Page 70 of Clinically Awkward

I joined them, feeling something shift in my chest.

Maybe I was screwed. Maybe Julien was going to kill me. Maybe this whole thing was going to blow up in my face in the most spectacular way possible. But Hayden was right. Vivian made me happy. Stupidly, irrationally, terrifyingly happy. And that was worth fighting for.

Even if it meant facing Julien’s wrath. Even if it meant risking everything. Even if it meant... “Okay,” I said. “Tomorrow. I’m telling Julien tomorrow.”

“Brave man,” Fitz said.

“Stupid man,” Nathan corrected.

“Same thing,” Hayden said.

Gabriel raised his beer one more time. “To tomorrow: may Quinton survive it.”

“Hear, hear.”

We drank. And I tried very, very hard not to think about the fact that in less than twelve hours, I was going to walk into Julien’s office and confess that I’d slept with his sister.

This was either going to be the bravest thing I had ever done.

Or the last.

Probably both.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Vivian

I got exactly zero hours of sleep last night.

Zero.

Not “I dozed off around 3 AM and woke up groggy.” Not “I got a solid four hours but felt like death.”

Zero.

Because at 11:47 PM, Fitz Lovejoy—that absolute menace—decided it was the perfect time to start texting me about Quinton’s impending confession to my brother.

Fitz: Just left Quinton’s flat. He’s telling Julien tomorrow. Thought you should know.

Fitz: Very noble of him, really. Chivalry isn’t dead after all.

Fitz: I’m thinking about nominating him for a knighthood. “Sir Quinton Wesley, Knight of Terrible Decisions.”

Fitz: Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?

Fitz: Although “Knight of Shagging His Best Friend’s Sister,” is more accurate.

Fitz: Do you think the Queen would approve? She’s dead, but still.

Fitz: I’m workshopping titles. “Duke of Piss-Poor Judgment?” “Earl of Emotional Catastrophe?”

I blocked his number around 1:30 AM. But the damage was done.

Quinton was going to tell Julien.

Today, which meant I had approximately, because I checked the clock on my dashboard, forty-seven minutes to get to the clinic, intercept Quinton, and stop him from committing what could only be described as emotional suicide.

Not that Julien would actually care.