When she sees me, she lifts her chin. “Logan.”
“Sophie.”
Her eyes slide over my tie. “Look at you. Almost respectable.”
“Don’t spread that rumor.”
Beck grins when he spots me. “There he is.”
I cross the room, and Beck stands, pulling me into a hug that’s a little too tight.
“You ready?” I ask.
He scoffs into my shoulder. “Nope.”
Then he pulls back and smirks. “You?”
I huff a laugh. “I’m not the one about to get my life picked tonight.”
Beck’s gaze sharpens like he knows exactly what I’m trying to dodge.
“Yeah,” he says quietly. “You’re just the one pretending your phone isn’t going to ring.”
My stomach dips.
Before I can answer, the front door opens again, letting in a burst of warm California air and a whole lot of noise.
Carter Hayes walks in first, looking like Carter always looks—like the world is a party he’s already halfway bored of, but he’s going to make you laugh anyway.
Beside him is Lyla, smaller than him but somehow taking up more space, her smile bright and her eyes scanning the room like she’s collecting details for a story she’ll tell later.
And then?—
Jaxon Montgomery.
He’s changed since the last time I saw him in person just a few months ago after my surgery, but not in a bad way. More solid. More sure. His shoulders fill out his shirt like he’s built for Sunday nights now, not Saturdays. There’s a confidence to him that doesn’t feel cocky.
It feels earned.
Madison Blake is on his arm, her engagement ring catching the light like a tiny, shameless spotlight. She’s laughing at something Lyla says, cheeks flushed, eyes shining, and Jaxon is just…watching her.
Not in a casual way.
In a way that makes my chest tighten.
Like if he looks away for too long, he might miss her.
Lyla spots Sophie and immediately beelines, practically vibrating. “SOPHIE. Oh my God. Are you dying? Are we dying? This is so exciting.”
Right behind her, Madison deadpans. “I’m dying because you’re screaming.”
Lyla doesn’t care. She grabs Sophie’s hands anyway. “I’m sorry, I can’t help it. This is literally the coolest day ever.”
Madison laughs, stepping forward. “Hi.”
I nod at her. “Hey. Congrats.”
She glances at Jaxon, and her smile shifts into something soft. “Thanks.”
