I miss the warmth of his touch the moment he pulls away, and it makes me want to shout that I’m ready. It makes me want to find my courage and tell him he’s worth all the risks, too.
Instead, I climb out of the G-Wagon and take Griffin’s offered hand. He leads me to the elevator in silence, and when it opens on Maddy’s floor, he gives my fingers a squeeze before dropping them.
It’s what I wanted. What I asked for. But I hate it, all the same.
“Hey, you two!” Isla beams when she opens the door for us. She waves us in, then tackles us with hugs. “I’m so glad we’re able to do this. I swear, all the wedding stuff has me so crazy. I hope you don’t feel like I’m neglecting you.”
Grinning, I shake my head. “No, I don’t feel that way.”
“Neither do I, Teach.” Griffin ruffles Isla’s red hair, which earns him a comical scowl from my future sister-in-law. “Man, something smells good.”
“Maddox is finishing up some steaks. Can I get either of you a glass of wine or a beer or something?”
“I’d love a glass of wine,” I say, following Isla into the kitchen where my brother is at the stove. “Hey, Madddy.”
“Hey, Mir. Missed you.” My brother pulls me to his side for a hug. “Thanks for coming over. Wright. How’s it going, man?”
“Hey, bro. It’s going. I’m glad to be home. New York was fun, but way too crowded for my taste.” He and Maddox do the bro-hug thing where it starts as a cross-body high-five and turns into a one-armed hug.
My brother nods in agreement. “Logan was the only one not excited to go home.”
“Yeah, because he hooked up with a bunch of models.” Griffin chuckles and rolls his eyes. I fight back the little twinge of insecurity that gnaws on my insides. I trust Griffin. I know he wouldn’t do anything with anyone else, and he spent every night calling me. Still, the reminder of his past exploits with Logan makes my stomach feel funny.
Maddox grins. “I’m still surprised you didn’t join him. That used to be your scene.”
I hate the way my stomach rolls at that, and I lower my eyes to the floor, not wanting to give away my discomfort. But Griffin notices. Of course he does. He gently nudges me with his shoulder.
“Nah, I told you, man, I’m done with all that. I’m a one-woman guy from now on.”
My cheeks flush with warmth, and the uncomfortable knot in my stomach loosens. I only hope my brother doesn’t notice. Luckily, when I look up, I see that Maddox’s attention is back on the steaks. Unfortunately, Isla is peering at me with a curious glint in her eyes I don’t like.
“And is there someone you want to tell us about?” she asks him.
His smooth chuckle rolls over my body, leaving goose bumps in its wake. “Trust me, Teach. When I can tell you I’ve foundthe one, I’ll be screaming it from the rooftops.”
Isla studies Griffin, weighing his carefully chosen words, and I almost think we’ve already blown it when her gaze shifts quickly to me. But if my intelligent friend has her suspicions, she thankfully doesn’t voice them. Instead, she smiles and rests a hand on Griffin’s arm. “Well, hopefully that will happen for you soon. You’re a great guy, Griffin. You deserve that.”
“Thanks.” He clears his throat, his voice rough. “That means a lot.”
“All right, enough of this mushy shit,” Maddox says, rolling his eyes. “The food is done, so let’s eat.”
Dinner passes quickly with easy conversation, lots of talk about the upcoming wedding, and so much laughter. Being here with Griffin, Maddox, and Isla feels so natural that I wonder if Griffin was right. Maybe this would be the perfect time to tell them we got married. Because, outside of my mom, these three people are my family. They’re the closest humans in the world to me, and they mean everything. How could Maddox and Isla not be happy for me if I tell them I married the man who’s become my best friend? Sure, I may not have made the decision when I was fully in my right mind, but Griffin makes me happy. He supports me, believes in me, and cheers me on. He’s the firstperson I want to tell good news to, the first person I turn to when I’m upset, the person I want to spend all my time with.
He’s my person.
Surely, Maddox would see that, right?
I’m lost in my thoughts, wrestling with this growing urge to spill it all right here and now, when my brother kicks my shin under the table.
“Ow, Maddy, what the hell?”
Rolling his eyes, he arches an eyebrow. “I said your name like five times. I was trying to get your attention.”
“Okay, well, you have it now.”
Griffin and Isla chuckle when I huff out a breath, sounding like a petulant teenager, but that’s the effect siblings can have on you. They bring you right back to those angsty years when all you did was piss each other off. I shoot my husband a dark look, and the jerk just laughs louder.
“I was going to say that I know you don’t want to talk about what happened with your shithead ex-boyfriend, but I wanted to check on you and make sure you’re good now. You over him?”
