Page 78 of The Love Syllabus

Serena levels me with a deadpan stare. “Sis, you’re in the thick of battle. That conniving, lying heffer challenged you to a duel, and now you have to defend your honor. And Vic’s.”

Kiera nods. “Speaking of Vic, he owes you for this.”

“Yup, owes you some dick.” Serena smirks, swirling her wine.

The room erupts in laughter. I swat at her with a hairbrush. “Y’all are a mess,” I mutter, but I’m laughing, too.

Once they finish hyping me up, we all head into the front room, where the men—Vic, Hudson, Gabe, and Hawkins are waiting.

And it’s chaos. A full-on madhouse. Ari, Syd, Izzy, and Kiera’s little ones are running wild, chasing each other around the room like they’ve lost all their home training. A shoe even flies across the air, barely missing Hudson’s head.

“You see why I sip whiskey every night?” Vic mutters, scanning the room like he’s calculating just how much damage control is needed.

I sigh, already sensing where his mind is going.

“Leaving six kids with them is a bad idea.” He worries. “Izzy and Gabe are head down working while Hawkins and Kiera can barely keep their eyes open. And look at Hudson and Serena! They’re barely responsible and can’t stop touching each other.”

“Hey! We’re kind of responsible, and it’s your brother who can’t keep his hands to himself,” Serena cuts in.

I fold my arms, exchanging a worried glance with Vic. “You’re right. Maybe we should stay home? I’d feel so much better if Vicky or my parents were here.”

Our friends groan in unison.

“Y’all act like an old married couple already,” Izzy scoffs. “It’s one dinner. The kids will survive. Maybe.” She grins.

Our friends are great parents…but they’re also the no-structure, dirty-walls, toys-everywhere kind of parents. Thankfully, as if summoned by divine intervention, the front door swings open, and Vicky and my parents walk in.

My jaw drops, and my worries vanish. “I was literally just praying for y’all to show up!”

“Well, you know we hate last-minute plans, but when we heard Serena, Kiera, and Iz were gonna watchallthe kids, we got worried. So, the reinforcements are here.” My mom smirks.

Ari and Syd shriek in delight, abandoning their chaotic games to run straight into their arms.

“Nana Grace, we missed you so much!” They cry, squeezing her tight. My heart clenches at the sight.

“Oh, girls! We missed you too. Five days away from you feels like forever!”

I watch as my mother cradles Syd like she’s always been hers, and my father embraces Ari like she’s been his granddaughter since birth. They’ve grown so close over the last five months. My heart swells at how effortlessly they’ve welcomed the girls into their lives and how much love they pour into them without hesitation or limits. But it’s all still a lie. A beautifully crafted, well-intentioned lie.

And if my parents ever found out the truth, they’d be devastated.

Still, I push the guilt aside and exhale a sigh of relief now that our parents are here. Vic steps closer, presses a warm hand to my back, and leans down to kiss my cheek.

Then together, we head out to Maxine’s Bar-N-Grill to fake nice with Krista.

Chapter 21

A Double Date with Darkness – Kerry

The moment we pull into the parking lot, a strange chill runs down my spine. It’s probably nothing. Still, I can’t shake the feeling that something’s off tonight.

Krista spots us the moment we step inside, waving enthusiastically from a booth in the back.

We try to make our way toward her, but there are…obstacles.

I’m stopped at nearly every turn—former colleagues, childhood friends, parents of students I haven’t seen in years. They pull me into tight hugs, fire off a million questions, and spill all the local gossip.

Townie #1: We need you and the OGs back at the school Kerry!

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