Carter is on him in seconds, rearing back his fist.
Everyone jumps to their feet, except for Callum.
Except for CallumandWyatt Caulfield.
“Forker!” Declan barks, loud and demanding, but my brother can’t hear him anymore. He can’t hear anyone.
“What thefuckis going on?” Seth shouts.
Boston is around the table in seconds, right as Carter goes to swing, grabbing him by the neck and hauling him off EJ. He tosses my brother to the ground like he weighs as much as a lawn ornament. While that brings my brother back into his body, EJ just lays there, flat on his back, unsmiling and expressionless. He stares up at the sky and says nothing.
Well, thankfully, this happenedafterthe wedding. It would have been horribly awkward having all the groomsmen trying to kill each other at the altar.
Carter’s eyes are full of fury as he stumbles to his feet and heads right back toward EJ. Boston buries his fist in his shirt the moment he's within reach, hauling him back like a disobedient dog. Carter tries to storm forward anyway.
“Nice knuckles, Dalton.”
And that’s when I notice. That’s wheneveryonenotices. EJ’s red and battered knuckles. Cleaned, obviously, but clear evidence of a fist that hit a face and made irrefutable damage.
Oh no.
Declan’s expression falls, pure shock washing over him.
“Eej…” Seth whispers, disbelief in his voice.
EJ still hasn’t moved, and neither has Wyatt. EJ stares at the sky and Wyatt stares at the table, his hands clasped in front of his mouth. There’s one long moment of stunned, painful silence. Nobody moves. Nobody speaks.
Arden goes back to hesitantly icing Callum’s face. Her eyes are wide, probably as uncomfortable as I am being in the middle of this mess. This isn’t how this group operates. Not against each other. EJ and Wyatt are inseparable. They’re brothers, in every sense of the word besides by blood.
This isbad.
Wyatt suddenly jumps to his feet, his chair flying out behind him. He doesn’t look at any of us as he turns and storms up the back deck, right into the Sweeten household. He shuts the door gently behind him. Somehow, that’s louder than if he had slammed it.
“Wy,” Penny calls after him softly, getting to her feet.
Avery is up in half a second, following them both.
Everyone else slowly looks back at EJ, who still hasn’t moved from his spot on the ground.
“What did you do?” Declan asks, his face a mask of disappointment and simmering anger.
Carter is furious, slowly pushing forward inch by inch. Boston keeps a hold of him, just in case. He’s back in his own head now, but that is still his Captain sitting at the table with a damaged face.
Callum thanks Arden, gently pushing her hand away. She lets him, dropping the ice pack to her side. He stands without a word, and I wait for him to follow Wyatt, but he doesn’t. He walks around the table, right past his teammates, and stares down at EJ in the grass—who is still wordlessly staring at the sky.
EJ’s eyes shift to his.
Callum dips his chin and holds out his hand.
EJ just looks at it, his throat bobbing.
Cal doesn’t move, he doesn’t retract his offer either, he just waits. Patiently. Stubbornly. Eventually, EJ slowly reaches for Cal’s hand and lets him hoist him back onto his feet. He studieshim, a silent apology oozing out of him—thick, heavy, and tangible.
Callum nods, accepting words that were never voiced, and gently pats him on the back. He turns, meeting Carter and Boston’s furious expressions.
“Leave him alone,” is all he says, before he heads into the house to go and find his better half.
Everyone slowly averts their gaze to EJ.
