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If he behaved like the old Bryan, he’d probably dump her before he left town. Forget after.
But the old Bryan wasn’t the one she loved. That Bryan wasn’t the man who’d given so much of himself to her inside and outside of the bedroom. So what that he hadn’t told her anything that made her think he saw this as anything more than a fling? This was all new for him. Like with the kittens. He didn’t even like cats, yet he’d stepped up to the plate to help care for them.
She closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. God, was she just fooling herself? Had this been over before it had even started?
“This is your bachelorette party,” Jill said, trying to keep her voice from shaking. “I don’t want to ruin it by upsetting you.”
“Who’s upset?” Vic shrugged. “I’m just being honest.”
“Have it your way.” The lid was off the box. There was no closing it now. “I’m not messing around with him. You should know me better than that.”
“It’s not you I’m referring to. He’s the one who can’t keep it in his pants.”
“Vicky,” Mel hissed.
“Look, I love my brother. Don’t get me wrong. He just doesn’t get how to be faithful.”
“Playing the field and partying a lot isn’t a crime, and that’s if you even believe all of those stories, anyway.”
“You don’t?”
Jill set down her wine cooler. “I’m just saying, we don’t know for sure they’re true. I haven’t seen him touch any alcohol since he’s been home, and he told me that he hadn’t been with anyone in six months.”
Not that she cared if it had been six months or two. What was past was past. The present and the future were what counted most.
Vicky pursed her lips. “He has my mom’s genes. They’ll always be the types to hit the road when things get tough. It doesn’t mean they’re bad people, they just—”
“Vic, your mom has a mental illness. Bryan doesn’t,” Jill said gently, brushing her best friend’s arm. Vicky moved away, putting distance between them.
Fine. If that was how it was, then she would deal. But she wouldn’t allow Vic to use her hurt feelings as an excuse to run down her brother, especially when he couldn’t defend himself.
“Have you considered that maybe he has changed?” Jill pressed, unable to let it go.
“Obviously you think so. No wonder you didn’t want to tell me what was going on. Next you’ll tell me that he’s going to stop playing football and whittle you an arbor to get married under.” She shook her head. “I know you were a virgin until recently, but that doesn’t equal s—”
“That’s enough.”
Jill’s head whipped around at the cold, flat voice coming from behind them. Bryan stood with his friends at his back, his face as hard as she’d ever seen it. Her chest tightened, and she jumped to her feet, her only thought to comfort him, to erase these last few horrible minutes where Vic had said things Jill knew she didn’t truly mean.
She’d taken a step toward him when Vicky popped to her feet. “What are you doing here?”
“Sucky timing, huh?” He smiled thinly and glanced over his shoulder at Dillon, Cory, and Jake. “We decided to crash your party. Guess the joke’s on me.”
“You weren’t supposed to hear any of that.” Vic shot a panicked look at Jill, though Jill wasn’t having it.
She understood that Vic had reacted from a place of hurt at not being told what was going on between her and Bryan, and that she was worried about Jill—as she always was—along with dealing with the inevitable stress of getting married. But she’d needlessly hurt a guy who only wanted to make her happy. One that had made Jill so happy for the past week.
“Oh, I know that. But I’m glad I did, because I actually thought you saw some good in me. Now I know you think I’m too fucking worthless to get anywhere near your best friend.”
“Bry,” Jill whispered, grabbing his arm. He shook her off.
“No, let’s be real here, why don’t we? She’s rightfully concerned about you hooking up with a guy who goes through women like bed sheets. Maybe she knows the real me. Maybe I can’t stop. If that’s true, being near me is toxic for you.”
Dillon stepped forward and clapped his shoulder. “Come on, man—”
“I’m fine.” He reached up and brushed his fingers over Jill’s cheek, smiling in a way that chilled her down to the bone. “Take the advice you’ve been given, darlin’. Vic loves you.”
Even though he didn’t say the rest, Jill heard it. She loves you, and I don’t.
