Page 84 of The Snowball Effect

How could she call Sutton and get her honest thoughts when Regan couldn’t tell her the truth? Because Sutton didn’t know that Emma was attracted to women, and Regan couldn’t – wouldn’t – break Emma’s confidence, even if she didn’t understand her need to be so cloak and dagger.

Another ring.

And Regan knew herself; she knew there was no way she could even begin to assess this situation with Sutton and omit any details. Even if she tried to, Sutton would know she wasn’t telling the truth.

“Damn you, Sutton Spencer, and your truth-seeking eyes,” she muttered, canceling the call.

She startled as her phone started buzzing in her hand.

Incoming call – Sutton, The One and Only.

Regan bared her teeth down at her phone, indecision warring, before she picked it up. She couldn’t start screening Sutton’s calls; she was already in the midst of a personal crisis! If she had sent Sutton to voicemail, she wouldn’t know who she was anymore.

“Hiiii,” she sang out brightly.

There was a beat of quiet before Sutton questioningly spoke. “Hey. Is everything okay?”

“Ha. Ha. Yeah. Why wouldn’t it be?” Regan asked, feeling pretty good about herself for turning the question back on Sutton.

“Um, because you just called me but then hung up before I could answer? Was it a butt-dial?”

Right. “Yes. Yes, my ginger sunflower, itwasa butt-dial. Just me and my silly ass, literally.”

Sutton hummed, the sound full of disbelief. “And everything is okay with Emma?”

Regan’s eyes widened as she pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it, baffled; did her best friend develop some sort of ESP?! “I – what did you hear? What’s on your mind?”

“Nothing…? All you’ve said in the last week or so is that you two arepeachy keen.” Sutton’s tone was full of suspicion as she quoted the exact phrase Regan had texted her regarding the state of her and Emma’s relationship.

Friendship, that was. Friend relationship.

“Because it is! It’s peachy keen.” Which, actually, wasn’t even a lie.

“Uh huh,” Sutton shortly hummed. The skepticism was so loud that it rang in Regan’s ears. “So, what did you do last night? You didn’t answer my texts.”

Seriously,hadSutton developed some sort of brain link with her?!

Because Sutton was still being kept in the dark regarding the “dating” situation with Emma’s family so, naturally, Regan wasn’t able to tell her what her Saturday night plans were.

“Yeah. Sorry about that. Nothing to worry about; I just turned my notifications off for the night because Audrey was being Audrey.” Which – again – was the truth.

“Aw, I’m so sorry,” Sutton’s disbelief immediately melted into sheer sympathy. “Was she rude to you?”

“Is the sky blue?” Regan joked.

“I feel so awful saying this, but I really can’t stand her.” The muted anger in Sutton’s voice made Regan feel supported, as always. After all, if anyone understood her and had her back with her family, it was Sutton. Granted, Regan’s sour feelings about Audrey yesterday had long faded by now.

“You and me, both. But it’s fine. I’m all right.”

Which was true. Because the realization that she might be attracted to Emma had overshadowed Audrey’s texts. Like, by a lot. By awholelot.

“I feel so bad that I won’t be there with all of her wedding stuff happening. I want you to call me if you need me, even though I’m in a different time zone. Okay?”

Comforted by how genuine she knew Sutton was in that, she found herself smiling. “I will. Even if it’s two in the morning your time and you’re having phone sex with Charlo–”

Regan cut herself off with a gasp, her eyes widening as the idea struck her.

Sutton groaned. “I already told you; we arenotdiscussing my phone sex life with Charlotte.”

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