Page 49 of Backhanded Compliments

“Oh, no,” Payton says in mock dismay, but she’s still grinning.

“Come on, live a little,” Claudia presses, leaning forward and planting her elbows on the table so she can properly stare at her.

“The point of the game is that if you don’t want to answer, you must drink,” Karoline says evenly. “And you never say no to that.”

Payton leans forward, staring at Karoline, who lifts her feathery blond brows in a challenge. Payton sighs and turns to Claudia. “Go ahead, then,” she says, resigned like a teacher humoring her young students.

“Have you met your soulmate?” Claudia asks, and everyone’s eyes fall to Payton’s left wrist, wrapped in black to hide whatever name is etched into her skin below it.

Payton pauses, holding her beer halfway to her mouth, as her dark eyes dart around the table. They’re like liquid ink in this light. Then she looks at Claudia and says, “I haven’t.”

Claudia’s spine straightens, and her face is a mix of confusion and shock.

“I thought you were married?” Remi chimes in, now that the game has gotten juicy.

“That’s what I thought!” Claudia exclaims, pointing at Remi.

Next to Luca, Karoline snorts.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I was engaged,” Payton says, rubbing her thumb along the slender neck of her beer bottle. “Never married.”

“What happened?” Juliette asks, leaning forward in tandem with Claudia.

Payton smirks at them and shakes her head. Then, with deliberate slowness, takes an exaggerated drink of her beer.

Payton revealed more than Luca would have expected her to. As she mulls over Payton’s candid response, Luca takes a drink from her own bottle and instantly regrets it. She hates beer.

“Thank you for indulging me, Payton,” Claudia says, saluting her with her wineglass. “You get to spin next!”

“Oh, how fun,” Payton drawls, but she’s grinning as she spins the bottle. It wobbles, nearly falling off the table. Luca holds her breath as it comes close to her, but stops on Karoline.

“Amazing,” Karoline says dryly. “Don’t even bother asking. I’m not answering.” She cheers her wine to the air and drains the whole glass.

“Boo, you’re no fun,” Payton says.

Karoline nudges the bottle with the tip of her acrylic and it does a lazy half-turn before landing on Remi.

“Oh, bring it on, Kitzinger,” Remi says with a wicked grin.

Karoline tilts her head, her gaze searching Remi’s face. “What’s your opinion on open relationships? Polyamory? Polycules?”

Remi blinks, taken aback. It’s quiet for a beat, then Juliette breaks the silence. “You do love to be in other people’s business, Remi. Might be the perfect arrangment for you.”

Remi chokes on a laugh. “Fuck off, Jules,” she says.

“Being nosy and polyamorous are not mutually exclusive,” Karoline says mildly, a smile tugging at the edge of her mouth.

“I’ve never thought about it,” Remi says. Her gaze slides toward the villa, higher to one of the windows above. “But I doubt my partner would be a fan.” Luca glances around the table. They’re missingtwo members of the Connolly Cup—Xinya, because she didn’t want to be outdoors in the heat, and Nadia, because she doesn’t drink. She files that thought away for later.

“Why not?” Octavia asks, twirling a lock of her hair around her finger. “Jealousy? Posessiveness?”

Remi clears her throat. “You’d have to ask her.”

“We would if we could,” Juliette chimes in, “butsomeonewon’t spill.” Luca frowns. So Juliette is close enough to Remi to even ask about her soulmate? Luca grits her teeth; that level of familiary is foreign to her.

Remi shrugs nonchalantly, but her gaze keeps darting to the villa. “That is also her doing.”

“Ah, your hands are zipped,” Claudia says with a sage nod.

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