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“Are you sure? Because you seem like you’re wilting a little bit.”

“That might be because some eccentric old lady had me hauling chairs and couches for the last hour and a half,” I tease, flashing her a smile.

She laughs again. “I’m not buying that for a second, young man.”

My smile dims a bit, and I lean back against the couch, letting out a sigh. “It’s just complicated. Everything has gotten so fucking complicated.” I end up telling her everything, with the exception of Ares being involved, but judging from her knowing look, maybe she’s already figured that part out.

“No one was supposed to find out that we’ve been messing around with Brynn,” I continue. “Because of who she is here and her career. It was just supposed to be something fun we were doing. But now it’s gotten away from us, and Brynn wants to end things, which I can’t even blame her for. She’s going to take most of the heat from this because that’s how our stupid society works. Of course it’s her fault for being in bed with two men and we, the two men in question, just get to walk away scot-free.”

“It is very stupid,” Birdie agrees. “Do you want to end things?”

“No,” I say, and it is the first time I’ve said it out loud. “No, I don’t.”

“Does she know that?”

I shake my head, and Birdie gives me a look.

“You can’t expect the girl to be psychic, Tate. Look at it logically. Her reputation is on the line, her family is pressuring her, her career is in the balance, and you and your friend haven’t even told her what you want. Of course she wants to end things when that seems like the safest bet.”

“I know, I know.” And I do know. I fully understand why Brynn is trying to protect herself here. “It’s just that I’m not convinced she’s wrong about ending it. I don’t know how to be a good boyfriend. What if she goes through all this, and then we end up breaking up anyway because I can’t be what she needs?”

“Give me a break,” Birdie says, slapping my arm lightly. “Have you tried?”

“Tried what?”

“Being a good boyfriend.”

I shake my head again.

“No one goes into a relationship knowing how to be a good partner. There’s no handbook. Yeah, there’s some common sense shit like don’t cheat on them and try to care about what they care about, but other than that, you have to learn as you go. You show up, you put the people you care about first. You tell them what you need and try to give them what they need. You talk to them and tell them how you feel, and you listen when they do the same. That’s all it is. It’s just two people, or however many, figuring it out together. The one thing you don’t do is just give up and go whining to ‘some eccentric old lady’.”

She winks when she says that, and I can’t help but laugh.

But she has a point. Several points, honestly. She talks like someone who’s speaking from experience, and hearing her say all that makes something warm rise in my chest. I realize it’s a kind of certainty, and that catches me off guard.

I get to my feet, finishing my tea in two long swallows. “Thank you, Birdie,” I tell her. “I think I just needed someone to lay it all out for me like that. I should go talk to Brynn.”

Birdie lifts an eyebrow. “Fine way to repay me for my wisdom, just sticking me with the rest of this job to finish on my own. I’m too frail for that.”

I’d be more put out, but the least I can do is finish helping her after she helped me pull my head out of my ass. So I finish up moving things, rushing now that I know what I need to do.

As soon as she declares the job done, I head back to the cabin. First, I need to talk to Ares and Callan, and then I’ll talk to Brynn.

45

BRYNN

Christmas Eve comes before I’m ready for it. It’s the last day of the festival, the day when I’ll get on the stage in front of the town and all the visitors and perform my song to end the festival.

I can’t even pretend to be excited about it now. I know I have to go up there and do it, but I’m dragging myself through the motions of showering and doing my hair, picking out an outfit without really thinking about it. My heart is too heavy to really be in this at all.

Of course my parents don’t notice. When I come downstairs, my mother gives my outfit a critical eye. She’s more dressed up than she usually is, prepared for all eyes to be on us.

“Stand up straight, Brynn, honestly,” she says. “Are you wearing makeup?”

“A little,” I reply.

She hums under her breath and then sighs. “We have to make a good impression tonight. The Thorntons are up to their usual shady behavior. I can’t believe Claudia thought she could get Ares’ speech moved up to overshadow your performance. As soon as I heard that, I went right down there and put an end to that. You’ll be singing before his speech, and he can close out the festival like we agreed.” She catches my eye. “You understand how much this matters to our family, don’t you?”