Page 29 of Brambles and Bellflowers
“Colette,” Damen said, gesturing in my direction, “this is Bianca. We’re not together. I wanted to ask you—”
She barely glanced at me, her attention returning to Damen with swift annoyance. “What does it matter what her name is?” she interrupted, voice slicing through the air.
Even though I knew we weren’t together that way, primarily due to my faults, it still hurt that he was so quick to dismiss it. But another part of Damen’s statement registered before I had time to wallow.
Colette.
I gaped at her, seeing the woman in an entirely new light. Miles’s sister was precisely the opposite of everything I’d imagined. But now that the connection had been established, I could easily place her slight accent and see that the two siblings shared the same nose.
“Look—” She tapped her foot, her words quick and clipped, not allowing Damen to speak. “I told you, it’s over for real this time. I don’t have time to play with you anymore.”
“That’s not why I’m here.” Damen’s cheeks turned pink.
“You…” I gasped at Damen, horrorstruck. “You slept withMiles’s sister?”
“It was a long time ago!” He covered his face with his hands. “This is why I wish you’d stop ignoring my texts.”
“You and I have nothing to say to each other. I’ve told you before that I don’t want you to bring anyone tomyrestaurant. What did you think was going to happen?” But then Colette’s posture faltered, and her gaze washed over me, her expression morphing from indifference to appraisal. “Wait, you know Miles,” she said. “How?”
“This is Bianca,” Damen repeated, lowering his hand to his mouth, not even glancing in my direction.
Colette frowned, moving her fists to her waist. “You said that already,” she replied, tapping her foot. “Am I supposed to know who you are?” she asked me, tilting her head.
Words failed me. First, there was the appalling revelation that Damen had engaged in a sexual relationship with Miles’s sister, then the fact that he was quick to establish that we were not together. Finally, Miles never even mentioned me to his sibling.
My mood was pretty much ruined.
“She’s the Wood Xing,” Damen explained, waving toward me. “She’s married to Bryce.”
“Bryce Dubois?” She raised her eyebrow. “He comes here sometimes. Isn’t he gay?”
“He doesn’t actually have a preference,” Damen replied. “But that doesn’t matter. Thepointis, we’re trying to find Miles.”
“Why are you looking for Miles? Did he do something bad?” Colette asked, eyeing me. “You don’t look like much of a threat. Are you really the Xing? What are you going to do to him? Could you hit him for me? He likes blondes, but you still might be his type. Though maybe not; Miles always collected posters of big-boobed girls. Plus, you’re kind of short. Do you think you’re allowed to be in an official relationship witheach other?” She punctuated this last question with a glare in Damen’s direction. “Or is that breaking your preciousrules?”
She spoke so quickly and jumped from so many different topics that my head spun, and I wasn’t even sure I’d captured them all. I tried to respond, opening my mouth, although I had no idea what I would say.
I was probably still in shock.
“I—”
Someone shouted from the kitchen, and Colette jumped, pulling from the conversation. “I’ll be right back,” she said in arush, stepping away. “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll send someone out to your table. You can stay and eat.”
Where were we supposed to go? I wasn’t even sure what just happened.
“Yeah,” Damen muttered, letting out a long sigh. “I should have warned you. She has that effect on people. I think she has ADHD.”
“You!” I growled at Damen, irritation resurfacing in full force. “Howcouldyou?”
Damen finally looked at me, and he frowned. “I’d have thought you’d look scarier.” There was a note of hesitation in his voice and a slight fear. “We shared some passionate moments in our past lives, and I wondered what it’d be like for us to get into a fight. But this isn’t the same. You’re angry, but you look like a kitten… with your nose scrunched up and that glare. It’s actually cute.”
He was making it worse! “You broke the bro code!”
“What bro…” he began, but his face lit in realization. “Ah, you mean the thing with Colette. No one calls it the ‘bro code.’ ”
“Does Miles know?” I poked his arm. “Please tell me Miles knows and gave his blessing.”
Damen tilted his head, seemingly puzzled. “Why would I ask for Miles’s blessing? What is this, 1750? We’re not living in the medieval ages anymore.”
