Page 51 of Until Then

I smirk. It’s one of Rees’s favorites of Perfectly Broken’s new singles too. “My brother is the bassist for them.”

Greg smacks the table. “That’s it. Saw the billboard. They’re playing in L.A. right before Christmas. Suzi asked if we wanted tickets since I went down the rabbit hole of their backlist.”

I chuckle and lean back in my seat. Hayley fiddles with her hands under the table. Without a thought, I reach over and rest a palm on top until they go still.

“Two famous idiots in one family.” Milton whistles. “Bet your mom doesn’t know how to keep her privacy.”

“Uncle Milton,” Hayley says with a warning.

“It’s all right,” I whisper. “Uh, my mom passed when I was a kid, but my dad learned to never check Google.”

“Oh.” Milton clears his throat. “Sorry about your mom, kid.”

I wave it away. The last thing we’re going to talk about is my mom on the first night. The question does bring up one of my own—no one has mentioned Hayley’s dad. Not once.

Not even her.

Seems like a question for later, once we’re alone.

“So, this TV show you’re in,” Alice—Nan—begins, “it’s pretty big? Val loves it, I’m told.”

Hayley’s mom takes another bite of pie, face flushed, and doesn’t look at me when she speaks. “Well, I can’t watch it anymore. Not if Hayley’s dating the man. I won’t be able to look him in the eye.”

I laugh a little nervously. “I can, uh, tell you what episodes to avoid. Maybe I’m biased, but we have some epic writers, so it’s worth watching.”

A tween boy—Milton’s son—snorts and rolls his eyes. “It’s won three best book to screen adaptations, and he’s been nominated for a best lead in a dramatic series.”

The kid can’t be more than fifteen, but he’s over here spouting facts about the world of television like he designed it.

“I didn’t know that,” Hayley whispers.

I smile to hide the warmth in my face. “Well, I’ve only been nominated. They don’t talk about second place, do they?”

A few chuckles break another layer of tension around the table. I’m asked about my life in Louisiana, then about Rees and my friends and family in Las Vegas. Hayley’s mom is particularly drawn in by the outreach program when her cousin mentions how some kids from his school have joined in.

The highlight of my night is when Hayley jumps in, bragging about the community outreach and how the afterschool programs help kids find their passions.

“So, how long has this been going on?” Justin finally speaks multiple words, but keeps his sharp eyes on me.

Hayley pales. “Um, we’ve known each other for almost a year.”

“A year!” Adeline looks ready to pass out. “You never said anything.”

“Not your business, sweetheart,” Justin says briskly.

Hayley shifts in her seat. No mistake, she can’t stomach lying to people. A bit of guilt tugs at my chest.

The last thing I wanted to do was cause an uproar in her life. One simple sentence, one gentle kiss, all to squash that idiot of an ex, feels as though I’ve upended her existence.

I’ll take the heat for it, but it’s better to let them in on the truth.

Until Alice scoots out her chair and flicks Justin’s hand with a dish towel. “All right, I think Noah’s endured enough of our hounding for a night.” She starts gathering plates. “You two help clean up, and we’ll leave you be.”

Hayley practically leaps out of her chair, desperate to be free of everyone. I gather some dishes and follow her into the kitchen.

Alone, she leans over the sink, shoulders shaking.

Well, crap.

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