my cheeks warming.
I clear my throat. “About that…”
Miller taps her foot as she waits impatiently.
“It’s not really fake anymore,” I admit, glancing up at Sawyer, who’s already looking down at me. “Things…changed.”
Chaos erupts around us in hollers and cheers.
Lark lets out an actual squeal, high-pitched and immediate. “Finally!”
Miller smiles like it’s the most delicious drama she’s ever heard and launches toward me at the same time as Sage and Lark. I’m still sitting on the couch when all three of them descend like a pack of affectionate wolves, wrapping me in a flurry of perfume and laughter and hair in my face.
“Oh my God,” Miller says, pulling back just enough to point a finger at Sawyer. “If you hurt her, I swear to God, Iwillmake your life hell. Do you hear me? Wren is one of the few people I actually like around here.”
I laugh, but I’m slightly stunned. She’s always felt like Lark’s friend. I don’t know why it never occurred to me that maybe she was mine, too.
Sawyer lifts both palms. “You don’t have to worry. She’s one of the few people I love, too.”
I don’t look at anyone. I just drop my gaze to my lap and smile like a complete idiot.
“Iknewit,” Miller says, wiggling her eyebrows at me. “It was the slutty bikini, wasn’t it?”
I shoot daggers at her, but it’s half-hearted. “Yeah.Thanksfor that, by the way!”
Miller grins. “Lark’s the one who picked it out.”
Lark gasps and smacks her shoulder. “It was supposed to be ajoke!I didn’t think you’d actually buy it.”
“It was the hottest bikini I’ve ever seen,” Miller shrugs. “I had a moral obligation.”
“That wasnota bikini,” I say, narrowing my eyes. “That was dental floss with a price tag.”
