Page 100 of The October Arrangement

I couldn’t stop smiling.

“Holy shit!” Christian exclaimed.

“What? What did I miss?”

“Nothing,” he said.

“Then why are you shouting holy shit?”

“Because you’re smiling at your phone,” he said.

“So?”

“Simon Montclair doesn’t smile at his phone. Ever!”

“Shut up,” I sighed.

“Is that Bella?”

“Yes.” I slipped my phone into my pocket.

“What did she send you?”

“Nothing,” I said.

“Bullshit. Was it dirty?” He nudged my shoulder.

“No.”

“Then why the fuck were you smiling?”

I didn’t answer him and stared straight ahead at the field.

“Oh, fuck,” he said.

“What?”

“You’re in love with her.”

I looked at him and didn’t say a word. Not because what he said shocked me. It didn’t. That was the fucked-up part. I’d already known.

“Christ, Simon. You are,” he said.

“Yeah.” I turned my attention back to the game.

One fucking word was all it took to make my chest tighten.

“Yeah?” Christian leaned closer.

“Yeah.” I nodded.

“You’re saying you’re in love with Bella?”

“You heard me the first time. Knock it off.”

“I need clarification because I’ve known you since we were kids, and I’m pretty sure I’ve heard you say love and relationships are bullshit a million times. You said marriage was a legally binding hostage situation. You said relationships were obligations people voluntarily signed up for and then spent years trying to escape.”

“I may have said that,” I said. “People change.”