Hux stares down at the sink, the muscles in his jaw clenching. “You really hurt him,” he says quietly, voice thick. “I’ve never seen him that broken.”
I close my eyes briefly, the guilt slicing through me.
He turns, finally facing me, and the look in his eyes pins me in place.
“If you don’t make him happy,” he says, voice low and dangerous. “I swear to God, Dee, I’ll make your life a living hell. He loves you that much. He deserves everything.”
“I k-know,” I say quickly, my voice breaking. “And I love him more than anything, Hux. If I ever hurt him again, you won’t have to come after me. I’ll already be tearing myself apart. I want nothing more than to make him happy, for the rest of his life.”
He studies me for a long moment like he’s weighing every word, every ounce of sincerity. “He’s not just my brother,” Hux says finally, voice rough. “He’s my best friend. He’s everything.”
Tears sting my eyes. “I know. I promise I won’t let you down.”
There’s a beat of silence.
Finally, he jerks his chin once. “We’re good,” he says succinctly. Then he turns and walks out of the kitchen without another word.
Exhaling, I grip the edge of the kitchen counter and breathe. I hate that I’ve disappointed Hux so severely that he doesn’t trust me anymore. But honestly? I can’t blame him. He wants what’s best for Colt, and hurting him was the last thing I ever wanted to do.
Anna walks in and spots me standing here, looking aimlessly into the room.
“You okay?” she asks gently.
“Yeah. Just the usual Hux-doesn’t-like-me drama,” I say with a shrug.
She shakes her head, frowning. “He’s still giving you grief?” she asks, pulling me into a hug when I nod. “Try not to let it get to you, Dee. He’s overprotective of his brother. He’s been there for Colt through every hard moment. He doesn’t see what we all see…” She smiles. “How happy you and Colt are together. Trust me, you’re perfect for each other. So don’t go doubting your love.”
I know she’s right.
And honestly, if the roles were reversed, I’d be just as protective.
I exhale again, pushing the guilt aside, and let Anna lead me back to the table. Sliding into the seat next to Colt, I instantly feel lighter. He’s laughing, talking animatedly. It’s the happiest I’ve seen him in weeks.
His two great loves—his music and me.
And tonight, he has both.
The pure, radiant joy on his face makes my chest ache in the best way. Under the table, he slides his hand onto my knee. I place mine over his and give it a gentle squeeze. He turns, catches my eye, and flashes a smile that melts every lingering doubt inside me before diving right back into a conversation with Hux about a new riff they’re working on.
I glance over at Anna, catching her smile.
Sia’s smiling too.
It feels…right.
Like everything is finally falling back into place.
Maybe I should have brought everyone together sooner.I shove that thought aside.
Because right now, surrounded by my friends, my family, I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.
***
They all left in the early morning.
Johnny and Anna stayed the night since Aston had already gone to sleep, and they didn’t want to wake him to take him home.
I heard Aston stir a couple of times during the night, but it didn’t bother me. If anything, it filled me with hope. Hope that in a year or two, we might be having sleepless nights with a baby of our own.
