Page 73 of My Brother’s Best Friends Entanglement

Hunter takes it and presses it to his chest, as if it holds the deed to his very own kingdom, and leans in to give her a kiss. I look away because there's something in the way they hold each other's gazes that feels like I'm encroaching on something private.

She pulls away, her eyes sparkling. "Your whole family are already over at yours," she tells him. "Elliot's pacing worse than Marcus, if that's even possible, and Jaxon's taking photos of blades of grass." She shrugs. "Even Matt is there. Mostly he's just making fun of the other guys."

"Of course he is." Hunter huffs a laugh. "I'll head over in a sec, baby."

She squeezes his arm, leans in to give me another quick hug, wishes me luck, and then she's gone.

"So." I clear my throat, mostly to fill the silence she's left behind. "Everything's going well for you guys, then."

"Never been happier in my whole life." He says it without a hint of sarcasm.

I know that was going to be the answer, having seen them together, but it's still surprising considering the circumstances. "Really? Even having to share her?"

He looks at me and whatever he sees on my face makes him drop whatever barriers there might still be up between us.

"I wouldn't care if I had to share her with a hundred men, Marcus, if I got even the tiniest part of her heart in return." He turns the note she wrote him in his hands. "I thought I'd hate it. Thought I'd spend my whole life feeling like it's not enough. But I love her more than I ever wanted to own her. And the part I've got of her is mine, completely mine, and she's never once made me feel like it was anything less. And in some ways, it's even more meaningful because, despite still having some of the best men in the world, and make no mistake, my brothers are the best, she still chose to have me in her life as well. It's...thrilling, to know that."

I don't say anything to that, because I don't trust what would come out if I tried.

"Why," Hunter says, watching me a beat too closely, “is there someone you're looking to settle down with?"

I actually choke. "Me? Can you imagine?"

"Could you imagine me, six months ago?" He pockets the note. "And now I'd rather die than change one single thing about how it turned out."

I'm still thinking of an answer when an engine revs and we see Anna, our agent, come raring around the corner.

"Hurricane Anna's here," I say, and Hunter snickers just as said hurricane appears in my drive in a whirlwind of pamphlets and high heels.

"You two ready?" She looks between us. "I mean you look good. Both of you. You clean up better than I expected. Marcus, especially. Hunter's got Aria, she wouldn't let him out of the house without brushing his hair." Her eyes drag over me, deliberately, down and back up, and there's nothing subtle about it, but there's nothing flirty in it either, just Anna being Anna. "Shame you're not on the market. I could sell you as easily as this house."

I shake my head with a chuckle. "I'm flattered, Anna."

"You should be. I don't say it to just anyone." She's already turning to Hunter. "You. Get your ass back to your own site. Elliot's called me twice to tell me to reel you in."

"Course he has." Hunter grabs my shoulder once more on his way past. "Knock 'em dead, mate."

I hug him back. "Let's show this industry what we've got, bro.”

By half six my site is swarming with architects, display home companies, designers. I answer what feels like a hundred thousand questions about our timelines, where we sourced our materials, any adjustments we did, costs. I know I'm doing well, because I could talk about this build in my sleep. I have eaten, slept, dreamt of almost nothing else for months.

Almost.

Through the big front window I can see across the reserve to Hunter's site — Elliot's stiff shoulders, Jaxon crouched low getting some artistic angle on the letterbox, Aria filming it for her social media channel. Whatever they're doing, it's clear they're all there for Hunter.

My own family didn't get an invitation. I told myself it was because they wouldn't have come even if I'd asked. True, but not the whole truth. The whole truth is I didn't want to find out for certain. Easier to assume the silence than send the text and watch it go unanswered.

Zach and Rhys had told me weeks ago they couldn't make it. They'd each individually called Anna to see if there was any way to shift the date, and I know they'd tried their best. But if I'm honest with myself, I picked tonight's date on purpose. Not because I didn't think that they'd have been here, even Leon would've traveled all the way back, if I'd asked them to come. But I never wanted to ask. I wanted it to come freely.

I bring my focus back to the room. One of the architects is halfway through a question I've already answered a dozen times tonight.

"...and the ceiling height in the main living area, is that standard for the range, or is that a display-specific upgrade?"

I open my mouth to answer, and that's when I see her.

Across the room, half hidden behind a designer from Adelaide's largest architectural firm, standing very still with her phone raised, taking a photo of me at work.

Alexia.