He smirks, then shakes his head. “That too, but nah. You’ve got grit. A determination not to fail that Megan and I didn’t get. We’re motivated, sure, but not like you. When you set your eye on something, by God, you’ll get it. A scholarship, even with all the trouble you got into in high school. Work. Alley.” He lifts his beer and nods. “Twice now.”
He tips back his glass, taking a long swallow before setting it down. “Even in elementary school—you couldn’t spell for shit, but Thomas Sinclair made fun of you, and you came home dead set on winning the spelling bee. Practiced every day after school, made me and Megan quiz you until we wanted to beat you with the dictionary.” He leans back, folding his arms across his chest. “And then you won. Took first place. Won the fitness award every year, too. Proved every single person who doubted you wrong.”
I chuckle softly. “Well, Thomas Sinclair was a dick, and I lucked out in the physical fitness department. I guess I was fortunate in the gene pool.”
Jeff presses his lips into a tight smile, gaze dropping as he shifts in his seat.
When he looks back up, his eyes are glassy—and not from the alcohol. He swallows hard. “I was one of those people. I questioned you. When you relapsed, I treated you like an imbecile. Because you were being one. And I’m sorry. I was secretly praying Alley would leave your sorry ass, because I didn’t think you could do it. Not after the relapse.” He gives me a small smile, then sniffs. “I should’ve known better. You always find a way to come out on top. And I’m glad you did.”
Jesus Christ.The emotion blindsides me. My chest cinches tight, and I fight not to break down in the middle of this fucking bar. Jeff and I have always been close, but never in the deep, personal way I’ve always had with Megan. And now here he is, laying it all out.
“I… Christ.” My throat works to find words. “You have no idea what that means to me, Jeff.”
He lifts a brow. “I have an idea. You do look up to me after all.”
A laugh bursts out of me, and he stands, gesturing with his hands. “Come on, get up.”
I stand, and he pulls me into a brotherly hug, clapping me on the back. It’s stupid, but I’ve never felt more accepted than I do right now. For so long, he’s been the ideal I thought I’d never measure up to. But this? This is everything.
“I love you. And I’m proud of you.”
His words clog my throat. For once, I don’t feel like the fuck-up little brother. I feel like a man who’s finally earned his place. And it feels damn good. “I love you, too.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
JENSEN
By the timewe get back from skiing, it’s close to nine. Alley hasn’t answered any of my texts for hours, and the worry’s eating at me. Maybe she read my letters and got upset. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked her to make a promise she wasn’t sure she could keep.
We were flirting earlier—dirty texts, back and forth, laughing—and then suddenly, nothing. Radio silence.
I step inside, eyes sweeping the living room, then the kitchen. No Alley. My gaze lands on Megan and Amber sprawled across the couch, wine glasses in hand. A bottle of red and another of white sit open on the table, and some show’s playing in the background. But Alley not being here with them sends my nerves into overdrive. Heat rushes through my chest, every breath heavier than the last.
Megan looks up. “Hey. Did you guys have fun?”
“Where’s Al?” The words tumble out before I can even think. My coat and gloves hit the floor, and I kick off my boots in a rush. Panic’s rising, and I’m trying not to shit my pants here.
Megan arches a brow. “Wow. Rude. Nice to see you too. We had a great day, by the way, thanks for asking.”
I straighten as Matt, Jeff, and Kevin mosey in behind me, stripping off their gear. “Sorry, I need to talk to Al. Is she in our room? Has she seemed okay to you?”
Megan sits up abruptly. “Yeah, why? What’s wrong?”
“Meg.” Frustration spikes. “Have you seen her?”
“Yeah, she’s good. She’s in your room. Was a little quiet at dinner, then said she wanted to read. But that’s not out of character. What’s going on?”
I’m halfway down the hall before she even finishes.
I push the bedroom door open, and Alley’s gaze lifts to mine with a soft smile. “Hey, babe. How was your day? You have fun?”
Fuck.Relief rushes through me, loosening every muscle. I step inside and close the door. She’s curled up in bed, wearing my favorite jersey—the one I proposed to her in. A lamp casts a warm glow across the room, just enough to read. Her hair’s down, one side tucked behind her ear, the other falling across her face, Kindle in hand.
“It was good. Great, actually. Jeff and I even had a heart-to-heart.” My eyes land on the manila envelope beside her, and panic flickers again, but I force it down.She’s here. She’s talking to me. And she seems… happy.
“Really? That’s unusual. Like a real heart-to-heart?”
I nod. “Yep. He even got emotional.”
