Page 49 of Identical Disaster (Sterling Shore 8)

“Not at all,” he tells me, kissing my hand before guiding me toward everyone just as the sun disappears from sight.

To my surprise, there’s a hell of a lot of people here now, and Jax’s footsteps miss a beat.

“Come on,” I say with a smile. “It really did turn into a reunion night. It’s been a while since I had one of these.”

“It’s what?” he asks, confused, as I start running down the beach and straight into a waiting pair of arms.

Chapter 20

JAX

Bo is being hugged by every single person here, and I don’t know anyone.

“What happened?” I ask Viv as I step up beside her.

She swirls her drink in her glass, much like mom does, and then points at nothing in particular.

“All these people came to roast a pig or something and say hi to Mick and Vince. They are some seriously friendly people, too. I think I’ve been hugged by most of them, and I don’t even know them.”

I tense when a guy around my age eyes Bo’s ass, and then I relax when some guy slaps him on the back of the head for it.

“Where’ve you been?” Viv asks.

“Walking. Talking. Thinking. Figuring things out, I think.”

“Care to elaborate?”

“Not really,” I tell her while pulling out my phone and dialing the one person who knows what’s going on.

Kode answers almost immediately.

“I need someone to punch,” he says, bypassing a hello.

“Do I want to know?”

“You might, but I don’t want to talk about it. How goes the twin thing?”

“Um… I think I figured out why Bo came instead of Bora.”

“Bora was going to dump you; Bo was too nice to do it when she found out you had a trip planned; so now she’s there to fulfill her sister’s obligation? Yeah. Hold the applause; I know I’m a fucking genius. And good for you for finally catching up. Should have listened to me.”

“I think she may also be interested in me, asshole. Just not sure how I feel about this situation.”

“I’m the asshole? You were fucking Bora. That makes you an asshole because that’s all she fucks. Well, not literally. At least I don’t think… Did she fuck your asshole—”

“Are you drunk?” I groan, interrupting his ramble.

“Maybe a little,” he admits.

Running a hand through my hair, I blow out a breath. “Dick. You could have told me that before I started confiding.”

I’m an incredibly private person, so actually telling someone something is a big fucking deal. And I pick a drunken prick to confide in.

“Having a shitty day. Get off me.”

&nbs

p; “What’s going on?”