Page 70 of Tangled In Lies

Ruby throws her hands over her eyes first, then up in the air. “Damn him.”

Her glance flickers to Mason, but he holds up his hands and shakes his head.

“Nope, this is all you.”

Ruby groans and stares at me with a pleading look in her eyes. “Ty wasn’t supposed to give anything away until I gave him the green light.”

“Are you guys together? Is this what you wanted to talk about?” My brain is still spinning at this unexpected turn.

Ruby grimaces. “Yes?”

Mason scoffs and leans his head down. “Evie, they’ve been making out like they’re the last two people on earth. You’re lucky you haven’t been around to witness it. My eyeballs are ready to explode.”

Ruby smacks him on the arm again but chuckles. “Stoooop it.”

“It’s true. Half the guys were adjusting themselves at the party last night because of the show you two put on.”

Ruby hides her face behind her hands. “Oh my God.”

I tilt my head to the side. “You like him.”

She immediately nods. “I think I do.”

“She definitely does,” Mason pipes up again.

So much for him staying out of this.

Ruby gives me her puppy eyes. “Is this okay with you? Crap, I totally should have talked to you first.”

I place my hand on my chest. “With me?”

She waves her hand around in front of me. “Yeah, you know, you and him and your history together.”

“Pfft, oh yeah, don’t even worry about me.” I shake my head and laugh. “You know Ty and I agreed what happened was a huge mistake. If I could go back in time, I’d erase that entire night with him.”

Ruby sighs, letting her shoulders slump in relief. She was seriously worried about my reaction.

Tyler steps up with my drink and winks at me. “I put some extra whipped cream on top.”

I smile at him. “Thank you, you’re the best.”

He chuckles. “Whatever I can do to help my favorite ladies.”

Mason huffs beside me, but Tyler ignores him, his gaze flicking to my hand around the cup. To my bare fingers.

Crap. I forgot to put on my engagement ring.

“How are you holding up?”

For a moment, I’m so stunned, I don’t know what to say. But then I remember this is Tyler, the same one who saw me freak out in the bathroom at my birthday party after I saw Phoenix for the first time again. I didn’t tell himwhat exactly went down, but he probably put two and two together and knows this isn’t an engagement based on love.

So I shrug and say, “Hanging in there.”

Tyler opens his mouth to say something, but the doorbell chimes, and a group of older ladies walk in the door.

He sighs. “Duty calls.”

Ruby watches him with obvious longing in her eyes. Before I get to dig deeper into this surprising turn of events, Mason bumps his elbow into my side.

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