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“Traitor,” I mutter.
Grim actually laughs. “Sorry?”
“You suck.”
“It’s one day. Tomorrow night, you can have all the chocolate you want.”
“It’s not the chocolate that’s calling my name,” I grumble. “That shrimp over there looks incredible.”
“You can have shrimp.”
“Not tonight.” I shake my head. “I can’t eat anything until weigh-in tomorrow.”
He rolls his eyes. “Rules are dumb.”
Now I laugh. He’s been saying that about weigh-in since the first time I had to do it.
“You can eat,” I say, shrugging.
“Not in front of you.” He shakes his head. “I feel like one of us has to show some solidarity.”
And this is why he’s my brother.
“Let’s go look at the auction items,” I say. “Luna worked hard on this aspect of the event, and maybe there’s something we can throw our money at.”
“Yeah, Allora hates that she couldn’t be here, so maybe I’ll find something for her. A spa experience or something.”
“How’s she enjoying being back in the acting world?”
“Short-term, it’s been exciting. She’s not looking to make this a thing, though. She doesn’t want to move to Atlanta, although I guess we’d make it work if there was enough money on the line. I don’t think there is for a tiny part like hers, though.”
“Would you really move to Atlanta?”
He nods. “If she needed to be there for work? Absolutely. Why not? I’d help run security on set and she’d be doing her thing. If it went on for years and years, we might have to think about what that means, but for now, I want her to follow her dreams.”
“It’s been nice seeing her get past what happened.”
“She’s worked hard in therapy. And so have I.”
“You’re still going?” I ask in surprise.
He shrugs. “Our relationship is more important than my ego. The truth is, the shit we saw in the Middle East doesn’t just go away because we will it. It actually takes work and soul-searching. And I want to be the man she deserves. Especially once we start having kids.”
“Kids…plural?”
“She’s only twenty-eight. We have time. And if she wants two or three, I’m okay with it.”
Two or three.
That seems like an astronomical number.
“I’ve only put thought into having one,” I admit. “Is that dumb? Like, I never even considered the idea of two.”
“Luna’s older and her fertility issues make everything different. You guys may only be able to have the one. If that.”
I wince.
“Don’t ever say that in front of her,” I caution.
