Page 126 of Playbook
“Probably better this way. You might have tossed her out before I had a chance to talk to her.”
“If she’s as hot as Tripp says, I doubt it.”
I stop and glare at him.
“He doesn’t know she’s your sister, but I put it together. The hot redhead from the bar you were talking to…”He trails off.“He texted me last night because he was worried you were fucking around on London.”
“What the fuck?”
“I told him you weren’t.”
“You weren’t even there.”
“I don’t need to have been there. I know you,”he says firmly.
I relax, thankful the rest of the team doesn’t know who Sabrina is yet. And then I remember he just called her hot. Twice.“That’s my sister you’re talking about.”
He chuckles. “Maybe.”
Later that night, I swing by London’s apartment to pick her up for dinner with her parents. I gave myself a pep talk on the way over. I spent the day spiraling and wondering what the fuck I should do.
“Hi.” Her smile is bright, and she searches my face with a hint of worry in her eyes. “How are you?”
“Good.” I let my gaze fall over her. She’s wearing a short black dress. It’s simple, but hugs her curves, and she has on red lipstick that makes the green in her eyes stand out. “You look great.”
“Thanks. You too.”
“Sleeves down?” I ask, smiling a little as I think about the first time we went out with her family. God, that feels like a million years ago, but also like no time has passed since I met her.
“Your choice. They’ve all seen your forearms, unfortunately.”
Chuckling, I put the truck in drive and pull away from the curb. I turn the radio up a notch. My shirt feels tight around my neck as London continues to glance over from her seat.
“How did things go with Sabrina?”
Her name alone has my anxiety climbing. “Fine. I don’t really want to talk about it. If that’s okay?”
“Of course,” she says, smiling, but I can see the underlying concern in her expression. “We don’t have to go tonight if you don’t feel up to it.”
“Nah, I’m good.” I force my smile to inch higher.
We drive to the restaurant with our fingers intertwined and the radio loud enough to drown out some of my thoughts.
The day has been weird and I’m not feeling like myself, but I can do this for her. I’d do anything for her. The realization doesn’t freak me out like I always thought it would.
Her parents are already seated in the back with her sister and Ben. London groans when she spots them.
“Why are they always here?”
I look closer to the subject of her frustration. Chris and Gretchen. A few other members of the wedding party are here too, so it isn’t that odd, but I wrap my arm around the back of her waist and drop a kiss to her forehead. “Ignore him.”
We’re seated and food is brought out not long after. I find myself in a daze more often than not. It’s hard to follow the conversation around me, and London keeps glancing at me like she’s checking in.
I take a long drink of water, wishing it was something stronger.
The conversation has turned to work and I perk up when London’s parents ask how things are going at Channel 3.
“It’s fine,” she says, looking down at where her fingers rest on the bottom of a water glass. “I’ve actually been thinking about moving to part-time or maybe seeing if they’d let me freelance.”
