Page 17 of Into the Woods

I grinned. “And we’ll totally go shopping, too. I guess I could at least use a new mascara. Pretty sure the one you picked up is from the last time I visited and you took me to Sephora.” Besides, I did love shopping, too.

Cami gasped and whirled, grabbing the mascara and chucking it into the trash can. “Are you freaking kidding me, Rebecca Eleanor?”

I blanched. “I mean—”

“Have you ever seen what eye mites can do? They’re grubby little things that grow in your lashes.” Cami looked utterly horrified. “Six months, Bex. That’s how often you change your mascara.”

“I mean, I have dark lashes. I don’t use it that often—”

She held up a hand. “We’re not negotiating the shelf life of an opened tube of mascara. I love you too much to let little insects burrow into your eyeballs and lay eggs.”

I wasn’t sure that was how eye mites worked, but the idea of getting some funky eye infection from old mascara definitely gave me the creepy-crawlies.

Cami shot me a knowing look. “You’re imagining bugs digging—”

“Stop!” I shouted, lunging forward to slap my hand over her mouth, but she spun away with a laugh while at the same time opening my bedroom door.

“Let’s go, Rebecca,” she called, her lilting voice carrying as she hurried down the hallway.

With a reluctant sigh, I followed my cousin, my heart lighter than it had been in weeks.

This was exactly what I needed: a day out with one of my favorite humans to remind me that there was more to life than broody bad boys who ripped out your heart.

CHAPTER 6

COURT

“Damn.” A sharp catcalling whistle followed the awed word.

I glanced over my shoulder to see Maddie descending the stairs in a short red dress, her hair swept up in some elaborate twist that somehow managed to look both elegant and effortless. Her heels clicked across the marble floor as she made it to the landing, but it was the way she turned bashful at his praise that made me grin.

“Thanks, Linc,” she muttered, her cheeks turning a few shades pinker than the dress she wore. Her hands fluttered around her torso, patting the dress like it was wrinkled. “Is it too much? I swear, California does not understand winter.”

Maddie had grown up in Michigan, in a town near Detroit. Usually by the first week of February, her town was buried under a foot of snow. But here in southern California, the temps hadn’t dipped below seventy-two.

“Nah.” Linc took a massive bite of the apple in his hand while he leaned against the railing of the staircase. “Seriously, Mads, you look hot. New dress?”

Her blush deepened as she gave a shy nod, and I was yet again reminded of all the ways she was different from her twin sister. Not that I’d ever really known Madelaine. Sure, I’d known her growing up and known that she was friends with Becca, but after I’d cut Becca out of my life, I hadn’t given Madelaine a second thought until Ryan had announced they were getting married.

Ryan’s father was a fucking bastard for a lot of things, but maybe the one good thing he’d done was arrange Ryan and Madelaine’s engagement, because that had brought Madison into Ryan’s life. Into all our lives.

Where Lainey had been callous and cruel, Maddie was sweet and friendly. She was loyal and kind, and she’d won a permanent spot in our group even before Ryan wifed her up for the first time. Besides, with her came Becca.

As much as the way we were now killed me, I would never regret the time I’d had with Becca before things went FUBAR.

Again.

Linc lifted an arm to rest on the bannister, his dark blue eyes glittering in a teasing way that was all too familiar. “Mads, if you ever change your mind, I know a great divorce attorney.”

“And I know seven places to bury your body that the cops would never think to check,” Ryan retorted as he came down the stairs, fastening a button at his wrist. He slapped the back of Linc’s head before coming to a stop in front of Maddie. His eyes went practically feral with lust as his gaze devoured her. “Fuck, baby.”

She shot him a coy smile, sliding her hands up his chest to loop around his neck. The chandelier overhead caught the several carats of colorless diamond on her finger, sending scattered rainbows across the white walls of the entrance. “Play your cards right, and you absolutely can later, Mr. Cain.”

The return gaze he sent her—all heat and promises of debauchery—almost gave me a semi.

“Where are you two going?” Linc asked, taking another bite of apple.

“Cain Industries fundraiser,” Ryan replied with a grimace. “Unfortunately the PR team said missing it would send a bad message to the board.”

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