Nope.
And yet he felt like he was being raked over the coals when he spent time with her. Why couldn’t Wynter grasp that she meant more to him? She was intelligent enough. He got the feeling that she knew exactly how much she meant to him, but she was refusing to allow herself the happiness that came with it.
Hiding his affection for her in front of Nora stung. He knew that Wynter’s grandfather wouldn’t approve of that sort of behavior either. And maybe that was where all this frustration was stemming from. Marcus wanted to shout to the world that he was falling in love with Wynter.
No, that wasn’t quite right.
He’d already fallen for her. But if he told her that, then he’d end up losing her. He was stuck. And there was no fixing it. Wynter held all the cards. He felt like a rubber band being stretched taut. One side was over the moon, happy about how far he’d come with her. While the other side was solidly miserable.
“You might want to smooth your expression. I’ve heard it can stay that way if you’re not careful.”
Marcus’s head snapped up. He’d decided to drink his coffee in the coffee shop today if only to gather his thoughts before seeing Wynter. Standing before him in a pair of scrubs was Jason’s brother. Theirs was a new and somewhat strange friendship, but one that Marcus gladly accepted.
He couldn’t exactly talk to his siblings about Wynter. Isabelle was over the top when it came to pushing them together. Mateo was wary. The others would likely pick sides, and then he’d end up being pulled even tighter.
Marcus peered up at Mathew Klein and offered a wan smile. “Hey, Doc. Heading to work?”
Mathew shook his head and then rubbed his eyes. “Just got off a sixteen-hour shift.”
Marcus’s brows rose. “Some of us get all of the luck,” he said with a shake of his head.
The doctor gave him a look of incredulity. “Not sure if I’d call working sixteen hours luck.”
He gestured toward the doctor with a wave of his hand. “If I looked that good after an all-nighter at work, then…” He didn’t have to finish the statement. It wouldn’t matter if he hadall the girls’ attention. He only wanted the attention of one in particular.
Understanding dawned on Mathew’s face and he slumped down into the chair across from Marcus, coffee in hand.
“If you don’t mind my asking, why the coffee? You should be going home to bed, right?”
Mathew snorted out a derisive laugh. “Christmas festivities being what they are, I have a family activity with my cousins in a few hours. Leave it up to a bunch of women to insist on brunch.”
Wincing, Marcus motioned to the cup. “Drink up. I don’t think I envy you anymore.”
This time Mathew chuckled. They sat there in silence for a few moments before Mathew’s inquisitive gaze had Marcus shifting in his seat uncomfortably. When he couldn’t stand it anymore, he straightened.
“What?” Marcus snapped. Then he flinched inwardly.
Thankfully, Mathew didn’t seem to mind. “You need to talk about it?”
“Talk about what?” Marcus scoffed.
The man shifted his focus to his cup. He turned it around on the table, humming to himself. Then he flicked his eyes up to Marcus. “Like I said before. That line between your brows. Might stay that way if you’re not careful.”
“I thought that was an old wives’ tale.”
A smile stretched across his friend’s face. “Who’s the doctor here?”
Marcus’s eyes narrowed, and Mathew laughed.
“Okay, you got me. But it could make the wrinkles worse over time. Less scowling, more moisturizing. Then you can look like this after a sixteen-hour shift, too.” He flashed Marcus a bright smile.
Marcus couldn’t help himself. He huffed a laugh. Then he grew serious. “I don’t know what to do. Wynter’s keeping me atarm’s length. There are moments when I feel like we’re on the same page. Like I can tell she wants what’s developing between us to be real. But then in a flash, those moments are gone and she’s putting up walls. We’re close. Then she’s making up rules so we can continue to sneak around. It’s driving me crazy.”
Mathew sighed. “That’s tough.”
“Yeah.”
“Sorry. But I don’t have any advice for you. All I can say is to keep prioritizing what’s important to you. This girl. She makes the cut, right?”
