Page 53 of (Un)Planned

“You called me, angel.” He winked as he walked back toward her bedroom, emerging a couple of minutes later fully dressed. He waved at both of us as he walked out the door but blew Devyn a kiss as it shut. Her cheeks turned a furious shade of red, and she did everything she could to avoid my stare.

“Seriously?” I said when I was sure Jack was gone. “Out of all the guys in the city, that’s the one you decide to sleep with?”

Devyn shook her head, walking back into the kitchenwithout answering my question. I followed her, “I mean, I’m not trying to be judgmental, but I’m shocked, Devyn. I didn’t even think you talked to him, much less–”

“Fucked him?”

I placed my hands over my ears. “Things I do not need to know about!” I lowered them, staring back at my sister. “And this is…”

“Nothing.” She shrugged. “It was an itch that needed to be scratched. We’re not dating; I’ve made that clear to him. And trust me, this arrangement suits him just fine.”

“So it’s going to be an ongoing thing?”

Devyn paused, tapping her fingers on the counter. “I don’t know. Maybe. It works for both of us, so why not enjoy it a little longer?” She let out a long breath. “I don’t know why any of this matters to you.”

I rolled my eyes, moving to the fridge to grab a bottle of water, even though it was tempting to grab the vodka instead. “Because it’s something major happening in your life? And that there’s someone who might be around our apartment?” I closed the door and leaned against the fridge. “Besides, these are things sisters usually tell each other, Devyn.”

“Like you told me you were sleeping with Theo?”

The water almost slipped from my hand. My mouth hung open, unsure what to say. Not telling Devyn was one thing, but downright lying when she asked me about Theo? I couldn’t bring myself to do that. “How… Why do you think that?”

“Because Theo told Jack,” Devyn crossed her arms. “And then he asked me because he assumed I’d know. Because that’s the kind of thingsistersshare, right?”

“That’s different,” I muttered, but even as the words left my mouth, I knew they werea lie.

“You could have told me, Calla,” Devyn said. “I would have kept your secret, even if I thought it was a bad idea.”

“And that’s why I didn’t tell you,” I answered. “I didn’t want to hear what a bad idea this was. All my life, Mom’s been in my head, questioning every one of my choices. I wanted to do something just for me because it was what I wanted. He makes me so happy, Devyn.” I looked back at her. “I didn’t want to hear the negative. I didn’t want to talk about the potential fallout. I just wanted to hold onto this happiness a little bit longer.”

Devyn reached forward, encompassing me in a tight hug. It’d been a long time since my sister held me like this. I’d forgotten how good it felt, like she was taking all my cracking edges and holding them together for me.

“That’s why I didn’t want to say anything about Jack. I know that you think there’s something off about him, but he’s fun, Calla. And for the first time, I don’t want to second-guess everything. I’m not imagining a future with him. I don’t want anything serious. I just want to enjoy my life a little.” She chuckled into my shoulder. “And I didn’t want you to judge me.”

“I’d never judge you.” Devyn pulled back, giving me a knowing stare. “Okay, maybe a little, but only because I don’t trust Jack. I don’t know what it is about him, but there’s something there that bothers me. But,” I took a deep breath, “I want to know what’s happening in your life, Dev. I want to be there for you.”

“I want that too.”

After several silent moments, Devyn pulled back, brushing the tears away from my eyes. “I can’t lie to you and say I think everything will be okay, but if Theo makes you happy, hold onto that for as long as you can. And no matter what happens next, know that I am always in your corner,Calla. I’m not Mom. Yeah, maybe I have some concerns, but as long as you’re happy, that’s what matters most. You love with your whole heart, and you deserve someone who will love you the same way.”

“So do you. And if that’s Jack…” I swallowed, trying to ignore all the red flags popping up in my mind. “I don’t want to stand in your way either.”

“Not all of us get that great love story,” Devyn answered sadly, squeezing me once before stepping out of my embrace. “And some of us don’t deserve one.”

But before I could ask what she meant, she left the room, shutting the door on the rest of our conversation.

THIRTY-ONE

Now that we were no longer hiding our relationship from Devyn, I spent every night at Theo’s apartment. We’d developed an odd new routine. During the day, we kept as much distance from each other as possible and then collided together the moment we got behind closed doors. And at first- keeping this secret was exhilarating, like we were living this secret life together. But as the days dragged on, it was starting to wear on me.

I hated that I couldn’t hold Theo’s hand in public, that I had to weigh every one of my words before I spoke. All I wanted was to dive into this man and not have to worry about the potential fallout.

But that thought would have to wait. With the partners arriving in a few short days, Theo’s mind was fixated on making everything perfect. From sun up to sunset, he met with agents, reviewing rosters and ensuring that every contract was top-notch. When he wasn’t in meetings, we were working on the week-long itinerary, ensuring that the partners got to experience the best parts of New York. He was burning himself out, and I wasn’t far behind. As Ishifted in my chair, studying his exhausted expression through the glass wall, a plan started to form in my mind. With a thorough Google search and a shopping list in hand, I walked up to Theo’s door and knocked lightly. He smiled when he realized I was the one standing there, but it didn’t do much to hide his stress.

It was so hard to stay rooted in my spot, to not go to him and soothe some of his worries. I wanted to hold him, kiss away the stress lining his eyes. A few more hours, and we’d be back in our bubble. As long as he agreed to my plan. Then we could leave the stress at the door for one night. “Do you mind if I head out a little early?”

Theo’s brow furrowed. “Everything okay?”

“Yes,” I answered quickly. I shifted on my feet, trying to remain in the doorway. “But I think we both could use a night away from this place, so I’m working on a little something for you.”

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