Faked (Ward Family #2)(52)

The man next to me stayed quiet, but I saw the strong column of his throat move on a slow swallow.

"Everyone has a past, Bauer. It doesn't define who we are moving forward." I gave a small shrug of my own. "So I won't hold your past against you if you can promise to do the same for me."

He tangled our fingers together again. "So I won't imagine some ripped book nerd in your sociology class mooning over you because you guys dated for five years. Because that would probably do the same cute pouty thing to my face as yours just did when you talked about snow bunnies."

I laughed. "Seriously, you're such an ass."

As he grinned, I felt my stomach flip weightlessly again.

Some ripped book nerd. No, I hadn't dated one of those for five years, but in my head ... one had taken up residence for even longer. If Bauer and I stayed together, and oh, my heart wanted that so badly, I'd eventually have to admit my harmless crush on Finn and how that played a role, but I knew this wasn't the time.

The feeling of suspended reality that we'd enjoyed at the cabin still lingered in the Jeep. We drove through a winter wonderland so beautiful it didn't seem real. I was with a man who gave me the kind of butterflies I didn't know existed—like sex-crazed, I want to stay in a bed with you for a week and pluck every deep thought out of your head because your head is just as fascinating as your body kind of butterflies—and I wasn't ready to pop that bubble just yet.

My gut screamed at me over whatever logic my head told me to just ... keep my mouth shut about Finn.

Finn didn't even know, so there wasn't even really a secret to be brought out into the open. It was just, something I used to feel. Something I'd gotten over.

"What's waiting for you when you get back?" he asked.

I smiled, happy for the change in subject. "Family dinner. We eat at Logan and Paige's every week. It's loud and crazy and ... perfect."

"All right, princess, tell me about them. Any group of people who make you smile like that, I've gotta know."

Turning slightly in my seat, I took a moment to gauge his facial expression. Because his eyes were covered, I couldn't get a true read on him, not really, but the rest of him looked relaxed and happy. Interested.

This was me and him outside of the cabin. Him getting to know the other parts of my life, and me, hopefully being able to do the same.

"Molly is the oldest," I started. "She travels a lot because of her job with Amazon. She's the assistant director for their documentary series, All or Nothing."

He nodded. "I remember when that came out. She and her boyfriend, Noah, right? The guy who plays for Washington."

"Yup. So they miss dinner a lot, but whenever she's in town, they're there."

"Next is"—he snapped his finger—"Isabel, right? The only one who didn't try to glare me out of your apartment, which makes me prone to like her the best."

I laughed. "Yes, she's the middle. And the funny thing about that is that Isabel is usually the hardest to impress. She and Paige are two peas in a pod; they always have been. Isabel manages a gym, a kickboxing studio."

"Nice." He nodded appreciatively. "Have I heard of it?"

"Maybe. Wilson's Gym and Kickboxing Studio."

He shook his head. "I haven't. Maybe ... maybe we could check it out someday."

My face felt warm and flushed and happy at how easily he suggested it. He was trying.

I licked my bottom lip, watching his face carefully. "You going to be in Seattle more?"

His grin hooked up on one side. "You know, I think I might be." He squeezed my hand. "Even if the rest of your family hates me, at least I know Isabel is on my side."

"Lia knows you," I pointed out.

"Lia has spent more than ten years as best friends with the younger brother who's gone his whole life hearing what a horrible influence I'd be on him. Trust me, your sister won't be a fan of"—he glanced meaningfully at me—"this."

I frowned. "She's still my twin, though, and my best friend. When she sees ..." My voice trailed off. It felt like a strange place to say something big and meaningful like when she sees how important you are to me.

When she sees how insanely happy you make me,

When she sees how wonderful you really are.

When she sees that I'm falling in love with you.

Bauer heard something in the pause and pulled his eyes from the road. "When she sees …?"

"Us," I finished lamely. "I think if she's able to see us," I stammered slightly over my words, "you know, hanging out or whatever. She'll be okay with it."

He didn't exactly look convinced. "If you say so."

"Lia is protective, just as we all are of each other." I didn't want to feel defensive about the way he was immediately writing off her ability to see that I was happy or give him a second chance, but I did. "And yeah, maybe she doesn't know you well, but she'll get to know you. And she'll see that you're more than what Adele's written you off to be."

Sensing my discomfort, he lifted my hand and kissed it. "Okay. You know her better than I do. I've only seen her as Finn's best friend. She's protective of him too."

I sighed. He wasn't wrong. "Lia is …" I searched for the right words. "She's like ... bottled energy inside a body that can hardly hold it. It's one of the biggest ways we're different. She was always the ringleader when we were young because her brain never stops moving. She's stubborn, and she's strong-willed." Despite my words, I was smiling. "And she's my other half. Because she loves me," I finished quietly. "She'll be okay with you."