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“Love you, Maybe,” he says, and the smile in his voice only makes it worse.
“Love you too,” I croak out.
He keeps guiding us around the room, and I focus all of my energy on getting my shit together.
But Bruce, being the Chatty Cathy he is, doesn’t give his mouth one moment’s rest.
“Beautiful wedding, huh, Maybe?”
“Definitely.”
“You having a nice time?”
No. “Yep.”
“Me too,” he agrees. “Did you get a chance to say hello to your aunt Ethel?”
“Not yet.”
“You need to.”
I sigh and smile at the same time. Leave it to Bruce to ask enough questions to completely distract me. “I know, Dad.”
“What about your uncle Joe?”
“He’s on my list.”
“Good, good,” he responds. “Just make sure you make the rounds. Everyone is excited to see you.”
“I will, Dad. Promise.”
“I had a real nice chat with Milo’s cousin,” he adds, and it’s that comment that has me lifting my head off his shoulder and looking him straight in the eyes. “She showed me pictures of her little daughter. My God, Maybe, that little baby is actually cute. Doesn’t look at all like Wallace Shawn, like most other babies. I hope your brother doesn’t wait too long to give your mom and me some grandkids.”
“Wait…who are you talking about?”
“Milo’s cousin Emory.”
I scrunch up my nose. “Should I know who that is?”
He nods toward the other end of the room, where Milo stands by his stupidly beautiful date.
“She’s right there.”
What in the hell?
“She’s his cousin?”
“Yep.” Bruce nods, completely oblivious as to why my jaw has all of a sudden become unhinged. “She’s a real ballbuster. Sweet and sassy. And apparently, quite good at finagling a way to get herself a night out without the old ball and chain. Reminds me a lot of your mom right after we had Evan.”
That pain in my abdomen makes itself known again, but I breathe through it and force myself to finish this dance with my dad.
But I can’t force my mind to slow down. It’s already off at a sprint, racing with an overwhelming number of questions.
That woman, Milo’s date, is his cousin?
Not some love interest or fuck buddy?
But an actual family member?
I’m officially confused.
Milo
The clock is nearing one in the morning, and the bride and groom are still whooping it up on the dance floor. Evan twirls his wife around, and the biggest grin I’ve ever seen has become a permanent fixture on his face.
My best friend is the happiest he’s ever been.
Married to the woman of his dreams. The apple of his fucking eye.
And I’m a miserable bastard who can’t stop sneaking glances at his little sister.
Right now, she stands beside her dad while he talks animatedly to Sadie’s father, John.
Beers clutched in their hands and with rosy, alcohol-tinted cheeks, the two men are laughing like hyenas, but Maybe is just…kind of standing there, her lips locked in a firm line.
I get the sense that something is wrong, but fuck, it’s not my place to go ask her.
She’s made it pretty damn clear she wants space from me.
And more than that, this is Evan’s big day. This is the last place I should make some kind of scene and let him in on the secret that I’m in love with Maybe.
Pretty sure the happiest day of his life would take a drastic turn from bliss to red-hot anger.
That’s the last thing I want to do.
Emory sits down beside me and sets two fresh slices of cake in front of us.
“I have to say,” she says with a soft smile. “I was thankful for a night out without my little baby Hudson. It’s been fun, honestly, but I’m getting the vibe that all is not well in your world, cuz.”
“I’m fine.” I shrug and lift a fork to take a bite of vanilla and chocolate.
“Seriously,” she continues and locks her eyes with mine. “What’s going on?” she asks and quickly glances across the room at the one woman I’ve managed to keep track of the entire evening. “I know something is up, and call me crazy, but I’m pretty sure it has everything to do with that beautiful brunette over there.”
What can I say to that?
And fuck, am I that damn obvious?
For a man who’s built a goddamn tech empire and prided himself on his poker face during important business meetings, I apparently can’t hide the way I look at her.
She is the exception in all things for me.
“Well…” I pause on a sigh. “It’s safe to say I got myself into the kind of situation I have no solution to.”
“That’s bullshit, Milo. There’s always a solution.”
I shake my head. “Not in this case.”
“God, you really are a pathetic sack of sadness, huh?” she teases. “Do I need to get some tissues while you cry on my shoulder?”
“You’ve always had a knack for being a sarcastic little brat, you know that?” I toss back. “Even when we were kids, you were nothing but trouble.”
