Chapter Thirty-One
“This is nice,” Riley said, sipping his beer and sitting back, basking in the happiness all around him. Charlie and Scott’s wedding had gone exactly as expected, with all the love and laughter they deserved.
“Yeah,” Brent agreed beside him. “Thanks for talking me into coming.”
“Thank you for agreeing to be my date.” Riley grinned. “I’m sure you had a lot of very tempting offers.”
Brent snorted. “Just the one, actually. But it came from someone I can’t say no to. Even if I’m traumatized about weddings for life.”
“Consider this exposure therapy,” Riley said. “I’ll only take you to nice, harmless weddings to start with. We’ll work our way up to the weird skydiving ones.”
“I’m not going skydiving,” Brent said. “I’ll wait on the ground.”
“I don’t actually want to go skydiving, either.” Riley sipped his beer again. “Now, bungee jumping…”
“Nope. Nuh uh. You can go, but I’m waiting on the bridge.”
“You’re a lot smarter than I am,” Riley said, smiling to himself.
He was still shocked that Brent wanted him in his life. That he’d been willing to tell Emily this was a thing now, that he was letting himself be seen in public with someone like Riley.
Not that he wasn’t grateful, but some days, he still expected to wake up and realize it was all a really intense dream.
Less so, now. He was starting to feel like he was sure of Brent. Like this was real, and it was forever.
“I hope you’re not expecting a marriage proposal today,” Riley said. “Even if youdocatch the bouquet.”
Charlie and Scott were both preparing to throw their buttonhole flowers, which was close enough to a bouquet that people were lining up behind them in the hopes of catching one.
“I hope not,” Brent said. “Still traumatized. Besides, I don’t need a proposal from you. I know I have you. That’s enough.”
“Good,” Riley said.
Secretly, he would have liked to be married to Brent one day. Not today, though. They had time. They were both still discovering themselves and each other.
Riley knew in his heart that they were forever, and that was enough for him, too.
A cheer rippled through the crowd as Charlie tossed his flowers. Riley could barely contain how happy he was for him, how glad he was that his little brother had found someone to share his life with.
He looked over at Brent just in time to see the flowers collide with the side of his head. Brent caught them automatically, his normally pale face draining of all remaining color as he looked between the flowers in his hand and Riley.
Riley burst into laughter. He had to set his beer down to stop himself from spilling it, his whole body shaking as he laughed and laughed at the look on Brent’s face, at the whole ridiculous situation.
The laughter spread through the rest of the crowd, everyone joining in as Riley wiped tears away from his eyes.
Brent’s mouth was still hanging open, shock making him stare directly at Riley.
“I didn’t even mean to…”
“I know,” Riley said. “They hit you in the head.”
Brent nodded. “You’re not gonna…?”
“No.” Riley stood, walking around the table and reaching out to offer Brent his hand. “No proposal, promise. But I do have something else in mind.”
Brent wet his lips, and then after only a moment’s hesitation, took Riley’s hand, standing as well.
“You’re not gonna embarrass me?”
