Page 72 of Flipping the Script

He smiled knowingly. “We’re family. That’s what family does.”

“I should let you,”—I motioned to the room—“It’s not polite to hog the birthday boy’s attention. But you’ll have to show me your roses later. Patrick said your new hybrid bloomed?”

His eyes lit up. “It did! Come find me before you leave.”

“Will do.”

He patted my arm again. “It’s really good to see you.”

“You too.”

I managed to keep my composure as Jonah headed over to the two men he’d been talking with, but barely.

I hadn’t been prepared to be bitch-slapped with all that today.

Woodenly, I went to the drink station to pour a soda.

I’d spent the last three days waffling between coming to the party and skipping it. I was always invited to any sort of family thing when I was in town, but for the last few years, I’d worried that it was just lip service. That they only invited me to be polite or because of my sister.

I’d been gone for so long, only coming back a few times a year for quick visits. I wasn’t really part of them, not like when I lived in town.

“Hey, Bas,” a voice called.

Shaking off my thoughts, I glanced toward where Jesse and Quinn stood.

“Come settle something for us.” Quinn waved me over.

Jesse’s expression was weirdly blank as he sipped his drink, his eyes following me as I came to stand with them.

I’d also thought about skipping the party to avoid this very situation.

I didn’t know how to act around him. That night at the club had messed with my head. He’d helped me with that guy at the bar and again in the back room. He’d comforted me. Hugged me.

We weren’t those people, but the part that was really fucking with me wasn’t him being nice. It was how much I’d liked it.

His hug had been the only thing that kept me from losing my shit and going into full panic mode. His soft voice and the way he’d taken over had done things to me they had no business doing.

I liked take-charge Jesse, and I found him as hot as arrogant Jesse.

What the actual hell was wrong with me? Why was Jesse, of all people, the only one who made me feel anything? It was true he mostly made me feel rage, frustration, and irritation, but there’d been a few moments over the past few weeks that had shifted things.

Like when he asked me about my favorite venue at the party while I tried to sidestep all the questions I didn’t want to answer. Or when he found me in the woods and helped me get out of my head.

He’d helped me with McKenna, that guy at the bar, the whole photo incident.

He didn’t have to do any of that. I wouldn’t have faulted him for just walking away and leaving me to handle my own messes. But he hadn’t.

And he hadn’t held it over my head later. Not until I’d started goading him and escalated things.

I didn’t know what to do with nice Jesse. All I knew was he confused the hell out of me.

“What’s up?” I asked. Hopefully they couldn’t see how off-kilter I was.

“We need you to settle something,” Quinn said. “Have you heard of the Dark Forest theory?”

“I think so. Is that about aliens?”

He nodded. “It’s the theory that any advanced civilization would treat other intelligent life as an inevitable threat and preemptively destroy any they find. Is that ringing any bells?”

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