Page 84 of Undone

“Where were you before you got here?” Her hand found her hip, striking a pose that reminded me how much Gracie was her mini-me.

I hesitated, the words stuck in my throat.

“I was tutoring G.”

“Oh,” she said, her eyebrows raising with interest. “So you saw Dorian?”

I sighed, the blush creeping up my cheeks. “Yeah, considering he’s her father, I saw him.”

“So, is what Colt said true, then? You are hooking up with my brother?” she asked, her voice a mix of excitement and disgust.

“Jesus, I thought Colt was the quiet one,” I said, pinching the bridge of my nose.

“You totally are! I can see it all over your face.”

“Maybe…” I mumbled, the heat in my cheeks intensifying.

“Noah Dane Reid!” she mock-scolded, laughter dancing in her eyes.

I stayed silent, and Dotty smirked, leaning closer.

“Spare me the details.”

“Happily,” I replied, grinning despite myself, but then I noticed Dotty’s smile falter.

“I’m happy for you. Just… worried,” she said, her tone shifting to something more serious.

“Dotty,” I said, grabbing her hand. “I’m literally going to hold your hand while I say this. I love you. You’re my person. I know you’re worried, but let it be.”

She squeezed my hand. “Okay. I trust you.” Dotty sighed deeply, her shoulders dropping as she leaned back against the couch, pulling her legs up beneath her in a cozy, almost childlike way.

“I just… you’re my best friend.”

“Well, that’s good because you definitely aren’t getting rid of me anytime soon.”

“Let’s talk about the sleepover with Gracie tomorrow. Any fun ideas?” she asked.

I could see the familiar spark in her eyes, the one that emerged whenever she talked about her favorite people.

“Cupcakes?” I suggested, my face lighting up. “Gracie loves baking, and we could let her go wild with the frosting and sprinkles.”

Dotty’s face brightened. “Cupcakes sound perfect! And we could do some arts and crafts. Gracie’s been obsessed with making friendship bracelets lately. We should get a kit and make some together for the Ellie Miles concert.”

I grinned, picturing the colorful mess we’d be making. “That sounds awesome. She’ll love it.”

“Definitely,” Dotty agreed, her smile widening. “Seems like you guys have been getting along well in your tutoring sessions?”

“Yeah, she’s great. Spending time with her always puts me in a good mood.”

Dotty looked at me with a fondness that only comes from years of friendship. “She adores you, you know. I can see how much she lights up when you’re around.”

My heart warmed. “I love spending time with her, so I think tomorrow’s going to be fun.”

Dotty reached for her phone, her fingers moving swiftly as she began to text Trent. “I’ll have Trent pick up everything we need—arts and crafts, extra frosting, sprinkles. We’ll make it a super fun girls’ night.”

The rest of the evening unfolded in the comfortable, familiar rhythm the two of us always shared effortlessly. After a while, Trent showed up, bringing enough supplies for a thousand sleepovers, before slipping into the other room to give Dotty and me space to enjoy our time together.

At some point, we migrated to the kitchen, diving into preparations for the sleepover. Dotty poured us each a glass of wine as we baked far too many cupcakes.

---