“Well. When’s the wedding?” Nick grabs his beer. “Tonight? Tomorrow?”
“Uhhh.” Conner’s cheeks turn red, and he breaks away from me. “That’s…”
“Not happening anytime soon,” I quickly say, hoping to spare Con any pressure. When he looks at me with his brow furrowing, I wink to let him know it’s all good.
“Carly’s gonna shit when she finds out.” Nick chugs his beer and puts the empty bottle on the table. “Did you tell her already?”
“We haven’t had a chance to catch up yet.” I ended up texting her with,Kissing your best friend trend = epic results. Call me!I still haven’t heard from her though.
Nick nods like that’s not surprising, and I notice he pulls his cell out as he heads to the bar to order a round of drinks.
Meanwhile, Bennet knocks his shoulder against mine. “You finally put our boy out of his misery, huh?”
“Geez. Was it really this obvious to everyone but me all this time?”
“Yes,” Bennet says flatly.
“Did you also know I’ve loved him for just as long?”
“We had a feeling.”
Oh my god. “And no one thought to help us see the light?”
Bennet shrugs. “You can only lead a horse to water, but...”
“Who’s the horse?” Conner asks, cutting into our conversation.
“Obviously you, big dick!” Oops. I said that too loud.
Nick chokes on his drink and three women swivel their heads in our direction.
“Oh dear God.” Bennet covers his face. “What have you just done, Taylor?”
“You heard her.” Conner loops his arm over Bennet’s shoulder. “I’m Big Dick.”
Dean smacks Nick’s back because he can’t stop choking.
Better to just roll with this and lean all the way in. “That python in your pants should come with a warning.”
“Stahhp!” Nick cries, doubling over, still coughing.
Conner slaps my ass and heads over to help Nick. Or to gloat more. I don’t know.
Meanwhile, Bennet shoots me a smile that’s all warm and charming and I just love him to death. Itmakes me scared that I’ll lose him if things go south with Conner and me. Our leveled-up relationship is brand new, wild territory. I’m still terrified it’ll go up in flames because we have so much history.
“Hey.” Dean is suddenly next to me, tipping my chin towards him. “Don’t worry.”
“I’m not worried.”
“You’ve always been a terrible liar, Taylor.” His eyes soften as he looks at me. “You guys have always been destined for each other, and you know it.”
Do I?
Dean’s words, so calm and sure, wash over me. He might have been the last person to join our circle, but he’s the strongest and most logical too. And he’s right. Every path I’ve walked has led me to Conner.
Every. Single. Time. Since we were five years old.
I glance over at my man, who’s with Nick and talking a lot with his hands. Peace overflows my soul.
