I was banking on it.
“I was excited when you messaged,” she said, flipping her phone over so it was face down on the tabletop beside her menu.
I squeezed out a smile and tried to be the manufactured, Instagram version of myself as I sat across from her in the booth. “I’m glad this worked out. Thanks for meeting me.”
“Of course.” She leaned over the table that was uneven planks fashioned to look like a deck. “How’s your sister? I heard she’s in the hospital.”
Cape Hill was small, but it still amazed me how fast news could travel. It seemed like all roads of information flowed toward Sophia, though.
“She’s doing better,” I said. “They sent her home this morning.”
“Oh, good.” She took a sip of her water. “Nothing serious, then?”
At least she didn’t know why Emily had gone to the hospital. My sister had just started her second trimester, wasn’t showing yet, and wasn’t ready to announce her pregnancy. “No, nothing serious.”
The waiter came by, took our lunch orders, and once he was gone, Sophia couldn’t contain her curiosity another second. “What did you want to ask me?”
As she stared at me with her big doe eyes, perfectly sculpted nose, and gorgeous blonde hair, I couldn’t help but flash back to high school. She’d been Aphrodite. The most beautiful girl at Cape Hill Prep, queen of society and decider of who was popular and cool.
The girl I’d been five years ago was now pissed at what I was about to do, but it was necessary. Win at all costs.
“So,” I started, “this is kind of embarrassing. You might not remember much about me in high school.” It was likely the only thing she remembered was not to bother remembering a nobody like me. “But I wasn’t close with a lot of people. I’ve been so busy, I didn’t make many new friends at Etonsons either.” I paused, playing up my nerves, which wasn’t a stretch by any means. “At Royce’s party, you asked to take a picture and said . . . we were friends.”
Her smile froze and unease clouded her eyes. Did she think awkward Marist Northcott was going to ask to be her new best friend? I wanted to laugh when her gaze instinctively flicked toward the exit. She was thinking about running before I got clingy.
“Royce has a ton of friends,” I continued, “which means he’ll want a big bridal party.”
When it clicked, her gaze snapped back to me, and suddenly she very much wanted to be Marist Northcott’s new best friend. “Yeah,” she said enthusiastically, “he’s a great guy.”
I tried to keep my eye from twitching. “Right. So, I know it’s a lot to ask, but I’m hoping I can talk you into being one of my bridesmaids.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh, my God, yes! Of course, yes.” She pressed her palm flat to her chest like she’d just accepted an Academy Award. “I’m so honored, Marist.”
“Awesome.” It came out overly bright, not that she noticed.
Her excitement was so big, she nearly vibrated out of the booth. “I mean, it’s going to be the wedding of the century. The Northcotts and the Hales. Who do you think I’d be partnered with?” She gave me a hopeful look. “Tate?”
“Tate . . . Isaacs?” I hadn’t thought about him in forever. He’d gone to Cape Hill Prep and, like Sophia, was two years older than I was. If she’d been the queen, he’d been the king, once the mantle had been passed down from Royce. My eyebrows pulled together. “I didn’t know Royce was even friends with Tate.”
Sophia peered dubiously at me. “Seriously? Did they have a falling out? I thought they were best friends.”
“Oh.” I bit my bottom lip. “No, I’m sure everything’s fine.” There was still so much about Royce I didn’t know.
“You should have seen him at the fundraiser thing the other night.” She pretended to fan herself. “Sweet baby Jesus, I swear Tate is Cape Hill’s very own Michael B. Jordan.” Realizing she’d gotten sidetracked, she refocused. “I assume Vance is the best man?”
“Yeah,” I said with faked confidence. I assumed as well, not knowing if it was true.
“And Emily will be your maid of honor, so they’ll be partnered together. Not that I’d complain about being paired with Vance. He’s so cute, but he makes me feel like a dirty old woman.”
I blinked. “You’re a year older than him.”
“Exactly. Women are at least five years ahead of men in maturity, so it’s like he’s not even legal yet. And I’ve always been into older men, anyway.”
Macalister’s words from last night echoed in my mind, and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.
“Okay, so I’ve got to ask.” Sophia’s voice dropped low and she turned serious. “What’s it like living there?”
“With the Hales?”
“I’d die. I wouldn’t be able to function around all those hot men.”
I gave a strained smile. “I survive. I’ve gotten used to Royce,” I lied, “and Vance is hardly ever there.”
She seemed to be waiting for more, and when it didn’t come, “And Macalister?”
“What about him?” My mouth went dry as I understood what she was asking. She thought Macalister was hot. “Really?”
“Are you kidding?” She stared at me like I was crazy. “He’s the best one out of the bunch. I mean, you have seen him, right? Or how when he walks into a room, everyone just . . . stops.”
They did that out of fear, not his looks. “Because he owns Cape Hill.”
My statement was ignored. “And those blue eyes he has.” She closed hers, and a dramatic shiver shook her shoulders. “They’re gorgeous. Plus, he’s so powerful and, like, bossy. I know it’s wrong and he’s the same age as our dads, but fuck. Macalister can get it.”
It was perfect role reversal how I now eyed the exit, wondering if I could extract myself from the situation. But I’d come with a mission, and I wasn’t leaving until it was accomplished.
“He’s good looking,” I agreed. “But I can’t think about him like that. He’s going to be my father-in-law.” I swallowed a breath. “You remember he’s married, right?”
She snorted. “Like that matters here.” The smile froze on her face. She’d realized she might blow the opportunity I’d given her and needed to correct course. “At least you know Royce is only going to get hotter as he gets older.”
She had a point. “True.”
“So, when did you guys really start dating? I usually hear things, but you two weren’t on my radar until recently. Someone said you hooked up with him at his graduation party last year, but then I also heard he went on a date with Emily, so I thought maybe they got you and your sister mixed up.”
Surprise jolted through me. “Who said I hooked up with him? Because we just fooled around a little, we didn’t—” Stop talking, Marist. I slammed my mouth shut.
She laughed lightly. “Oh, my God, you’re embarrassed. That’s so cute. I think it was Ally who told me. She saw Royce come out of some room and then you were right behind him. She said you both looked like something had gone down in there.”