Page 155 of Only in Your Dreams

Parker takes a step back, anyway. Good to know these two can hit their stride again, so soon after making up.

“So… you’re okay with all this?” I say to Parker. “Me and Zac together?”

“Mels, I thought you knew me better than that. Why the hell would I send you off on a camping trip where you’d have to share a tent if I weren’t okay with the possibility of it?”

My jaw drops. “You said you stayed behind because you had a girl over!”

“Nah, just trying to make up for lost time. Though Iwasfascinated by the lengths you were going to hide this.”

Right on cue, Parker’s front door blows open and Brooks and Summer appear. They take in our scene, the way Parker leans against the island of the open kitchen, me and Zac standing in the middle of the living room. The mutinous look I’m giving my brother.

“I take it the jig is up?” Brooks says.

“Wait, it’s over?” Summer says, looking around in disbelief.

“Yup,” Parker says proudly, popping thePfor emphasis.

“Damn it,” she bursts. She reaches into her purse and produces a fifty-dollar bill, thrusting it in Parker’s direction. “I thought for sure they’d manage to stay oblivious at least another month.”

“Oblivious to what?” Zac frowns.

“To the fact that you really aren’t as clever as you think you are. Did you seriously think we didn’t figure out you were hooking up the whole time?”

“The whole—” I look from her to Parker. “How long have you known, exactly?”

“I’ve known since camp.” Parker pockets his money. “But neither of you seemed willing to talk about it, so we played along. I figured you could use some time to be blissfully in love before Summer kicked off her Spanish Inquisition.”

My brother gives me an affectionate smile and despite the shock, I’m gripped by the urge to cross this room and throw my arms around him and that kind, lovely face.

Brooks’s shoulders slump in relief. “ThankGodit’s over. Do you know how terrified I’ve been that I’d let something slip?”

“Slip what?” Zac grimaces. “He just said they knew from the start.”

“Not slip about you two. You couldn’t have been more obvious.” Brooks gives him a look. “You two made me swear not to tell Summer and Parker you were seeing other,theymade me swear not to tell you they already knew… I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in months.”

“But Brooks and I—”

“Mels, evenIhave more chemistry with Brooks,” Parker says. “If we didn’t already know, that joke would have been the ultimate sign.”

Zac presses his palms into his eyes. “And you let us keep pretending because…”

Summer plops down on the sofa, spreading out comfortably. “It was fun to mess with you. You did this thing when we were all out together, where actual smoke would come out of your ears whenever Brooks breathed near Mel. Cracked me right up.”

“Entertaining as hell,” agrees Parker.

“But now that it’s over, please allow me to begin,” Summer starts, lacing her fingers and cracking her knuckles. “Question number one: is this for real or are you just hooking up?”

Zac turns to me, eyes crinkled in a grin that does enough to make my chest crackle. I suck in my cheeks before I embarrass myself with the loopy, love-sick smile begging for release.

“It’s for real.”

Zac’s smile grows impossibly big, taking over his face, and I feel myself start to blush furiously. I shake my hair onto my face for some coverage.

“Okay, cute as hell,” Summer says, tone a lot softer than I was a minute ago. “Question number two, Zac: is this the part where you ask her to stay? Forget the city, move back here for good?”

Trust Summer to stumble on the one sore subject, even worse now that Zac and I are in as good a place as we are.

“No.” Zac gazes at a spot on the coffee table as he answers. “No, I’d never ask her to stay—her dream was always to live out there. In fact, she just heard back from a job she applied for in the city. She’s interviewing with the Knights next week.”

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