Page 33 of Beautiful Storm

Thomas chuckles to himself before the fucker walks away, letting his question hang in the air instead of providing me with that very important piece of information.

Is Amelia married?To Preston-fucking-Milford or was it Midford or Mitzford?Not fucking important.But how the hell didn’t I know that? I slept with her. Fuck, does that make me an adulterer? Nooo, Amelia is the adulterer; I’m just the side piece.God. I groan out loud.Aside piece?That sounds so much worse.

“You look pale,” Keeley says as she approaches me, her face full of concern. “Everything okay? You almost knocked Richards over. Are you sick?”

“Sofuckingsick,” I muse. I’m also pissed off.How dare Amelia make me a fucking side piece.

“Shit.” Keeley cringes. “Okay. Don’t say anything. You know how it is. If people think there’s an illness going around, they’ll start to imagine they’ve got symptoms, and we can’t afford for that to happen.”

Despite not actually being sick, I stare at her deadpan. “Thanks, Keeley. I appreciate your concern.”

Keeley giggles as she waves off my remark. “Oh, hush. I’ve seen you sick before and this is nothing like that. You’re fine. But I’d still prefer you were gone. Go home. They’re not actually filming today. Just setting up to see what angles work.”

“They’re in our locker room. Whatanglescould they possibly need?” I ask with a frown before smirking at a visual of a camera aimed at my—

“Nope.” Keeley laughs, cutting into my thoughts as though she just read my mind. “They’re not going to be filming you naked. No one wants to see that.”

“Everyonewants to see that, but that’s not the point.”

“It’s fine. Go home. We’ll be discussing it all before the film review session tomorrow.”

“You’re the boss.” She’s not, but I take her misinformed advice anyway, and head home after my shower, instead of hanging around to ask questions.

And with Thomas nowhere in sight since dropping his “Amelia is married” bomb, I need to find him. It’s time I paid my sister a visit.

Lainey’s arriving home as I pull up to the curb, and when I catch up with her, she’s juggling a stack of books in her hands.

“Jesus. Let me take them."

“No, thank you. I’m good. I have to carry these around campus, so I can carry them here.” She eyes me suspiciously before stopping and turning to face me. “Why are you here and why are you being nice?”

“I’m always nice.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“Do you know Amelia Rosenberg?” I launch into my question but pause.Rosenberg. She was introduced as Amelia Rosenberg. Thomas must be wrong. All that worry for nothing. “Never mind. I’m good.”

I spin around to walk away, but Lainey kicks her foot out as if trying to trip me up. “You can’t leave after that. The name sounds familiar but I don’t know her. Should I?”

“Nope. All good.” Amelia and I never hung out at my place, and Lainey’s a few years younger so I doubt she’d know her, but I had to ask.Now, I’ve changed my mind.I’m out of here.

“Oh wait. Is she the girl that married Preston Milford?”Dammit. “The guy from Chasing Lies? I remember them being Heartwood High’s musical claim to fame.”

“Never heard of them.” That’s the truth. I have honestly never heard of Chasing Lies, but Preston I know.

Lainey barks out a laugh. “Of course you’ve never heard of them. I’ll bet you think you’re Heartwood’s only claim to fame.”

“Not true at all,” I say. “What about Thomas?”

Lainey’s laughter grows more obnoxious and I roll my eyes. “Luke, Luke, Luke. I wish I had your self-confidence. But back to what’s important. Who’s Amelia toyou?”

“She’s nothing to me,” I argue a little too quickly and Lainey knows it. She stares at me for a beat before lifting her shoulder in a half shrug.

“Mm-hmm.”

Dammit, Lainey. I ignore the urge I have to correct her, knowing that’s what she wants. Instead I walk ahead toward her door. When she doesn’t follow, I turnaround to find her staring me down, her eyebrow perfectly arched.

“Are you coming?” I snap in a way only brothers can without getting a slap in the face. “You can make me a snack.”

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