Booktree.ngIt-Starts-with-Us-Colleen-Hoover

She’s digging through her purse for something.
“They were in here earlier,” she says.
Ryle is tapping his fingers impatiently.
“What are you looking for?” I ask her.
“Keys. I accidentally brought them with me, and Marshall needs the
SUV to get his parents from the airport.”
Ryle looks irritated. “Are you sure you didn’t set them aside when I told
you I was coming to get them?”
I tilt my head, focusing on Allysa. “You knew he was coming?” How
could she forget to tell me he was on his way here when Atlas showed up?
She reddens a little. “I got sidetracked by… unexpected events.” She
holds up her hand in victory. “Found them!” She drops them in Ryle’s palm.
“Okay, bye, you can leave now.”
Ryle makes a move like he’s about to go, but then he turns and sniffs the
air. “What smells so good?”
His and Allysa’s eyes meet the bowl at the same time. Allysa pulls it to
her, cradling it. “I cooked lunch for me and Lily,” she lies.
Ryle raises an eyebrow. “You cooked?” He reaches for the bowl. “I have
to see this. What is it?”
Allysa hesitates before handing him the bowl. “Yeah, it’s chicken…
baraba doula… meat.” She looks at me and her eyes are wide. She is such a
horrible liar.
“Chicken what?” Ryle opens the bowl and inspects it. “It looks like
shrimp pasta.”
Allysa clears her throat. “Yeah, I cooked the shrimp in… chicken stock.
That’s why it’s called chicken barabadoulameat.”
Ryle puts the lid back on and looks at me with concern as he slides the
bowl across the counter back to Allysa. “I’d order pizza if I were you.”
I force a laugh, but so does Allysa. Both of us laughing makes our
reaction seem way too compulsory for a joke that wasn’t even funny.
Ryle’s expression narrows. He takes a couple of steps back, a suspicious
look in his eye. He must be used to the two of us having inside jokes that he
isn’t a part of, because he doesn’t even question us. He spins and walks out
of the flower shop in a rush to get the keys to Marshall. Allysa and I both
stand as still as statues until we’re sure he’s left the building and is way out
of earshot. Then I look at her incredulously.