Page 34 of Forever Player

“What?” I snicker.

“You heard me. Everyone knows of his reputation. Boy couldn’t stick to one girl,” Lev shares.

“Until he found the right one, clearly,” I say.

“Nah, I’m not buying it.”

On some level I don’t buy it either. Only Skylar reunited with Liam. They were high school sweethearts who found each other again, and they are so happy it’s blinding. And Patty found Evan. They may have had a secret affair, but she is over-the-hills happy and also had a baby girl. I don’t know if I’ve missed some memo on love, or if my friends are delusional, but if Lucy is glowing on baby number four then there is either something in the water in Sugar Meadow or she knows something I don’t.

I begin to refill the table with cheese and when I turn around Bonnie is in my face, holding her clutch and grinning. “Willow, I met your baby daddy.”

My stomach churns. Not sure how to answer that one.

“Nice, he said he met a bunch of people in the supermarket,” I answer because I am petty, and I don’t want her to think she stood out to Brett.

“It was so adorable to see him with that cute baby girl of yours,” she says. “And what a looker he is.”

“Yes, he is a good-looking man,” I confirm. I don’t want to use Brett’s name when referencing him because I don’t want Bonnie to look him up on the internet, even though she maybe has already.

“And a star athlete,” she adds and my stomach dips. Just great. “He said you two were together. Since when? I haven’t seen him around town before.”

“Snoopy bitch,” Lev coughs under his hand.

I give my brother a wide-eyed look and with my eyes urge him to chill out. I don’t think Bonnie understood him though.

“Hi, Lev, what goods do you have for me today?” she asks and the way she is grinning at him makes me think. . .

“What you see on the table is what we have,” he replies dryly. And holy shit. I think Lev must have taken her to bed at some point.

I cringe.

“It is cold in here,” Bonnie notes because she caught on to the cold shiver that ran up my spine when I realized she is one of my brother’s conquests.

“It is,” I agree.

Bonnie takes some goat cheese and cream cheese. She smiles at Lev and he grunts at her. Then she says, “You should really come out dancing. The Rustic Bull is still lots of fun.”

“We’ll be heading there tonight,” I say.

Bonnie’s eyes round like I’ve surprised her. “Yay, let the fun begin.” She winks and pays Lev for the cheese and then she waves. “Catch you later, Willow.”

“Yeah,” I say dryly. Then I turn on my brother. “You slept with Bonnie, of all people?” I smack his shoulder.

“It was one time and it was a mistake. I was drunk,” he admits,

“Gross.”

“I barely remember but she won’t let me forget it,” he states, unimpressed.

“She went after all my boyfriends in high school. Every single one,” I tell him.

“And it looks like she wants Brett too,” he adds, and inside I feel a pang of something I don’t like.

“Whatever,” I say casually. “She can have Brett.”

“Am I detecting some jealousy from you?” He chuckles, knowing exactly how to press my buttons.

“Fuck off,” I throw to him playfully.

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