“Always.”
I pull back and grin. “Any chance you can convince Nash, Cade, and Wyatt that Ben’s a good guy?”
He chuckles. “I’ll try.”
“Have I ever told you that you’re my favorite brother?”
He rolls his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I bet you tell the others the same thing.”
I scoff. “I definitely don’t.” I pull him into a hug. “I should go find Ben. You’re okay, right?”
“I’m good. Go enjoy your evening.”
“Thanks, Seb. I’ll visit Taylor as soon as she’s home.”
“She’d love that.”
As I make my way back through Eden, I feel lighter, like a weight has been lifted now Ben and I have Seb’s blessing. One brother is on my side. I can’t help but wonder how much harder it will be to win over Nash, Cade, and Wyatt.
Ben
I watchAshlyn as she crosses the room, disappearing from view. Now that Seb seems to have accepted us, I feel a bit more at ease about meeting her family. I’m still nervous, just not quite as much as before.
I pull my phone from my jeans pocket and quickly send a message to Laney. She’s out with her friend, but after our conversation earlier, I just want to make sure she’s okay.
Me: Hey sweetheart, just checking you’re okay. Are you still out with Chelsea?
I watch the screen for a while, waiting for the message to be read. When it stays unread, I slip my phone back into my pocket and grab my Coke, taking a sip. My eyes scan the crowd while I wait for Ashlyn to return, and suddenly, I do a double take. A blonde woman who looks exactly like Laney catches my eye. Shedisappears from view, and I stand up, pushing my way through the crowd. Eventually, I spot her dancing closely with a guy.
“Laney Murphy, what the hell are you doing in here?” I call out.
She glances over her shoulder, her eyes widening when she spots me.
“Fuck!” she exclaims.
“Yeah, you could say that.”
The guy she’s dancing with sizes me up. “Who the hell are you?” he asks.
“I’m her father. Who the fuck are you?”
His eyebrows furrow as he looks between me and Laney.
“Father? How old are you?” he asks Laney.
I answer for her. “She’s eighteen.” My gaze drops to the glass she’s trying to discreetly hide behind her back. “What are you drinking?”
She sighs and pulls it out. “Vodka soda.”
My jaw tightens. “How did you get served?”
The guy takes a step back. “I’ll leave you to figure this out,” he says before vanishing into the crowd.
“Thanks!” she scoffs. “He was cute.”
I glare at her. “This isn’t the time for your sass, Laney.” She rolls her eyes. “I’m going to ask you again. How did you get served?”
She blows out a frustrated breath. “I’ve got a fake ID.”
