Chapter 198

Elio's face turned bright red as he lunged to cover June's mouth. "Wildcat, I'm begging you, just shut up!"

June knocked his hand away, totally unfazed. "What? I know all your dirty secrets and I'm not afraid to spill." She turned to Lucie, eyes gleaming. “Did he ever tell you about the time he swallowed sleeping pills? Want to guess what happened next?"

Lucie stared, stunned, almost sure she'd misheard. But June looked dead serious, not a hint of joking in her eyes.

June burst out laughing. “He couldn't handle it. Called the ambulance on himself and went to the hospital to get his stomach pumped. I still laugh about it every time I remember."

Lucie's jaw dropped as she looked at Elio, who looked like he wanted to disappear under the table.

"Can you believe this guy? Tries to pull some tragic stunt and ends up dialing 911 on himself. I laughed for years!" June wiped her eyes, still giggling.

Elio was about to lose it. He shot June a withering glare. “June, I have some dignity left, you know. Can you please stop?"

"Hey, you did it. Why can't I talk about it?" June shot back, then leaned toward Lucie with a conspiratorial grin. "You want the highlights from his childhood? I've got all the dirt. He wet the bed till he was six. At eight, he snuck some booze and got such a beating from his dad he looked like a balloon. When he was ten, he tried to peek into the girls' bathroom and almost fell in—"

Elio practically jumped out of his seat. "That never happened! I did not peek into the girls' bathroom!"

June stared him down, unfazed. "You did. I was there, remember?"

At this point, Elio looked about ready to drag her outside. Every time they met new people, she just had to parade out his most embarrassing moments. He was at her mercy—and with their families so tangled up, he couldn't even fight back.

Lucie had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.

June just kept going. "And when he was fourteen, he... you know..."

Lucie leaned in, eyes shining. "He what?"

"He..."

Before she could finish, Elio slapped a hand over her mouth, his patience at its limit. “Enough already! If you say one more word, I'm seriously going to lose it."

June glared at him, then bit his hand, hard.

"Ow!" Elio yanked his hand back.

June tossed her hair and cocked an eyebrow. "Lose it? Please. You're not the only one with feelings here." Then she leaned closer to Lucie, lowering her voice. "Want to hear his most pathetic moment? Senior year, right before the big basketball game, he was so nervous, heran to the bathroom, three times. Still tried to show off with a slam dunk. Guess what happened—"

"June!" Elio shot out of his chair, the legs screeching across the floor. "One more word and I swear, you're asking for it."

June's lips curled into a mischievous

smile. "One more word and you'll finally take me to the rooftop to look at the stars?" She stood up, brushing past him with a bump of her shoulder. "Honestly, I thought you'd forgotten all about that promise."

She winked at Lucie. "Don't mind us. We've been at this since we were kids. A little chaos is normal."

Watching them bicker, Lucie couldn't help but laugh. "Honestly, Elio, I think you owe her a dinner after this."

"See? Lucie's on my side." June slid into the seat next to her. "Please, can we get another set of utensils over here?"

"Of course, miss," the waiter replied.

A moment later, fresh dishes arrived and June started helping herself, chatting away as she dug in. She kept the stories coming, and Lucie istened like she was watching her favorite drama, even joining in with her own teasing comments.

Elio just sat there, feeling like the universe was conspiring against him his ex

and his crush, bonding over his most embarrassing moments. He thought he might actually pass out from mortification.

"Everyone done? I'll get the check,” Elio said, desperate for an exit.

Lucie jumped up. "Wait, I said I'd pay!"

June tugged her back down. "Don't worry, let him. He owes us.”

Elio saw his chance and made a quick escape, mumbling about paying the bill as

he hurried out. Nothing scared him except June. Whenever she was around, he knew he'd be stuck in her whirlwind for days.

Suddenly, June heard a car engine start outside and dropped her fork. "Oh no, he's making a run for it! I'm not letting him get away this time." She sprang up, heels clicking as she raced for the door.

Worried they might actually start a fight, Lucie hurried after her.

By the time they made it outside, Elio was already tearing down the street- driving Lucie's car. A split second later, June jumped into her Ferrari and sped off after him.

Lucie just shook her head, equal parts amused and exasperated. "Unbelievable,” she muttered, pulling out her phone to call a cab home.