Just as we were about to break the hug, Theo tugged at the collar of my shirt, yanking me down toward him.
"Theo—"
Before I could react, he pressed his lips to mine.
It wasn't long or deep—it was quick. Mischievous. But still… a kiss.
I immediately pulled back, eyes wide.
"The hell was that?!"
Theo licked his lips slowly, wearing that smug, shit-eating grin like he was proud of himself.
"You're not dating anyone yet, right?" he said casually. "So relax."
I was about to explode—every nerve in my body charged up, ready to roast him into ashes—when he tilted his head slightly and smiled in a way that made my skin crawl.
"You want me to do it again?"
I blinked. The words were right there on my tongue, ready to fly, but somehow all the anger drained out of me like air from a balloon.
Instead, I just flicked his forehead—hard—and walked out of the kitchen.
"Ouch!" he whined behind me.
When I stepped back into the living room, Julie was still lounging on the couch like nothing had happened. Theo trailed behind me like some annoying little brother.
Julie glanced at him, then raised a brow in silent question.
Theo just nodded and smiled, hands shoved in his pockets like some smug bastard.
They were obviously talking about me. Or something to do with me.
"What the—?" I started.
Julie cut in, waving a hand. "Now that you two have settled whatever weird drama was going on, I dunno… can we finally talk like people with decency?"
I dropped onto the same spot I'd claimed earlier and folded my arms. This time, Theo plopped down right beside me like we were best friends again.
"I thought this meetup was about trying to get Theo and me back together?" I said, squinting at her.
Julie blinked. "What?"
I narrowed my eyes. "Julie. What exactly are you trying to do? Forcing Theo onto me? I told you, I—"
"Huh?"
"You want that partnership with the Malrione company so bad you're trying to use us to get it?"
Julie still looked confused. "Child. What the hell are you talking about?"
I frowned. "Isn't that why you're besties with a literal teenager?"
Julie squinted, then shook her head like she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Girl, I do not give a damn about your love life or who you sleep around with. As long as you take the proper precautions."
Theo and I stared at her. Stunned. Did we hear her right?
I blinked. "So… you're not close to Theo because you want us to be together? Or for some company benefit?"
"Of course not. The hell?" she said, like I was the crazy one. "I'm simply close to him because I see myself as a mother figure in his life."
Theo and I exchanged glances. Equally stunned. Then we slowly turned to look at her.
"Really?" Theo asked, his voice quieter now.
Julie raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Well yeah. How else am I gonna get your father to sleep with me?"
I shot up. "I fucking knew it!"
Theo groaned, dropping his face into his hands. "Oh geez…"
I turned to him. "Bro, isn't your dad like… sixty?"
"I don't know, dude," he muttered. "I try not to think about it."
"Oh please," Julie said, rolling her eyes. "I've been with older."
The horror on both our faces must've been theatrical—mouths parted, eyes wide, sanity slowly slipping through our fingers.
Julie just smirked and crossed her legs like she hadn't just traumatized two people at once.
"Anyway," she continued breezily, "I actually wanted to discuss Theo's birthday party. It's this Friday."
I turned slowly toward Theo. He threw me a smile that was way too proud for someone with such a scandalous godmother.
Then I leaned in toward Julie. "You're planning to seduce Malrione at the party, aren't you?"
She didn't even try to deny it. Her eyes lit up with that unholy fire—part determination, part delusion.
Julie's smile widened. "Anyway, that's not all. We'll also be discussing the Malrione partnership that night. We need this, Isaaq."
I sighed. "Fine."
Truthfully, I owed her. As much as she was… well, Julie… she wasn't just here for chaos. Because of school and how crazy things get, she's been holding down the fort. And surprisingly, she's good at it.
She handles meetings with partners, follows up with clients, keeps suppliers in check, and even manages shipping schedules and inventory updates—stuff I used to barely manage with a headache and a half. She knew her stuff. She could charm, argue, and negotiate like a pro, even if her fashion sense sometimes screamed midlife crisis Barbie.
I was grateful. Even if she gave me five new gray hairs a week.
I leaned back on the couch and turned to Theo. "Wow. We've been friends forever, and I still can't believe you get to turn 18 before me. You barely pass as 16, to be honest."
Theo exchanged a glance with Julie, then suddenly looked down at the floor.
Julie raised a brow. "What are you talking about?"
I blinked. "What?"
Julie turned to Theo. "You didn't tell him?"
Theo gave a weak shrug and turned his face away, mumbling something.
Julie sighed and reached into her bag, pulling out her phone. "Here. Read."
She handed it to me, screen already on some digital invitation.
I squinted and read aloud: "'You are cordially invited… Malrione Estate… Theo's 19th birthday celebration…'"
I froze. Blinked. Read it again.
"Nineteen?!"
Theo gave a fake, awkward half-laugh and scratched the back of his neck. "Um… surprise?"
I stared at him like he'd just confessed to murder. "DUDE. You're 19?!"
Theo glanced at Julie, then looked at me again with a sheepish shrug.
"Bro, you've been lying about your age this whole time?! You've got the face of a sophomore and the secrets of a criminal!"
He winced. "Okay, yeah. That's fair."
Julie just sipped her drink like this was another Tuesday.
And all I could do was throw my head back and groan. "I need new friends."
"I'm sorry," Theo said, voice soft. "I didn't mean to hide it…" He paused, scratching the back of his neck. "Actually, I never really did. You just assumed—and I kinda went along with it."
I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. "Dude… I don't even know where to start."
He chuckled quietly. "But you'll come, right? To the party? I won't do anything to you, I promise."
Before I could answer, Julie chimed in like this was a sitcom. "Oh, silly, of course he'll come."
I exhaled and looked at Theo. "Yeah… I'll be there. On one condition."
Theo's entire face shifted. His smile twitched, and I could see him bracing for whatever horror I was about to unleash.
"What?" he asked slowly, like a man stepping into quicksand.
"I'll go," I said, dragging it out, "if I get to invite Aiden."
Theo's jaw flexed. He clenched his teeth so hard I could practically hear it. Silence. Then, finally—
"Fine," he muttered, face twitching into a very fake smile. "Invite him."
His eye twitched. His neck twitched. I think even his soul twitched. Poor guy looked like he was trying to suppress a demonic possession.
Julie just sighed dramatically. "You know, I'll never really understand you kids. I mean, Isaaq—you're hot. Theo's hot. Aiden's hot. Why don't you guys just have a threesome?"
Theo choked. "What?!"
I stared at her, horrified. "You're supposed to be a responsible guardian!"
Theo turned to me, deadpan. "It's not too late to register for adoption, you know."
Julie laughed like she hadn't just shattered every moral expectation we had of her. "What? I'm just saying what everyone else is thinking!"
I shook my head, grabbed a cushion, and screamed into it. This is my life. This is my circle. I need a vacation. Or therapy. Probably both.