Page 164 of Tell Me Something True

Verity:

Willow: We will most definitely wait for you to get here to start eating!

Eli: Is this the mystery woman from Miles’s past?

Urban: Told you.

Urban: You can Venmo me the money.

Toby: You had insider information.

Urban: Not true.

Willow: So true. Last night we saw Miles dragging a gorgeous blonde through The Cockeyed Chameleon and disappearing down the hallway when he was supposed to be getting us drinks. And when he finally made his way back to our table—alone—he was in a horrible mood.

Urban: He was sulking. Big time.

Miles: I wasn’t sulking.

He’d absolutely been sulking.

And kicking his own ass for letting Tabitha walk away.

Toby: I’ll pay but I’d like to lodge a formal complaint about unfair betting practices.

Willow: Noted.

Miles: You bet on who I’m bringing to dinner?

Urban: Yes.

Toby: Yeah.

Fucking brothers.

But Toby also had insider information from Miles’s visit to him last week. He’d seen, firsthand, how torn up Miles was over Tabitha. How confused. And he’d kept it to himself.

Eli: Is it the same girl? What’s her name? Tanya?

Verity: Tabitha.

Verity: And don’t call her a girl. She’s a grown woman.

She sure as hell was, Miles thought as Tabitha exited the store. Gladly setting the phone aside and taking a break from that clusterfuck of a conversation, he got out of the car and hurried across the parking lot.

“I’ve got it,” he said, taking the plastic bag from her when he reached her.

The surprisingly heavy plastic bag, considering she’d gone in to grab one bottle of wine.

Laying his free hand at her lower back, he ushered her toward the car. Stepped around her and opened her door.

And got such a bright, pleased smile in return, he felt like a fucking hero for doing the bare minimum.

“Thank you,” she said, then got in.

He shut the door and circled around the front of his car. Got back in behind the wheel.

And immediately heard the buzz, buzz, buzz of his family’s never-ending texts.

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