Page 76 of My Secret to Protect

Everyone was thrilled that Arlo wanted to host mine and Zoe’s birthday gathering on Saturday. It’s low-key, just firing up the grill in the backyard, so he said, but I remember the last time he said that there was a spread fit for ten people, and there was only us. I can’t wait to see what he does when everyone is there.

‘Nothin’,’ he shrugs, ‘just yourselves.’

‘No,’ I cut in, ‘not nothin’.’ I glance at him and know he’s going to hate me saying this, but I don’t want him to have to fix everything. ‘Y’all can bring drinks and decorations. Arlo will fix the food, and I’ll help him with that.’

‘Can I do the cake?’ Missy asks, and I turn to see the hopeful look in her eye. She loves baking. Smiling, I nod, yes.

‘Of course, Miss.’

Dropping my hand to Arlo’s knee, I give a light squeeze and turn to look at him as he chews the corner of his lip, but I don’t want to embarrass him, so I drop the conversation. We can pick it back up later.

‘Yay.’ Missy grins, and moans around another mouthful of cheesecake, and Nick stands, starting to clear plates.

‘Honey, you keep moaning like that, and I’m going to have to drag you home.’

We laugh as he turns toward the kitchen, and Arlo stands to help clear the rest.

‘So, things seem to be going well,’ Cara says, grinning as we sit in the living room of her gorgeous house. Lottie is in Zoe’s arms, and I have Lucas. Bowie and Jonah are asleep upstairs, and the guys are sitting on the back porch. I feel a little nervous for some reason that I’m not party to their conversation with Arlo. I hope they’re not grilling him, but I know he can hold his own.

‘They are.’ I smile.

‘You seem different, the two of you,’ Zoe observes, and our gazes rest on each other.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, before, you looked at each other like you were either going to fuck or fight, and it was hot either way, but now, I don’t know. What changed, twinnie?’

‘Oooh,’ Missy practically sings, and we all turn to look at her.

‘Oh, lord. What?’ I raise one eyebrow at my friend, waiting for her insight, and she smirks.

‘You’re inlove.’

Zoe and Cara gasp, and I shake my head, exhaling a short laugh.

‘We’ve been together for a minute. We’re not in love.’ Heat rises up my cheeks as I say the words because I know what I feel for Arlo isn’t something new. It’s something old. Something that lay dormant like a volcano that’s just starting to erupt, and there’s only so much I can do to hold it back, but I don’t want to scare him away.

‘Bree,’ Zoe says my name softly and holds out her finger to me, so I hold out mine to hers, toughing the tips the way we have a million times, ‘it’s okay, twinnie.’ She smiles, and I notice Cara and Missy take each other’s hand on the couch. ‘Tell him first—when you’re ready. Then you can tell us.’

She smiles, and I inhale sharply at the realization. I love him. I have always loved him.

Why Are You All Holding Your Dicks?

Arlo

‘Thisisabeautifulhouse,’ I say as I sit on the back porch of Cara and Doug’s farmhouse with Doug, Leo, and Nick.

‘Thanks, man. I love it.’

It’s awkward for me, sitting here like this. These men are great, they’re light and fun and opened their arms to me easily, but before Bree came back into my life, I only spent time with Beans and Mrs. C. I’m not used to just hanging out with guys this way. Not to mention that there’s still stuff they don’t know—they have no idea Bree and I have history, that I was in prison, that Doug’s grandmother is one of the most important people in my life, or that Bree has a fucking stalker—so it feels kind of weird to be sitting here drinking beers with them.

‘Tonight was good,’ Leo says, and we all nod our agreement. It was good.

‘Yeah, Missy needed it.’ I glance at Nick, who takes a sip of his drink, and Doug sits forward.

‘She okay?’

He shakes his head and turns to look at the door, making sure it’s still closed.

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