Page 36 of Home for the Holidays

“But none of the kids know.”

“Oh.” She tried to blink the shock away, but she realized doing that meant she wasn’t responding. “Wait.” She paused again. “You’re gay.”

“A lesbian, yes.”

“And so is your ex-husband.”

“He’s not a lesbian, no.” Heidi’s arched eyebrows were so fucking perfect. “He’s pansexual, but he’s married to a man now.”

“And your son is also part of the LGBTQ community.”

“Which one?”

Iris’s mouth fell open. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, which one doyoumean?”

“Which one doyoumean?” Her lips curled into a mischievous smirk.

“Heidi, I mean Adrien.” She took a breath. “Youknow, don’t you?”

“What do I know?”

“You know what I’m talking about.”

The mischievous smirk on Heidi’s lips morphed into a sympathetic smile. “I’ve known about Zac for most of his life.”

“I fucking knew it,” Iris whispered. She tore her eyes away from Heidi, then picked up her drink and took two very big gulps. “What thefuck?”

“Wait a second…”

Iris glanced at her. “What?”

“You’re not his girlfriend, are you?”

Iris laughed. “You’re quick. What was your first clue?”

“Hey, this is my second old-fashioned. Give me a break.” She chuckled as she swiveled her barstool so she was facing Iris. “Also…” When Iris didn’t turn toward her, Heidi reached over and turned Iris’s face toward her. “The relief I am feeling because you aren’t his girlfriend is so extreme.”

“Yeah, same,” Iris said as she studied Heidi’s brown eyes; the darkness was as intoxicating as the espresso martinis.

“And,” Heidi started, paused, a gleam of pride in her eyes. “I’m hismom. OfcourseI know. But he won’t tell me, which is maybe the most infuriating thing to ever happen. I’ve been more than patient with him. He said he was bringing someone home with him, so I assumed it was a guy. Then you showed up, which has been extremely confusing onmultiplelevels. I know nothing about you. Zac has literally never mentionedyou. A roommate, sure, but neverIris.” She paused, apprehension on her beautiful features. “Iris, whoareyou, by the way?”

Iris couldn’t lie. The confession that Zac had never mentioned her stung. She didn’t let people into her life often. She could count on one hand how many true friends she had in her life. Actually, two fingers. Stacey and Zac. Trust wasn’t something she excelled at. But Zac had made it very easy. Being so much older than him often made her feel like maybe she was stupid to allow him to be so important to her. And now, hearing what Heidi was saying… every ounce of her self-loathing wanted to yellI fucking told you soin the mirror for the next year. She instantly regretted how often she screamed from the rooftops how important he was to her. Every person in her life knew who he was, how close they were, how happy she was that she had finally found someone she could rely on. She had assumed, wrongfully so, it seemed, that he had been just as forthcoming about her to the important people in his life.

“He never mentioned me, hmm?”

“He said he moved in with a new roommate. That was it.”

“Cool. Cool.” Iris knew she wasn’t hiding the sadness on her face or in her voice, but at this point, she didn’t care. “I mean, before you said all that? I would have said I’m his best friend, his confidante. But now? I guess I’m just his roommate.”

“And that’s it?”

“Oh, yeah, and his girlfriend.Obviously.” She rolled her eyes. Heidi’s knowing smile made her heart want to jump out of her mouth and belly-flop onto the bar top.

“Please don’t ever try to be a spy. You’d be awful at it.”

Iris laughed loudly. “Yeah, or are beautiful women the only thing that breaks me?” She watched Heidi digest the compliment posed as a question. “Did you ever actually believe that I was his girlfriend?”

She shook her head, which caused her hair to cascade over her shoulder. God, she was so fucking hot. The hours of therapy Iris had succumbed to so she could find out why she was so attracted to older women was laughable. Hours and hours, and yet here she was, starting the process all over again, with another older woman, who was her best friend’s mom and therefore completely off-limits. What a pickle.

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