“All right,” Hudson announces loudly, taking over for the group. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
“Rae…” Haley calls out. Her sister turns and makes eye contact with her, and then promptly turns back around.
“Give her some time. Besides, it’s not just you she’s mad at. It’s me too.”
“This is exactly why I didn’t want to say anything,” Haley spits out.
Hurt filters through me. I drop our joined hands and shove my now cold palm into my front pocket. “I know you’re upset. I get it, I truly do, but you can’t lash out at me over it. I didn’t force you to take my hand, Haley. You did that. I’m tired of being the one to have to push our relationship. If you want this, want this for you. Don’t want it for me or anyone else. Just…don’t.”
“I’m a right foul git.”
“You’re also American, Harry.”
She looks at me in bewilderment. “You…you…”
“What? Are you surprised I know what Harry Potter is? Spoiler alert: I’ve read all the novels and have seen all the movies—multiple times each.”
“Can we get married in Vegas?” she jokes.
My lips spasm as I try to hold back a grin. “We’ll see.”
We’re seated together on the plane, Tucker and Maura a row behind us, Dallas and a rather disgruntled Perry several rows back. I can’t seem to find Hudson and Rae, but I know we’re all on the same flight.
Haley shifts in her seat until her head is lying on my shoulder. Reaching down, she entwines our fingers. To be honest, I’m scared to apply any pressure back. That burn she gave me didn’t happen long ago, and it still stings.
“I’m trying to say I was a total asshole earlier.”
“I know you were.”
She doesn’t argue, and she doesn’t act like I was supposed to either. “I’m ready to do this. For us. For me.” She leans up and presses a soft kiss to my cheek. Running her lips to my ear, she whispers, “All in?”
I freeze.
Fuck.
I’m not all in, and I’m just as big of an asshole as she was. I need to tell her the truth about my family, and I need to do it now or we’ll never make our relationship work.
Hide, hide, hide—it’s all I do. It’s what I’ve been doing.
But not anymore.
“I have four siblings,” I blurt out.
She draws back, shocked. “What?”
“I have four siblings.”
“I heard you, Polly.”
“Surprised?”
“Immensely.”
“Surprise!” I mock yell, lifting our hands up and waving them about. Haley giggles, and I’m relieved she doesn’t seem upset. “You mad?”
“No. Curious is a better word.”
“What do you want to know?”
