Page 31 of Bae

“What happened?” Ivy asked, darkening her screen, then setting the phone facedown beside her.

“Nothing,” Trent replied. “We were out. The press was lurking and got a shot of us kissing.”

“Did you at least give it a little tongue?” B cracked.

Ivy elbowed him in the side.

“Ow!” he hollered.

“Idiot,” she muttered.

“This just happen?” Romeo asked.

Trent nodded. “While we were out getting marshmallows.”

Mmm, roasted marshmallows.

“I’m sorry,” I told them. Why couldn’t the press just leave us all alone?

Underneath me, Romeo seemed tense, a direct contrast to how he felt just a moment ago. I lifted my chin to gaze up at him.

His face turned down, his lips brushing over mine lightly. I couldn’t help but feel like he was offering me comfort.

It worked.

“It’s not a big deal,” Trent said. “Not the first time they caught us. Won’t be the last.” He seemed a lot less annoyed about it than I would have expected. In fact, Trent had a hate-hate relationship with any stranger with a camera these days.

I couldn’t even say I blamed him.

“How about those marshmallows?” I asked, wanting to change the subject and get back to what tonight was supposed to be about: family time, relaxation, and fun.

“I left ‘em on the kitchen counter,” Trent replied.

I hopped up from Romeo’s lap and brought my cider with me. “I’ll see if we have everything for s’mores while I’m in there.”

“I’ll help.” Ivy jumped up.

As we walked toward the house, I heard the rumble of Romeo’s voice. I couldn’t make out what he was saying, his voice so low and kind of quick.

I didn’t really need to hear his words, though, to understand something. Romeo wasn’t too happy with the newest headline, which I admit wasn't a surprise at all.

What was a surprise was the way my intuition whispered there might be something more to this, and judging by his tone, I wasn’t the only one who felt that way.

Romeo

Something stunk.

And it sure as hell wasn’t me.

The stank of information I didn’t know but needed to had clogged the inside of my nose ever since I saw Trent in front of his garage.

It was all I could do to wait to hear it and not demand instantly to be in the know. The only thing that held me back—the only thing that always seemed to anchor me in a place of patience—was Rim.

She came first, and judging by the way Trent acted earlier, I was afraid whatever this was would likely hurt her.

I watched her small, perky ass disappear into the house, along with my sister, and decided there would be no more waiting.

“What the fuck is going on?” I asked, sitting forward, elbows on my knees.

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