I’m still clenching it while we wait for dessert to arrive. I don’t even feel like anything sweet, but I ordered because everyone else did and…
Dammit! What the hell is wrong with me?
Rhys is a really nice guy. Dani deserves nice. She deserves fucking epic, and I should be so happy right now. I did it! I found her Mr. Right.
Atlas, brother, what are you thinking?
You like him?
As always, I sit here waiting for an answer that will never come. As much as I talk to my best friend, he never talks back.
Which is possibly why I haven’t been thinking about him as much in the last year. Until Dani walked back into my life. Now he’s front and center all over again.
Actually,she’skind of been front and center lately. And I’m about to lose her to perfect Mr. Rhys Peters.
Shit!
Dani laughs, resting her fingers on Rhys’s arm while he tells a story about how he’s been trying to teach Arthur how to play the piano.
“I’ve got a video.”
“Let’s see it!” Vicky wiggles her fingers when he pulls out his phone.
I lean back in my chair, hating the way Dani leans in to watch this video of a dog whacking piano keys. Shit, Cyrus would love it. He’s got such a thing about animals. My parents bought each of us a kitten one Christmas, and Cyrus cried. He was so freaking happy. He named his little girl Peaches because she was orange. I named my cat Rook, and Lacey named hers Samson. They were all from the same litter and played and fought like siblings.
Unfortunately, Samson died about two years ago—hit by a car. Lacey cried for two days, and Cyrus cried for a solid week. I’m so grateful Peaches is still going strong. She’s nearly thirteen now, and I don’t know what we’re gonna do when she passes on. Maybe we should think about getting another kitten now, so Cyrus will never be without.
I think about my old boy, Rook, and hope he’s doing okay. Cyrus promised to take care of him for me and sends me updates on the regular. Although, I really don’t need to know the consistency of his shits and that he’s finishing his food each day, but Cyrus is a man of details when it comes to our pets.
Routine is everything for him.
Glancing at my watch, I note the time. He’ll be texting in thirty-four minutes, and as much as I hate to pull out my phone on a date, I will always make an exception for my brother.
“He’s the cutest. And I love Arthur for a name. That’s so adorable.”
“Yeah, he’s just got a kingly kind of vibe, don’t you think?” Rhys turns the phone so I can see a picture of his golden retriever.
I nod and mutter, “Cute.”
“Yeah, he’s awesome. I really miss him, but he makes me feel so loved every time I walk through the front door that it makes up for being away. Gonna get to spend the whole summer with him soon.” He grins, then leans his arms on the table. “So, what are you ladies up to for the summer?”
I notice that he’s stopped trying to pull me into the conversation. Probably because I’m being a grumpy dick.
Shit, I’m not trying to be. It’s just that every time Dani’s hand lands on his arm or she laughs at something he says, my skin starts to crawl or I get this sharp, pinching sensation in my chest.
I don’t know what the fuck it’s about, but?—
Yes, you do. You know exactly what this is about.
Scratching my jawline, I try to deny the voice in my head, but what is the fucking point?
The truth is, I’m hating this because it’s the first double date Dani and I have been on where she hasn’t been touchingmyarm and laughing withme.This is the first date where her attention has been captured by the other guy.
And it’s fucking killing me.
Which means…
Shit.
