“Definitely not.” I drag her stool closer to me, and her leg brushes mine as she gazes up at me, her brows knitting slightly. “I had it all planned out.”
“So what happened?” Cole sips his tea, his eyes trained intently on me.
“She did.” I take her hand in mine and give it a little squeeze, the memory of the moment I asked her coming to the front of my mind as look at her. The fog clears as pieces of that night come back to me. Her beaming carefree face is all I can see. “She was laughing at me as she so often does.” Ria rolls her eyes playfully but I keep going. “I was serenading her—I believe I was singing Robbie Williams’s ‘Handsome Man’—and my favorite sound, her laughter, outshone every other noise in the bar. And I knew then. Why wait? Why hold off for the perfect moment?My forever after is here now, and I’ve waited long enough. Thank God she said yes.”
Not taking my eyes off Ria, I watch as her lips twitch into a half smile and she drops her head coyly. She has no idea I mean every single word, and fuck, does it make my stupid heart crack a little more.
“You know I could tell there was a spark between you two today, but I didn’t see this.” Cole motions between the two of us over the island.
“We don’t like to allow our personal life to affect our business,” Ria says quietly, and I pull her into my chest and she comes willingly. Her floral scent wraps around me, and I have to remind myself that this is fake for her.
“I can appreciate that.”
“My family business is a legacy that I want to pass down to my own children one day. I will not let anything or anyone jeopardize that. Even myself.”
“That’s very honorable. Seeing you two together like this is beautiful. And you know”—he takes a drink of his tea before continuing—“it gives me hope that one day I could find my other half.”
“Looking to settle down?” I ask, trying to steer the conversation away from us.
“Not yet.” He lets out a laugh. “I’m far too busy for a relationship, and when I do finally settle down, I need to have enough time to dedicate to that person. I don’t do anything that I don’t give one hundred percent to.”
“I understand that feeling. But when you click with someone, you find a way to balance that. Your other half will always allow you to still be you, just a better version.” My mouth and brain are not working together today.
Fuck, shut up.
Ria’s hand that is looped around my waist tightens, and I rub circles on her back, the patterns calming my rampant heartbeat.
Cole gives us a half smile before saying, “Spoken like a man in love.”
Chapter 22
Ria
“You okay?” Jade bumps my hip as I stare out at the dimly lit, perfectly manicured garden.
“Huh?”
“Are you okay?” she repeats. “You’re a little quiet tonight.”
“Sorry, it’s been a whirlwind of a day.” I hug my glass of wine to my chest as I face her. She looks so relaxed, her face makeup-free, her light blonde hair in a messy bun, and her thick black-rimmed glasses perched on her delicate nose. She’s dressed casually in black leggings and an off-the-shoulder cream sweater, and she mirrors my pose with her wine clutched to her chest.
“There’s something you aren’t telling me,” she probes. “You’ve been really off all night.”
She’s right, I have. Since we came over I’ve been completely in my head. Normally I’d be all over the hockey game playing. After all, my team, the San Diego Seals, are the best in the league this season, breaking records every time they step out onto the ice. But I can’t get into the game. I missed the third goal, which gave Jake Smithson his hat trick and the ridiculous dance he did to celebrate, because I was looking over at Leo. Watching how his eyes brighten and slightly crinkle at the corners every time he smiles, the way he pushes his sandy-blond hair out of his face, the muscles in his forearms flexing with the movement. The size of his hands that I’ve never really paid attention to before now has my mind trailing off to what he can do with them. But it’s the ring on his left hand that keeps drawing my eye.
Why hasn’t he taken it off?
Why haven’t you taken yours off, Ria?
“Come on, let's take these into the nook.” She grabs my hand. “We’re going to leave you boys to it,” she calls over her shoulder, dragging me out of the living room. My eyes connect with Leo’s again, and he gives me a look of concern, but giving him a soft smile, I let Jade continue to pull me into the space my brother had designed just for her. It’s a bookworm's fantasy. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves cover every wall with a fireplace in the corner. Thick blankets are folded on the small two-seat couch that is perfect for curling up on and losing yourself in a good book. There is a large cuddle chair and a small wine fridge tucked in the corner along with a drawer filled with treats. My brother knows his fiancée very well.
Taking a seat on the cuddle chair as she settles onto the couch facing me, my mind wanders back to how right it felt being held by Leo in my kitchen earlier. It was natural to lean into him and allow him to hold me, and the words he spoke floored me.
“You’ve drifted off again,” Jade says, giving me a knowing look.
“I guess I have. Sorry.” I sigh. “I’m just looking at all this,”—I wave at the space—“and I’m just wondering if I will ever find someone who will love me enough to build me an escape. You know? The little touches in here are all aimed at you. My brother knows you and wants you to be safe and happy, and God, do I love him for that. But my sad, jealous brain can’t help but wonder if I’m ever going to get that.”
“Is that all you’re thinking? You’ve been in this room countless times and never have you looked so distant.” Looking down at my wine, I swirl the liquid around but don’t answer her. “Come on, Ria, there is something else going on in that head of yours.”
