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His lips graze mine, the heat from his breath prickling my skin. We moan our I love you’s, words I’ve waited to hear from Ethan for over ten years, stolen from his mouth and sealed with a kiss.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Ethan
More crowded than normal, I push through the throng at Ollie’s Pub, nodding at people on my way to the long oak bar. With his back against the wood-paneled wall, Will knocks back a bottle of Heineken. The skinny blonde on the barstool next to him giggles as if he said something funny. He wasn’t even talking to her, which makes me laugh.
His eyes widen when I stop in front of him. Setting the beer on the bar, Will whispers something to the girl, who slides off the stool in a hurry. She smiles as she leaves, flashing a set of pearly white teeth that are too perfect to be real.
“You showed.” Will pats the open seat. “Drink with me.”
Concern bubbles up in my chest. Will is far too calm after his reaction this morning. I sit next to him and prop my elbow on the bar, leaning over it to catch the bartender’s attention. She takes my order and then disappears.
“About this morning,” I start. “Look, I’m sorry you had to find out about us that way. I never wanted to sneak around with Mia behind your back, but it just happened. I didn’t plan it out. I wanted to tell you so many times and pussied out.”
Will raises his hand to silence me. “I started drinking after I left Mia’s apartment and haven’t stopped.” He slurs some of his words, though he’s not completely shitfaced. Will can handle his alcohol. “My sister loves you. I thought long and hard about this all day. I’m pissed at you for lying to my face and for fucking my sister. But I only care about one thing. If you love her back, then I can try and get used to the idea of the two of you being together. But if this is just a hookup for you, I’ll bash your fucking head in with this bottle.”
“Kinda harsh, don’t you think?”
The bartender returns with my beer, and I hand her my credit card to start a tab.
Will presses his lips together, his jaw clenched. “Answer the question. Do you love my sister?”
I pound half the bottle in one gulp and set it back down on the bar. Serious conversations require a lot of alcohol. “Yes. I told her this morning after you stormed off.”
Will pinches the bridge of his nose between his fingers and sighs. “Okay… fuck.” He mutters something to himself under his breath. “I guess it’s better than Mia hooking up with someone I hate. But you know what this means, right?”
I narrow my eyes at him. “No.”
“Our friendship won’t survive if you hurt her. Because I’ll kill you. So, don’t break her heart.”
I give his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “I promise to take good care of Mia. This is what you’ve wanted for her all along. Someone to look out for her.”
He takes a sip from his beer, staring at me, his face expressionless. A beat passes between us before he bobs his head in agreement. “Yeah, I guess so. All I care about is her happiness. If this is what you both want, I don’t have to like it, but I can accept it. Maybe the idea of you two will grow on me over time.”
“That’s all I can ask for,” I mutter. “I’m glad it didn’t come down to us beating the shit out of each other.”
Will laughs. “Why? Because you know I would kick the shit out of your punk ass.”
I smirk. “No, because I would’ve let you do it just to get out your anger.”
Like I let my dad do when I was a kid.
“Now that’s stupid.” He shakes his head, amused. “We move back to our condo tomorrow. What are you planning to do about Mia? Is she moving in with us? Like what the hell is going on with you two?”
“We’re dating not getting married. At least not anytime soon. This is almost as new for us as it is for you.”
“Promise me one thing,” Will says.
“Anything.”
“Don’t fuck my sister while I’m home. I’ll need lots of fucking therapy if you do.”
I nudge him in the arm and laugh. “You already need lots of therapy.”
“True, but I’d need a lobotomy if I had to hear that shit. It was bad enough seeing your bare ass this morning when I went into Mia’s bedroom to wake her up.”
We break out into a fit of laughter. My friend returns with each swig of beer.
