Page 76 of Shut Up and Drive

“There wasdefinitelycanoodling,” I say over my shoulder with a grin, and she smacks my arm.

“It’s about time,” my mother mumbles under her breath.

I whip around. “What was that, Mom?”

“Oh, nothing,” she says with a wave of her hand.

“No, really. If you’ve got something to say, say it loud, from your chest,” I tease, smacking my chest.

“Okay.” She folds her arms, calling my bluff. “It’s about damn time you two have realized you’re perfect for each other. We want grandchildren that unite our families. Get it done already!”

Sera pauses mid-fold. My snarky smile fades. Every snappy comeback wipes from my brain and we are both left sitting there like two blank pages. The silence after my mom dropped her truth-bomb deafens my ears, and I laugh to ease the tension. Only it doesn’t sound like a genuine laugh. It comes out all high-pitched and squeaky, and Sera closes one eye to endure it. I keep pushing it, though, because I’d rather be awkward in front of everyone I care about than face any more ofthatuncomfortable discussion.

“Good one, Mom,” I say, snapping my finger-guns at her.

Seriously? Finger guns?

Sera’s dad—bless him—breaks the tension. “Muffins, huh? Did you make my favorite?” he asks Sera and plants a kiss on the top of her head. She hands him a giant blueberry muffin with lemon glaze and smiles.

“I saved one just for you, Daddy.”

“Thanks, Kitten,” he says with a smile and grabs a cup of coffee.

As if on command, the crowd disperses into their own worlds again and the bustle of breakfast continues. I exhale the tension building up inside me.

I lean into Sera slightly. “Well, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” I say quietly.

“Were we in the same conversation just now?” she replies, then wraps her croissant dough and puts it back into the fridge. “At this rate, these chocolate croissants won’t be done until the day we leave,” she mutters under her breath.

“I think I handled it pretty well, considering…”

“You were as big of a dumpster fire at containing that whole thing as I was. Don’t flatter yourself,” she says with a serious face, but I spot the corners of her mouth tick upward slightly before she turns to clean up her baking mess. “Plus, we broke Rules Two and Three. What’s the point of having them if we don’t follow them?”

“Not so fast there, Pigeon.Youbroke Rule Two first.”

“Well, you didn’t exactly object,” she retorts.

“Now why on earth would I do that?” I say low in her ear. “Rule Two is the funnest one to break.”

“You’re hopeless,” she says, trying to clean up around me.

“Am I? I’m betting that secretly, youlikedwhat my mom said. In fact, I’ll bet there’s an old diary of yours with you practicing ‘Sera Donnelly’ in big, loopy cursive. And I’m also willing to bet thatinsaid diary, you already have our kids named. Don’t you?”

Her face turns bright red and she raises a floured hand to cool her cheek.

“Iknewit!” I tease.

“I was fifteen years old. Long before I knew how insufferable you’d be as we grew up.” She smacks my pec muscle and a cloud of flour puffs across my shirt. I leave her handprint, but take a paper towel and wipe the flour from the counter, laughing at the whole situation.

“Thank you,” she says softly and puts her dirty dishes in the sink to soak. She grabs a muffin and some fruit and puts them onto a paper plate. “I should probably take some breakfast to Bradley. He’s too embarrassed to come downstairs and we can’t have him getting hangry now, can we?”

I put on my most stoic face to hide the joy I feel in his misery—especially after the way he treated her this morning. She disappears up the stairway, and I make a plate for her for later.

Chapter 31

DIRTY LITTLE LIAR

Sera