“I think I just threw up,” I whispered.

“You gonna call me ‘slave’ again?”

“No,” she said and pouted.

“Then start counting down the hours until I—”

“I’m still standing here!” I yelled, cutting Jace off. “Still losing my appetite rapidly. Please leave.”

He laughed loudly and with another quick kiss to Kinlee’s forehead, turned and headed toward his truck.

“Y’all disgust me,” I said when he left.

Kinlee looked at me with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. “Well, he sure doesn’t disgust me.”

“Oh, my God! We’re done talking about this. Mexican food. Margaritas. Movie. No more thinking about you and Jace.”

She shrugged as we walked toward the kitchen. “You could always join us.”

I stopped walking and my jaw dropped. “Kinlee!”

“Oh, my God, you need to see your face!” she somehow managed to say between hard laughs. “Aw, Kace, you know I’m joking. But that was too perfect an opportunity to pass up—I had to say it. And your expression just shows me it was so worth it.”

I gagged and thought about anything other than Kinlee and Jace’s sex life. “Just make the freaking margaritas.”

Hours later, we had eaten way too much, were already well into being drunk, had finished one movie, and for whatever reason had thought it would be amazing to make our own choreography to songs.

“I need to sit! I need water, and I need to sit.” When I realized I was already on the couch, I laughed. “Okay, maybe just water.”

Kinlee flopped onto the couch and laid her head on my lap. “We’re amazing at that, don’t you think? I think we’re amazing. No one can dance like we can. We’re amazing.”

“Say ‘amazing’ again.”

“Amazing!” she yelled and attempted what I think was the running man . . . while lying down.

“I can’t move! I have never in my life been so tired.”

Kinlee quickly rolled onto her stomach and then up on her knees. “Kace! Where in the mother effing world are you from?”

I laughed and fell back into the cushions. “Why?”

She flipped her hair back and grabbed the glasses off my face before putting them on her own. “I have naverrrr, in mah lahfe . . . been so tard.”

Grabbing my glasses, I put them back on my face. “I don’t sound like that!”

“Yes, you do!” she yelled out, still trying to give herself a southern drawl. “I’ve known you almost a year—it’s about time you tell me.”

My laughter slowly died down as I took in Kinlee’s expectant expression, her eyes the most sober I’d seen them since our first margarita that night. I wanted to tell her, I wanted to tell her everything. Who I was, about Brody and me . . . all of it. But I couldn’t yet. Sitting back up, I grabbed on to her arm and looked her in the eye. “Lee, what if I told you I’m not ready for people to know about my life before I moved here?”

She pouted, but not because she wasn’t getting her way. “Was it really that bad, KC?”

“It might not have been as bad as you’re thinking it was. But it was something I hated, something I wanted so badly to get far away from. And now that I am away from it, I’m so happy. Happy to not have to be that girl or think about her anymore, if that makes sense. And I guess I’m not ready yet for anyone to even get a glimpse of who I was. I’m sorry if that hurts you, I want to tell you, Kinlee. I really do. I swear, when I’m ready to think about that girl again, you’ll be the first to know.”

A slow smile crossed her face, and she nodded hard once. “Now that is something I can deal with. As long as I know that someday I’ll know, then I’ll stop bugging you to tell me. But I’m never gonna stop bugging you about the way you talk.”

All expression left my face. “I really don’t talk weird.”

“Oh, yes, yes you do!” She stood, then had to steady herself for a few seconds. “Come on! One more margarita, and then I want to dance until Jace picks me up!” The bell rang, and she glared at the door. “No! Go home!”

“It’s open!” I yelled and waved at Jace when he walked into the living room.

“Hide me!” Kinlee whispered as she pushed me back and lay down on top of me.

“That is the exact opposite of hiding,” I said back to her and patted her back.

“Come on, drunkie. Time to go.” Jace lifted her off me and cradled her in his arms. “Looks like the two of you had fun tonight,” he said to me.

“Always.”

Kinlee smiled widely at me and waved as Jace carried her away. “Don’t forget, KC, you can always join in on the fun with Jace and me!”

Jace raised an eyebrow, and a horrified expression crossed my face. “Kinlee, go home and go to bed!”

“Do I want to know?” Jace asked.

“No. No, you don’t,” I assured him as I opened the front door.

With a nod, he turned and walked out the door with Kinlee still grinning in his arms.

Shutting the door, I went to the kitchen and began cleaning everything up from our girls’ night in, and just as I was finishing my phone chimed. I ran to get it, hope building in my chest as I pulled up the text.

B:

I can’t call tonight. I’m sorry. I miss you.