Page 57 of Nothing to Beat

What would be the point of scenting an eye mask?

“More details,” Roxie said, her hand sweeping away the concept.“Think less about me and more about you.I’m betting you don’t have a room reserved anywhere.Where will you sleep, Breckenridge?”

“Ah…” In typical Tripp fashion, he wasn’t fussed.“It’ll work itself out.”

“Always land on your feet, don’t you, boy.”And that was one of the things she loved about Tripp, everyone loved about him, worrying just wasn’t in his nature.“Someone’s bound to be brokenhearted, right?”

“Hey, now, I don’t only hit the easy prey.I wait for it to come to me.I have to be available, in case an emergency arises.”

They laughed.“Won’t be the only thing arising, I’ll bet.”Roxie smoothed her skirt.“Your mom will be there, don’t forget that.”

“Ah, the old ones leave early, plenty of time late into the night for the real party.”

Weddings.When with Breck, she thought about it.Hell, whether they were officially together or not, she’d often considered how their nuptials might go.

Breck wouldn’t have much of an opinion, he’d like whatever she liked because color schemes and flower arrangements weren’t high on his priority list.In the past, at least.Maybe now he was unemployed and unoccupied, he’d want the distraction.

Ha, what a giggle, could she really see him getting particular over place cards and chair silks?No.Was there such a thing as a groomzilla?

Shit, and she was doing it again.Again.There wouldn’t be a wedding, not any time soon.Assumptions like that, imaginings, daydreams, they were how she ended up hurting herself, pining for an uncertain future.And why they got caught up in each other, forgetting that others existed.

“Are you having the reception at Crimson?”she asked to get back to the point.

Roxie’s wedding.Not her wedding.

“Drinks reception before and after at the hotel, and they’re catering for us.”Roxie inhaled.“I think, anyway.But, yeah, Crimson into the night.It’s great to pre-own a gargantuan space.”

“Not much different to every other day of the week.”Tripp slid lower in his seat.“Cam coming?”

“I think he’s already in town.Some project, something.Miss him?”

“He’s the only one of the Colliers I understand.”

Roxie’s burst of laughter startled her.“You understand Cam Collier?You?Give me a break.You’d combust in three seconds flat if you made the commitment he did.”

“Does he know we’re in town?”she asked, struck by a glimmer of panic.“Does Cam know?”

“Because if Cam knows, Caspian knows.”Yes, the two Collier brothers probably talked to each other.Tripp translated, taking her thought to its conclusion.“And Caspian will talk to Breck.”

“Breck doesn’t know we’re in LA?”Roxie asked.“If he wants to show up, he can.Doesn’t mean he’ll be allowed to see you if you don’t want him to see you.”

“It’s not that, it’s…”

“Caspian Collier is one of Breck’s best friends.They talk, probably every day,” Tripp explained.Yes, thank you.“So if we need something fixing…”

“Talking about understanding Colliers.Caspian’s one of the few people in the world I don’t understand.”Roxie folded her arms.“He’s so… impervious.”

Tripp added.“He has a one-track mind.”

“So do you,” both she and Roxie said together.

“Yeah, but my track is fun and interesting, his track is more… corporate.Way less fun.”

“Heavy is the head…” she muttered.

Caspian was the eldest of the three Collier brothers.Knox was the middle child, and the only one currently involved with a partner, as far as she knew.Cam was the youngest, yet the most real of the siblings.

“Knox lives a life not too different from yours,” Roxie said to Tripp.“Zipping around all over the place.”

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