money, Julian built them a trust fund that would set them up for life. He wanted to make sure that Bridge wasn’t cut out of something he was owed.”
I didn’t know what to say to that.
“Sounds like him,” Keaton agreed as if I wasn’t even at the table.
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. “If you guys are trying to make me look good, it’s working.”
Bridge scowled. “You don’t need help looking good. You have the better hair.”
I laughed at that. “True.”
Keaton and Izzy joined in until the entire table was laughing. And somehow, it wasn’t awkward. The four of us together.
It felt a lot like coming home.
Like finding forever.
Finding my family again.
“Any dessert?” I nodded toward the menu in Keaton’s hand.
She scrunched up her nose. “I think the chocolate mousse, wanna share?”
I gave her a knowing look. “If I say yes, you’re going to grab your knife and hold it at my throat with one hand while you finish the entire thing, aren’t you?”
She sucked in a breath like she was outraged, then said, “Yeah, probably.”
“Sure, yeah, I’ll share.” I laughed, earning a curious look from my brother that basically said I was a goner when it came to Keaton, so I shot him a look that said Shut the fuck up, earning a wide smile and quick middle-finger flash that had me laughing more with him than I had in a long time.
They settled on the buttercream cake to share, though the minute it arrived, Izzy took both forks. Then again, she was pregnant, so Bridge didn’t even argue.
Keaton dug in to hers with fervor. I enjoyed watching her eat it, and then she rolled her eyes and moaned. “Okay, I’m only sharing a bite so you understand this is why I would stab you in the throat, ’k?”
“Violent, isn’t she?” Bridge said out loud.
“Threatened to kill me when we first met, so I’d say that’s a yes,” I joked and turned to Keaton. “Alright, let me have it.”
“Oh, I’ll let you have it so hard . . . ,” she said more to herself and then looked up. “Sorry, I have a thing for chocolate.”
“My kinda girl.” Izzy reached across her table with her fork, they clanked them together in some sort of secret female ritual that basically conveyed not sharing. Ever. And laughed.
Then Keaton’s fork was in front of my mouth. “Open.”
I did as I was told, because Keaton and chocolate together were irresistible, and tasted the best chocolate mousse I’d ever had in my entire life. She pulled the fork back. I clamped down with my teeth and licked the rest of it, my hand grabbing her wrist while she laughed.
“How could you!” a voice shouted, causing Keaton to drop the fork.
My gaze darted around the room and settled on the girl holding her phone up at us, shaking with rage. “You promised to love him forever!”
Keaton opened her mouth. I shook my head at her and stood and went in search of security. Luckily, they were already on their way. It wasn’t normal for any of us to be accosted during meals, but the restaurant always knew to be on high alert whenever a Tennyson was around—we had changed lives within the same breath of ruining them, and while my brother and I were trying to make the company better, we still had to deal with the aftereffects of our father and his ruthlessness.
“Miss, come with me.” The guard stood in front of the girl as she looked around him at Keaton and shook her head angrily.
Keaton went completely still. Tears filled her eyes as the girl shrugged away from the security guard and started to cry. “I can’t believe I used to look up to you! Were you even together? Was it just some giant publicity stunt to get Instagram likes? How could you even move on? Real love wouldn’t let you! You’re so fake!”
“That’s it.” The security guard physically grabbed her and moved her toward the exit, amidst all the hushed whispers around us.
I reached for Keaton’s hands.
She held them in her lap.
And when I squeezed her thigh for comfort, she stiffened.
The rest of the evening was ruined.
And I had a sinking feeling that all of the progress we’d made together, dealing with our grief, the book, this thing between us, just took two giant leaps backward.
Chapter Thirty-Four
KEATON
I felt physically sick that night as I stared at the laptop. True to my word I came back to Julian’s.
All that mattered was finishing the