Page 58 of Dearly Unbeloved
“Yeah, I moved out here a couple of years ago,” Hallie replies, and she seems relieved by the change of subject. I don’t notice I’m toying with the ring of my collar until her gaze pauses on it and her eyebrows lift a fraction. I suppose it’s not surprising that she’d recognize it for what it is, considering where we are.
“Congratulations, by the way. I saw online that you got married a little while ago.”
We both say thanks, as Hallie’s phone chimes. She pulls it out of her pocket and sighs. “Shit, I have to run. It was nice to see you, though. Um…” She hesitates. “Would you mind not telling Maggie that you ran into me?”
“Of course,” Rose says, but she’s frowning. “It was good to see you, Hal.”
Hallie looks like she wants to say more, but she just turns around and leaves the store.
I blow out a breath. “That was…”Awkward, uncomfortable, painful.
“Yeah,” Rose agrees, before I can finish my sentence. “Ihad no idea she was living here. And I don’t think Maggie knows, either.”
“Were you two friends growing up? You’re close in age, right?”
“She’s a couple of years younger than me. And we weren’t really friends, no. My mom didn’t like me hanging around Maggie’s siblings, but Hallie was like Maggie’s shadow when she was younger, so I saw her more than their brother and sister,” Rose answers, toying with the ring on her finger.
“It’s sad to think they were so close, and now she doesn’t even want Maggie to know we ran into her. I can’t imagine not speaking to Kyo.” I say it without thinking and immediately regret it when something like regret flashes on Rose’s face.
“It’s good that you two have each other,” she says, and, for a moment, I miss the pissed off, snarky responses she used to give me.
“Honey, I?—”
“It’s why I could never go no contact with my parents. Even if I wanted to. I don’t want to lose Xan and Jazz. We’re not half as close as Maggie and Hallie were, and look at them.”
She says it all in one breath, like she just needs to get the words out. I’m so taken aback by her opening up that it takes me a second to respond.
“I don’t think Xan and Jazz?—”
“You said you were thinking of something specific,” she interrupts, clearly done with the conversation. Rose steps away, her walls shooting back up.
I’m working on the couch outside Cal’s office, my feet tucked under me, enjoying the quiet, when Jazz drops down beside me. She groans, rolling her neck.
“You okay?”
“Hmm? Oh, yeah. I’m fine, just haven’t been sleeping great lately. Did you speak to Erik Petterson’s assistant about the signatures we need?” she asks, peering at a to-do list on the tablet in her hand.
“I called this morning. Mr. Petterson is out of the country, but he’ll be back tomorrow, and she’ll have the documents sent over,” I answer, and Jazz nods, scribbling outPettersonfrom the middle of her list.
“Thanks.” She looks up and narrows her eyes. “I love your necklace. Is it new?”
My fingers immediately fly to my throat, brushing the tiny thorns on the gold rose stems. “Rose gave it to me a little while ago.”
Jazz leans in to look closer. “It’s really pretty. Do you know where she got it? Maggie would love something in that style.”
“What would Maggie love?” Cal asks, peeking his head around his office door. I swear he’s like a meerkat, popping up whenever he hears her name.
“Sierra’s necklace,” Jazz says as he joins us, sitting in the armchair beside the couch. “I was thinking about something similar for Maggie’s Christmas.”
Cal runs his gaze over my necklace and lifts a brow. Ofcourse he recognizes it for what it is. He and Maggie are regulars at a literal sex club. “I don’t think so.”
“You don’t like it? I’d get Maggie a silver one, obviously,” Jazz says.
He rubs his forehead. “It’s lovely. It’s just… Christ. It’s a collar, Jazz.”
Jazz turns to stare at the necklace and balks. “Oh. Shit.”
Wonderful. Now that Jazz knows, the whole family will know what it is by Thanksgiving.
