“Because I love you, too, and I believe in us. Besides, I think my brother might kick my ass if I screw up whatever y’all have going on.” Spencer tosses me a cheeky smile. “That was a joke.” His gaze darts over to Wes, who looks up from his organization of the food with his neutral expression, a normal person’s grumpy one. “Or not?”
I can’t help but laugh, watery and shaky, but some of the tension bleeds from me.
“I want to keep skating with you, too. I’ll work my ass off.”
“I know,” Spencer replies. “That’s what you’ve been doing all summer, outside of those post-workout extracurriculars, of course.”
“Watch it,” Wes growls, tossing a pillow at Spencer’s shoulder.
Spence puts his hands up in a gesture of innocence. “For the record, I’m happy for you two. It’s been a long time coming.”
He doesn’t even know the half of it.
Spencer holds out a hand to me, and I accept it, squeezing it tightly. “Whatever it takes.”
“Whatever it takes,” I echo.
We both look to Wes, waiting for him to join our pile of hands. He shakes his head. “Yeah, I’m not doing that.”
Spence and I dissolve into laughter, falling against each other as it ebbs out.
“Okay, now that we’ve got that settled,” Spencer says, pulling out of the hug. “Can we eat our Shake Shack and talk about tomorrow’s long program?”
“Yes, please, I’m starving.” I take a step toward the enticing smell of fries.
“We’re still missing—” Wes says, but he cuts off at the knock at the door.
He answers it and comes back with Brooks and Thea by his side. Thea rushes toward me, catching me off guard as she wraps herself around my middle.
“You’re okay,” she says, relief coating her voice. “That was scary.”
“Not half as scary as it’s going to be when I’m watching you play hockey.”
Thea pulls back. “You’ll watch?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
Thea walks over to the table where Wes has laid out our dinner.
Brooks pulls me into a side hug. “You okay, I?”
“Yeah.” For the first time in as long as I can remember, I mean it with my entire heart. “I’m glad you’re here.”
He presses a kiss to the top of my head. “I’ve always got your back, remember?”
I lean into him. “Same goes for me.”
“I know.”
We all take our seats at the table and choose food from the center. If I wasn’t already in love with Wes, this gesture—getting us all here to eat dinner, and Shake Shack, no less—would’ve sealed the deal. I wished for a family like this my entire life, for moments like this, full of heart, love, and laughter. For people who had my back in the dark times and who showed up to celebrate the happiest ones.
Wes snags my hand underneath the table, threading our fingers together. My breath catches when our eyes meet. I’m not sure if that will ever change. Not only because he’s the hottest man I’ve ever laid eyes on, but because I’m still pinching myself that he’s by my side. That the boy I thought I’d never see again gets to be my forever.
I don’t believe in destiny, but I can’t ignore the serendipity that brought me here, beside the family I’ve chosen. All the stars that needed to align to bring me into Wes Davidson’s life.
I lean over and whisper into his ear, “I can’t get over that you’re mine.”
He kisses my cheek. “I’m pinching myself, too.”
