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Frank’s family crest.
Fuck.
The McCabe family crest.
As if he can sense my need for him, Jay appears. “Dance with me, Kitten?”
I offer Cash a weak smile, praying he drops it. “Go enjoy your wedding. Thanks for the dance.”
He nods but finally lets me go.
Jay presses me firmly against his chest and drops his lips to my ear. “Talk to me.”
I peruse the dance floor, finding Grace and Tessa nearby, bobbing around with Hope in their arms. My niece smiles when Cash peeks his head around Grace’s shoulder, taking her by surprise. Tessa moves back, a big smile on her face as my brother presses Hope between himself and Grace and moves to the beat.
Then Tessa’s boyfriend, a giant of a man in comparison to her small frame, pulls her in close and rests his chin on her head as they sway.
Carter sits with a drink in his hand only a few feet away. His gaze hits Tessa for only a moment before he’s standing and heading to the bar. It can’t be easy seeing her so happy with someone else. One day, maybe he’ll find someone like Cash and I have. I hope all my siblings are as happy as Cash is.
When I spot Frank in the corner, his focus locked on Jay and me, my mind returns to the task at hand.
“Don’t look down, but did you buy a necklace for me?”
Jay’s lips dip into a frown against my cheek and his steps falter. “No. Not today at least.”
The sounds around me get louder and muffled as the room spins.
“Talk to me, Kitten,” Jay murmurs, squeezing me tighter.
“It’s a cross like the one on Frank’s back. His family crest,” I whisper.
The only indication that this information bothers Jay is how his fingers dig into my hips. “Where did you find it?”
“Our bedroom. Next to the bed. There was no note. I figured it was from you.”
He blows out a hot breath against my neck. “Okay, I need you to listen to every word I say.”
I nod but keep my gaze locked on Cash and Hope. He kisses her as the song ends, then heads toward Frank, who’s still standing at the bar. Tessa tips her head up at her boyfriend and kisses his chin, then darts away to dance with Grace and Hope. He smiles brightly, watching her.
“You’re going to push me away and start the fight. You need to be loud, Cat. Angry.”
I close my eyes, hating every minute of this.
“And then you’re going to leave. Go with Frank. Do not call me. Understand? His brother has to believe you’re with him. That you’rebackwith him. It’s the only way this works.”
“I hate this,” I hiss.
Jay leans in close and inhales. Like he’s memorizing me. Inhaling me. God, I’m doing the same thing. I made him promise that he’d come back to me. That we’d be together at the end of this story.
But I’m not fool enough to believe he has control over the outcome.
We know the risks. We know how this could all end. We’ve been here before. But last time, he was on his own. Last time, I didn’t know we were saying goodbye.
Today I do.
So I close my eyes for one more moment and press my body as close as I can. “I love you, Jonathan Hanson. Completely. Irrevocably. Head over fucking heels.”
Jay lets out a surprised breath, as if he’d been preparing for me to push him away. “Tu es l’amour de ma vie,” he whispers.
