Ru’s chin wobbled. “I don’t have anything,” he whispered. “No money?—”
“You haveme,” Wes interrupted, fierce and certain. “And that’s enough.”
I found my voice then, leaning forward so Ru couldn’t mistake the conviction in it. “And you’ve got me, too. Maybe I’m not blood, but I’m here. You’re not alone, Ru—not anymore.”
Ru’s gaze flicked between us, uncertain. “You’re together then?”
Before I could get a word out, Wes jumped in. “For now,” he said quickly, then pushed to his feet with a burst of energy. “Come on, let’s get food. Bacon! You still love bacon, right? You’ve not gone all vegetarian?”
Ru gave a watery laugh, swiping at his eyes. “Yes, I love bacon. And no, I’m not a vegetarian.”
They headed into the kitchen together, leaving me in the front room. Wes’s words echoed in my head.For now.The phrase lodged under my ribs, sharp and aching. I needed to get my life together, tofigure out what I could offer him that was more than temporary.
I stood, made my excuses, but not before squeezing Ru’s shoulder in passing and pulling Wes into a deep kiss I hoped he’d remember. “Later,” I whispered against his lips.
He nodded, then turned back toward the promise of sizzling bacon, and I let myself out.
Next door, I showered, scrubbing off the weight of the night but not the ache in my chest. Once the morning rush had eased, I sat alone in my office, the quiet pressing in around me. My inbox glowed with two messages: a conditional offer from LA, shiny and tempting, and a simpler request to call the dean at North Hollow. I stared at them both until my heart got sick of me, until the screen blurred and my head hurt.
And then, finally, I made a call.
The bell above the bookstore door jingled, and for a second, all I noticed was the chime. I stepped inside with three coffees in hand—one black, the way I liked it, and two with as much cream as I could manage because I wasn’t sure what Ru would want. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Ru tucked into a far corner, and I lifted the extra cup in his direction, and he gave me a small wave. That steadied me.
I crossed to the counter, where Wes waited, and I set all three cups down between us, trying to find my courage. My palms were slick, my pulse stupidly fast, as if I’d rehearsed this a dozen times and still couldn’t get it right.
“Uhm… how’s Ru?”
Ru piped up from behind me before Wes could even answer. “Ru’s doing fine,” he said, scooping up the black coffee from the counter with a quick grin. He took a sip, then grinned widely. “Wow, that’s good coffee.”
Wes reached for one of the cream-heavy cups. “Heathen,” he said. “Everyone knows you need to add cream.”
“Wes drinks the froufrou ones with cream and sprinkles, so I brought you one like his in case you have the same brotherly curse.”
“God no, black all the way,” Ru said and took another sip, with a satisfied sigh.
Wes let out a dramatic groan, throwing an arm across his eyes. “You and I cannot be brothers. I live for cream and sprinkles, and you’re clearly an impostor.”
Ru chuckled, shaking his head, but there was relief in his expression at the banter.
Wes grew quiet, something unreadable in his eyes. Nerves tightened my chest, and before I could speak, Ru looked between us as if he could feel the weight inthe air. “I’ll, uhmm… go check out a book or something,” he mumbled, pushing away from the counter. He headed off toward the shelves, glancing over his shoulder as he went, making sure we were okay before giving us space.
“Morning,” I said.
Wes narrowed his eyes. “We already did the whole morning thing. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” I murmured, flushing as he studied me. “I just wanted to ask you something.”
He looked wary, and for a second I saw his guard go up. “What?” he asked.
I laughed nervously and ran a hand through my hair. “Would you go on a date with me tonight? Dinner. Somewhere special. And, uh—” I hesitated, wincing. “You’d probably need to wear a suit.”
His whole expression shifted, relief and light breaking through, and when he said yes, my chest loosened for the first time all day. Brooke’s inevitable wolf-whistle followed when I kissed him across the counter, and I couldn’t even bring myself to care. Because Wes had said yes.
Chapter 20
Wesley
“Nooo,”I groaned, and both Ru and Brooke headed over to me immediately.
