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“Maybe the girls and I weren’t thinking clearly when our conniving and matchmaking instincts took hold,” I heard Summer mumble.
“Lord, woman. I had a feeling you ladies were up to something,” Gyth said, shaking his head. “I’m going to put these things in the bedroom.” He walked over to his wife first and kissed her quickly on the lips. “Behave while I am gone.”
“Funny, Big Guy,” she sassed back.
Once he left the room, I couldn’t wrap my head around what in the world the girls were thinking. But then again, they didn’t know all the history behind Brinley, Luke, and me.
But matchmaking?
I couldn’t help myself, I laughed.
“What are you laughing at?” Summer asked.
“I was just thinking all you ladies had lost it if you thought you were going to push Brinley and me together. Besides, I am not relationship material and certainly not with my dead best friend's wife.”
I winced as the words left a sour taste in my mouth.
Talking about this kind of shit was not my specialty and I avoided it like the plague. That was one thing that Brinley had always pushed me on. Trying to get me to talk about my feelings. Whereas Luke allowed me to just hide away.
They played the good cop, bad cop routine, as they tried to get me to open up. But I never could. And while Brinley knew the story that had me shutting down my emotions, Luke had been there when the devastation happened and understood me better than anyone.
After a while, I think Brin had realized what a lost cause I was and gave up trying.
Who could blame her after disappearing like a ghost in the night?
I’d done her wrong and I was sure it was me who’d truly lost in the end. I had lost everyone.
Now I had a group of people I trusted and would be happy to call friends, but until the day Brinley showed up and I talked to Gyth, nobody honestly knew me. Even he didn’t know everything.
“We may have not thought it all through, but we just want you to be happy. And it was obvious there was history there. Teal noticed right away and once she caught on then everyone jumped on board.”
Summer’s face had a sheepish look on it. No way would I be mad at her or the other ladies. I knew they meant well.
“We just want you to be happy,” she added.
What was it with people when they found their better halves and always wanted to make everyone around them to be as blissfully happy? It was kind of amusing, but also annoying. Well for me it was since it was never going to happen.
Nobody but one person had ever made me feel like it was even an option. And even then I couldn’t commit. Even if I was ready one day, I wouldn’t ever be given a second chance.
“Thank you. But if you knew everything about me, you wouldn’t be so quick to try and match me with an innocent woman. Especially with sweet Brinley.”
I thought once I said my peace, Summer would get it, but a weird gleam entered her eyes as she held my gaze and I wasn’t sure what I saw in her stare was her backing down.
“I don’t need to know everything but if you ever want to talk to me you can. Or anyone else in the group. You are one of us now and we take care of our own.”
My body reacted to her words and a pleasing tingle ran through me as I felt the wall around me crumble a fraction.
“Any woman would be lucky to have you,” she added fiercely.
And the wall snapped back into place.
“I don’t want any woman.”
Shit, I meant to say, women, meaning anyone. Even to my own ears, the way I had said it, made it clear I had one person, and one person only in mind.
“I know. I can see that.” A smile played at the corner of her mouth.
What the hell could she see? I was losing my touch if Summer and the others could get a read on me like she was suggesting.
