Page 55 of I Wish I Would've Warned You

“So you just went up there to write?”

I nod.

“Ugh. Bo-ring!”

I can’t help but laugh at her.

“Your luck is about to change tonight,” she says. “Trust me.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll find out later.” She winks.

“I hate surprises.”

“Oh wow.” Her voice goes sly. “You sounded just like Cole when you said that. You two are becoming more like family every day, huh?”

“I wouldn’t say that…”

“Can I ask you something personal?”

“Sure…”

“Well, it’s really like three things.” She bites her bottom lip. “Has Cole ever talked about me? Like intimately?”

Huh? “Not that I recall.”

“I guess that makes sense since you just met him, but…” She leans closer. “Do you ever notice the way he looks at me when I walk into the room?”

I blink slowly. “I’ve only been around you two a few times.”

“Focus, Miss Poetic Writer. I need you to help me write a few texts—letters, really—to tell him I’m ready. Like, officially ready. No more games. I want to be exclusive.”

“Wait… what?”

“We’ve been dancing around each other for years,” she says, dead serious. “First, you show up and get in the way of my big return message, and now that his cousin Matt is coming to stay here for a few weeks, it’s like the universe is testing us. Throwing blockades in our path.”

My brain stutters. “How much have you had to drink today?”

“A lot.” She grins. “Clearly too much because I ruined the Matt surprise.”

I exhale, grateful—for once—that it’s not another nuclear bomb from my mother and Aidan.

“Can you help me by tomorrow night?” she asks. “I want to tell Matt that I was right about Cole being into me.”

“Sure,” I lie. “How does Cole have a cousin if Aidan’s an only child?”

“From his late mom’s side.” She shrugs. “Oh—and whatever you do, don’t bring up the DUI thing in front of Matt. He gets really pissed about it as if Cole wasn’t in the wrong or something.”

“What?” My heart skips. “What DUI?”

“Oh, yeah.” Her voice drops. “Cole got charged with one a few years ago. He even served a little time in prison for it, but it’s a family secret. I can’t even tell my friends.”

“But you’re telling me…”

“You’re family now.” She smiles unevenly. “Trust me, if people knew Mr. Aidan Dawson’s son had a DUI charge, and just how bad that ‘accident’ was, that would totally tarnish his brand. I’m one for a good gossip, but not when it comes to family, you know?”

A sharp, cold prickle creeps up the back of my neck.

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