“You don’t like it?”
I shook my head. “Sorry, not a fan.”
“Just having some off-season fun,” he replied as he smoothed it with his thumb and pointer finger. “It’ll be gone soon.”
Of course, on Wes it looked amazing. He was dressed like he’d traveled from Maryland on the Orient Express and not Amtrak, in a black blazer, black linen button-down, perfectly tailored white pants that were somehow spotless despite the public transportation, no socks, and horse bit loafers. He’d always been stylish, but he usually opted for hybrid workout pants and T-shirts when he knew he wasn’t on display. Wes was clearly in his fashionista era.
“If I’d known we were catwalking, I would’ve dressed accordingly,” I said, nodding to his outfit.
I’d gone for jean shorts and a sleeveless white T-shirt.
“Stop, you look great,” he chided. He reached over to tweak my bicep. “Fit, even.”
“‘Fit’ in the UK slang way, or ‘fit’ like I’ve been working out?” I tossed my hair and preened.
“Both, actually.” Wes glanced around the claustrophobic station, his expression worried. “Hey, before we get going, there’s something I need to tell you.”
A lump preemptively formed in my throat.
“What?” I demanded. “Is it Mom and Dad? Are they okay?”
“Yeah, they’re fine.” He nodded. “Great and annoying, like always. It’s, uh, about me.”
He squinted into the distance like he was looking for something. I glanced over my shoulder to follow his gaze and saw a group of girls dressed alike in sparkly clothes, obviously in town for a concert at Madison Square Garden later.
“Tell me. You’re freaking me out.”
His eyes bounced between me and the shifting crowds.
“I met someone.”
It was the least traumatic thing he could’ve revealed to me.
“Wes! That’s amazing. I can’t wait to hear all about her.” I paused. He seemed unusually fidgety, so I made room for an unexpected confession. “Or him.”
He finally managed to focus on me, laughing. “I met awoman,” he clarified. “And I fell in love. And I’d like you to meet her.”
Wes was getting more jittery by the second, but then again, he’d always been a serial dater. Telling me that he’d found the one was a huge deal.
“Oh my god, ofcourseI want to meet her,” I exclaimed.“Let’s get out of here and talk about it over lunch. I picked this great—”
A stunning, dark-haired woman materialized out of the crowd beside Wes. She clasped his arm and smiled shyly at me.
I froze as I pieced together what was happening.
“Brooke, I’d like you to meet my fiancée, Claudia Esparza.”
“Hi,” she said, beaming at me. “I’msohappy to meet you.”
The chaos around us faded to ambient noise as I stood there dumbstruck, glancing at the world’s most beautiful pairing with my mouth hanging open.
“Fiancée?” I squeaked out, still frozen in place.
They laughed in unison, and I was faced with two sets of perfect, blindingly white teeth.
“I told him that he needed to let you know before we arrived, but he wanted to double-surprise you.” Claudia chastised him with a fake punch to his side.
I cataloged her quickly. British accent with a hint of something else. Skin so perfect that it looked filtered. Tall but still a few inches shorter than Wes. A bob that would make anyone else look like Lord Farquaad. And eyes so filled with love for my brother that I didn’t even question the mechanics of how this speed-run engagement came to be.
