Page 105 of She’s Worth the Risk

“We’re so glad you could come,” he says warmly.

“Thanks for inviting me.” I glance to where Priya stands with her friends for the photographer. She seems lovely, but her wedding surprises me. “I thought Indian weddings were supposed to be huge?”

Marcus grimaces. “Oh, they are. We’re flying to Mumbai in February for Priya’s family thing.” His gaze strays to his bride, love softening his features. “This one was just for us.”

I smile. “Well, it was lovely. Congratulations.”

“Thanks.” He glances back at me, scrubbing a hand thoughtfully over his chin. Up close, I can’t help but notice how similar he looks to Nick with those blue eyes, an intensity to him just like his brother.

I glance away. As happy as I am for Marcus, and as much as he seems like a nice enough guy, every interaction we have is tainted by the knowledge of how deeply he hurt Nick.

“I need to thank you, actually,” he says at length. “For what you’ve done for my brother.”

“What do you mean?”

Marcus glances over at Nick, and my gaze follows. Nick’s eyes meet mine, glowing with affection, and I bite my lip before my smile grows too wide.

“I’ve never seen him like this,” Marcus says wistfully. “Never seen him so… happy. So open. That’s thanks to you.”

I look back at Marcus. It’s on the tip of my tongue to say something about Nick’s sketchbook, but it’s not my place.

“You helped him realize he was closed off to life.”

I bristle, holding in the words. It’s his wedding day, I tell myself. Now is not the time.

“And you helped him realize why,” Marcus adds, and this time, I can’t help myself.

“He had a right to be closed off,” I say defensively. “What you did—”

“I know. I was an asshole. Nick and I talked it through, and I apologized.”

Despite myself, I soften. “You apologized?”

“Of course. It was the least he deserved.” Marcus winces. “I didn’t realize the damage I’d done, but Nick told me how I’d hurt him.”

Surprise washes over me. Nick told him? That’s… wow. My chest warms with pride as I think about Nick confronting his brother, how difficult it must have been to have that conversation. And to know I played a part in helping him get there… that’s everything to me.

“Hopefully you’ll hate me less now,” Marcus murmurs.

An awkward laugh slips from me. “I don’t hate you. I just… care about him. A lot.”

“You’re not the only one who’s protective of him.” Marcus’s eyes move to mine, more cautious now, assessing. “Not the only one who loves him.” He lets the words hang in the air, more of a question than a statement, and I suck in a breath as they land.

I do love him, I realize. I love everything about him. How brilliant he is. How quietly handsome. How self-conscious he gets sometimes—and how wild when he lets himself. I love how passionate he is about art, and how he’s slowly let that passion into other areas of his life. How he cared for me so tenderly during the blackout. How he doesn’t hesitate to tell me how much he wants me, how much I mean to him. How he wouldn’t let me give up his class, even if I should have.

How he’s risked everything just to be with me.

“No,” I whisper, voice hoarse. “You’re not the only one who loves him.”

Marcus’s features soften. He opens his mouth to speak when Nick calls him over. Giving my arm a gentle squeeze, he heads to his brother, and I watch him go, still processing this new realization. I’ve never felt like this before, and it’s both electrifying and terrifying.

But there’s no denying it. I’m in love with Nicholas Sweetman.

40

NICK

My brother grins as he approaches, hands in the pockets of his dress pants. “What’s up?” he asks, and I motion to the photographer.