Page 70 of Arden and the Girl Downstairs

“You’re forgetting Rhys is one of the people who helped you get your revenge on me. If he talks to you, he likes you. Plus, you think you have power with your unicorn slippers and cookies? You should see Yasmin and Ally. Both are relentless when they want something. I think that’s probably why you girls get along so well.”

She envelopes me in her small arms and I hug her back.

“So, what exactly did you tell everybody to get them here today?” she asks, her words slightly muffled against my chest.

“Everyone who lives here knows who Steve is, and Chad knows, but that’s it.”

“Chad didn’t tell Mady and everyone?”

“No, from my understanding, that’s a conversation Chad expects you to have with them.”

She rolls her eyes and mumbles “fine” under her breath. “They’re all going to think I’m crazy.”

“Ella, we’ve already established this. You are crazy, but we love you anyway.”

We finally make our way into the room, and everybody stops to look at us, offering sad smiles to Ella. People walk over to her, giving her hugs and telling her they are sorry for her loss.

I’ll give them credit; they know what to do in a memorial service, even if they don’t quite understand what the hell is going on.

Next thing I know, Logan is knocking me out of the way so he can wrap Ella in a hug. “I’m so sorry, Ella. I had no idea. Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you say anything?”

I step beside Ella and try to separate them. “Dude bro, step away from my wife,” I warn.

“Chill, she’s my future sister-in-law,” he says with a wink in my direction. “Plus, I’m not into sleeping with other guys' wives. Relax.”

Yeah, that will not make me feel better.

Logan turns all serious and faces Ella again. “No, really, why didn’t you say anything?” I start to speak, but Ella cuts me off. “I didn’t know how.”

“Who is Steve? You’ve never mentioned him before. Like, is he a family member?”

“You could say that.”

Logan eyes Ella suspiciously. “What are you not telling us?”

“A lot. So, I guess it’s time to fill everybody in,” Ella says hesitantly, and the entire room goes quiet, waiting for her to continue.

“Steve was my pet rat,” Ella explains, her voice breaking when she says his name.

All eyes turn to me except for the guys that live here.

“You sent out invitations to a memorial service for a rat?” Logan stares at me, wide eyed. “Dude, that’s next level crazy.”

“Watch it. That’s my wife,” I warn.

He holds up his hands defensively. “You have the wrong idea. I’m all for this. I’m glad we’re here, but you just took the cake.”

“There’s no competition here. We’re not meeting crazy with crazy.” I say, knowing where Logan is going with his train of thought.

“Oh, no, no, no, you’ve just upped the ante,” he says mischievously.

It’s then that Chad chimes in. “No, Logan, whatever you’re thinking about, the answer is no.”

“Come on, man. You’ve got to let me have some fun at Grumpy’s.”

“You get to have karaoke night. The answer is no. You are not topping this. This is not a competition.”

“I think it might be.”

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