Stacy’s shoulders shake, and at first, I think she’s still crying, but then she looks up at me through her lashes, and her mouth turns up at the edges. Then she glances at Damon. “You’re the meanest brother ever. You couldn’t let me have more fun? Maddox looks like he’s going to puke.”
The fog and freaking out over my best friend having a thing for me clears, and I realize— “You traitor.” I turn to Damon. “You ratted me out.”
Damon holds up his hands in surrender. “I’m sorry. But the way you guys talk about each other, I wasn’t entirely sure Stacy didn’t have a thing for you, and finding out you hooked up with me would’ve crushed her, and she’s my baby sister. I messaged her this morning before we left and begged her to let it go, but you know her.”
“So much for being Switzerland,” I mumble.
“Bros before hos,” Stacy says.
“You’re not his bro. And I’m not a ho.”
Stacy’s I call bullshit face has me backing down.
“Okay, fine, I am.”
“Besides, I needed payback for Friday,” Stacy says. “That guy in a costume cost me two hundred bucks, and you didn’t fall for it.”
“So, this was all bullshit?” I ask.
She wipes fake tears from her eyes. Or maybe they’re real tears from laughing so hard. “Definitely. I love you, Maddox, but not in that way. I couldn’t care less if you hooked up with my brother.”
My eyes find Damon’s, and his brows go up in encouragement. He wants me to tell her, and I should. Knowing her, she’ll laugh at me, say “Oh, Maddox” and then try to set me up with a guy.
“Just so you know, I hate both of you,” I grumble instead.
“No, you love me,” Stacy says and snakes her arms around my waist.
“Fine. But uh …” I swallow the lump in my throat. “You busy right now? Maybe you could come with me to return the car and I’ll walk you home?”
“Sure. You have to fill me in on your ex’s wedding. I should’ve made Damon wear a GoPro.”
“Yeah, because that’s inconspicuous,” Damon says.
“I want to hear all the wedding drama. I want a story,” Stacy says.
Yeah, she’s going to get a story, all right.
“Be a good fake boyfriend and help me with my bag, Madd—ox.”
I glare at Damon, because he almost called me Maddy. It’s funny—my whole hometown calls me that name, and I’ve hated it forever. But out of Damon’s mouth, it sounds like a term of endearment. Stacy can’t start calling me that. No way.
“I’ll be in the car,” Stacy says.
When we get to the stoop of Damon’s apartment, he puts his hand on my shoulder. “She’ll be cool with it. Apart from my parents, she’s my number one supporter. Sometimes so supportive it crosses boundaries.”
“Yeah, I can see her being like that. I don’t know why I’m nervous.”
“Not used to admitting it aloud is my guess. And if you’re not ready, you don’t have to. I just know she’s not someone you have to worry about telling. It’s your call.”
“Thanks for this weekend. It didn’t exactly turn out how I’d planned.”
Damon grins. “That might be understating it.”
“I’ll text you later.”
“See ya, Irish.”
I tip my head. “Dik.”
Stacy’s analytical green eyes appear even more intimidating than usual as I get in the car, but I don’t let it get to me. I can do this. Even if I hurl while doing it.
“So tell me everything. What did the bride wear, what did she say, did anyone call bullshit on yours and Damon’s fake relationship?”
“A gigantic white dress, she said a lot of things, and no one called bullshit.” I take a deep breath. “Probably helped that we made out on the dance floor.”
“You what? How the hell did Damon convince you to do that?”
Another deep breath. “He didn’t. I kissed him.”
“For show?”
Here we go. “For … for real. I, uh, kinda really like your brother.”
She blinks at me, stupefied. “Is this still part of the fucking with me shtick?”
“I wish I was fucking with you, because that would mean I wouldn’t have made a fool of myself by kissing Damon and him rejecting me.” I wait for the shock, the disbelief, maybe even betrayal—like I’ve been lying to her for years, but instead, she’s silent.
Her mouth drops open, and she blinks a few times, but before I can ask her if she’s stroking out, she recovers. “He rejected you?”
“That’s what you ask? Not, holy shit, Maddox is gay?”
She scoffs. “You’re so not gay.”
“I know I’m not, but I thought that’s what you’d assume.”
“So you’re bi-curious. Not shocking.”
My brow furrows. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you had to run out of women sometime.” Her smile does me in, and I burst into laughter. “I’m more interested in why Damon didn’t go for you.”
I get why he’s reluctant, and I can’t tell her the truth, but Eric’s not the only reason Damon turned me down. “He thinks I’m confused and doesn’t want to be my ‘experiment.’”