Series: Cobalt Empire Series by Krista Ritchie
Total pages in book: 220
Estimated words: 215301 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1077(@200wpm)___ 861(@250wpm)___ 718(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 215301 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1077(@200wpm)___ 861(@250wpm)___ 718(@300wpm)
“You are my wise sister. You just said it! You’re never wrong.”
She plucks off a dangling feather. “I am sometimes wrong.”
“You know something about Audrey’s news,” Eliot realizes. “Spill.”
Jane reaches for her baby in a clear tactical diversion. “Maeve.”
“Ah,” Eliot holds Maeve away. “First, I want the intel.”
She squeezes her eyes at him. “You’re not using my daughter as collateral.”
“But she is such cute little collateral,” Eliot bounces her on his hip, and Maeve lets out a breathy giggle that makes all three of us smile.
“You’ll find out soon enough,” Jane says. “I’m not spoiling Audrey’s announcement.”
Okay, maybe my news isn’t as big of a deal than whatever Audrey has planned. The realization smacks me hard like I just did a belly flop in the pool. Why am I so bummed? My little sister outshining me—not the world’s worst-case scenario.
I can be happy for her.
I can.
I must be wearing my emotions on my face because Jane and Eliot are now giving uh-oh looks to each other like I’m about to crack open the case of the self-inflicted blues.
“Look, I’m dressed for your terribly wonderful news,” Jane lifts her arms and feathers flap around, and I want to die.
“I’m not dating a bird.”
“Phoenix is a—”
“A man.” I groan into the sink. Literally I am slumped into the countertop. “He’s a fucking man.” This is karmic payback for all the bird jokes I’ve made.
“Tom,” Eliot begins to console.
I rotate out of my pity party. “I’m fine,” I tell them. “Totally fine. Maybe I’ll just wait to tell everyone about my boyfriend.”
“No,” Jane shakes her head. “It’ll be nice to have something far less controversial in the mix.”
Eliot chokes on air. “Sister. Controversial? And you’re keeping these details from me. It’s unlawful.” He bends his head to whisper in the baby’s ear. “Maeve, tell your mommy I can keep a secret.”
Jane smiles. “She hasn’t spoken more than thirty basic words.”
“To you,” Eliot says. “We have whole in-depth conversations. Maeve has already told me her hopes and dreams and declared I am her favorite uncle. We’re working on her penmanship so she can write it down for you.”
“Book,” Maeve says into another giggle, clasping her hands together.
“See, she’s a genius,” Eliot notes.
“Controversial?” I frown, stuck on this point.
Jane is about to speak—but the bathroom door opens. Beckett sticks his head in and glances between the three of us like we’re conspiring. “What’s happening here?”
For some reason Eliot and Jane turn to me.
I raise my hands. “Not it.”
Beckett enters and gracefully hops onto the sink vanity, settling on the counter. He wears a pair of dark pants and a plain white T-shirt. I’m a little thunderstruck he’s even here. He’d warned everyone that he might not be able to make it since the big NYBC Spring Benefit Gala is this week.
“What’d I miss?” Beckett asks, his eyes on me.
“Dude, you missed nothing. You’ve been a star student attending Wednesday Night Dinners this month when you’re knee deep in rehearsals for Manon.”
“Don Quixote,” he corrects me.
I grimace. “No, I swore it was Manon.”
“I’m performing Manon this month. Rehearsals are for Don Quixote, which is in June.”
“Oh my God,” I groan. “Your life is so confusing.” I’m also blasted with sheer disappointment in myself. I almost never mix up Beckett’s schedule. The tour must be overloading my memory.
Thankfully, Beckett is smiling, clearly amused by me. “What’s going on, Tom?”
For some reason, I’m the center of attention, so I just come out with it, “Phoenix and I are official.”
Beckett blinks. “Officially what?”
Eliot bellows with laughter. “This is too good. Dear brother, you do know what dating is?”
Beckett makes a what the fuck face and motions to me. “They were already dating.”
“We were but we weren’t,” I interject, causing more confusion. “We didn’t have labels. Now we have labels.”
Jane presses her fingers to her lips, her eyes volleying back and forth between all of us.
Beckett looks like he might hurl. “Boyfriends?”
The door flies open again. Charlie has entered the chat, looking nonplussed that we’re all congregated in the hall bath. Though it’s not small. Two sinks. Plenty of room. It’s honestly one of my favorite bathrooms in the house with pinstriped olive-green walls and a Monet painting of a vase overflowing with gladioli, lilies, and daisies.
Even so, I did not prepare myself to blow my news in the fucking bathroom.
Charlie shuts the door. “Are we talking about Audrey?”
“Yes,” Eliot says immediately.
“No,” Jane side-eyes him, and Maeve reaches her teeny-tiny fingers toward Charlie. “Uh-ku.” Baby Maeve’s version of uncle.
Eliot shakes his head at our niece. “She’s obviously pointing at her least favorite.”
“You’re all her favorite,” Jane notes.
“I love you, sister, but there are rankings. Life is dull without them.”
Jane is handing off Maeve to Charlie. You’d think Maeve has spent her entire life being held by my eldest brother. She rests her head on his shoulder and quietly closes her eyes.