Page 52 of (Un)Planned

CALLA

Not necessary. I’ll go with you. I just need to let Alex and Cole know we’re heading out early. When do we need to hit the road?

THEO

ASAP.

My stomach sank when I saw that word, and I wondered if this had anything to do with what had kept him all morning. I pulled the car into reverse, sparing one last look at the Isadora in my rearview mirror, leaving it in the past where it belonged.

“Areyou sure I can’t convince you to come over?” Theo asked, his lips leaving a trail along my neck.

I shook my head, gently pushing him away. If he kept teasing me like that, I’d mount him right here in front of mybuilding. “Not tonight. I need to shower and get ready for the week. And as much as I’d love to be in your bed, I should also check in on my sister. She left so quickly that I didn’t even get a chance to talk about what happened with her case.”

“Fine,” Theo jokingly groaned. “But promise me you’ll come over tomorrow night.”

“Who knew you were so needy?” I chuckled as I pressed a light kiss to his lips. “But yes, I’d love to come over.”

“Good. Now get your ass inside, beautiful, before I kidnap you for the night.”

I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help the smile that spread over my face. Even after the long drive, I was still floating, loving every extra moment I got to spend with Theo. I could tell that something was on his mind, but I decided not to pry. He’d tell me what was going on whenever he was ready.

My mind stayed in the clouds as I got into the elevator, humming as it climbed the floors. Hopefully, Devyn would be home, especially given the way she bolted from the party on Saturday. She claimed it was a work emergency, but it seemed like a convenient excuse. From the moment Gray and his parents showed up for the party, she was on edge, sticking close to the exits. She left only an hour later.

I chewed on my lower lip, hating that I’d put Devyn in that position. I should have known the Anderses would make an appearance, given how close they’d grown to Alex over the past few years, but I hadn’t expected Gray to be there, not with the season in full swing. It was clear that Devyn didn’t expect him either, not with the way her face paled when their eyes connected.

An apology started to form in my mind as I pushed mykey into the lock, shoving the door open with my hip. “Honey, I’m ho?—”

But the word died on my tongue as I looked into our kitchen where my sister was kissing a shirtless man. It took my brain a moment to catch up and realize who she was holding.

“Jack?”

THIRTY

Nope. This was not happening. The scene in front of me was like a messed-up nightmare. I must have fallen asleep on the way home, tucked into Theo’s passenger seat while he hummed along to an eighties rock song. I was not standing in my apartment, watching my sister make out with Jack, my co-worker. I refused to believe this was my reality.

“Wake up, wake up,” I whispered, but when I peeked one of my eyes open again, the view was the same. How the hell had this even happened? As far as I knew, when they met at the gala last month, Devyn and Jack barely interacted. She hadn’t mentioned that they connected, much less that they were hooking up behind my back.

With my foot, I slammed the door closed, the sound reverberating through the whole apartment. They jumped apart, Jack hiding behind the kitchen island as Devyn’s eyes widened dramatically.

“Calla!” she squeaked out, wiping the back of her hand across her mouth. “I didn’t think you were going to be home untiltomorrow.”

“Clearly,” I scoffed. “Theo had a work emergency, so we decided to come back early.” I shook my head, rubbing my hands over my face. “Jack, I already saw you, so you might as well come out now.”

He sheepishly stood up, rubbing the back of his neck. “Hey, Calla. How was your weekend?”

“Don’t hey Calla, me.” I pointed my finger between the two of them. “How long has this been going on?”

“It’s not,” Devyn said at the same time, as Jack answered, “Almost a month.”

Devyn glared at him, her hazel eyes narrowed in annoyance. She sighed, rolling her eyes as she turned back to me. “Technically, we hooked up after the gala, but it was supposed to be a one-time thing. And after this weekend, I just…” She shook her head. “I called Jack, and we talked for a while. But this is just a hook-up. We are not dating.”

“Yet,” Jack called out from behind her.

“Never,” Devyn snapped back. “In fact, you should leave, Jack. There’s no reason for you to hang around, especially now that Calla’s home.”

He chuckled and kissed her on the cheek. “I already warned you, Dev. I’m not giving up that easily.”

“Keep dreaming.”

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