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They both laugh.
“Don’t remind me!” Layna says through her laughter. “We used to spend hours daydreaming about wedding dresses. If I recall, you wanted a massive skirt like a princess. Aren’t you glad you grew out of that phase?”
Piper shrugs. “I think I could still pull it off.”
“Do I need to make some calls?” Harlow asks. “Last minute wedding dress change?”
“Definitely not!” Piper says, emphatic. “The dress I chose is perfect.”
“I can’t wait to see you in it,” Luke says.
“Seriously,” Layna says. “You’ve got to stop being such a cute couple. It gives the rest of us false hope.”
Everyone laughs at her joke, but Piper shakes her head.
“So cynical,” she says. “What about Michael? I thought you guys hit it off?”
“We did,” Layna says. “We’re taking it slow, but I really like him. It’s too soon to know for sure though.”
I clench my jaw against the urge to say something rude. Linc glances in my direction and I can see he’s trying to judge my mood. After the other day and my big confession, he’s got to know how much this conversation is eating at me. I ignore him and take another sip of my drink as the three women talk about Michael and how successful he is, how smart and funny, how great his smile is.
“Taking it slow is good,” Linc says as soon as there’s a lull in the women’s conversation.
When they all turn to look at him with questions in their gazes, he shrugs.
“I mean, it’s good to get to know a person before you rush into a relationship. Right?”
Harlow looks at him with a raised brow. “You mean for 20 years or so?”
His expression turns sheepish. “Maybe not quite that long,” he mutters.
Harlow smiles and shakes her head. “Don’t listen to him. If you like Michael, you should see where it goes.”
She winks at Layna. “Find out if you’re compatible. In all areas.”
I pick up my glass and down the rest of the bourbon in one gulp before standing.
“I’m getting another round,” I say, walking toward the bar before waiting for a reply from anyone.
There’s no way I can sit at that table and listen to Layna’s best friend and her sister tell her she should sleep with Michael to see if they’re compatible. It’s not like I’m a prude. I’m a reformed man-whore, after all. I’m the last person to judge someone for who they have sex with. Layna wasn’t a virgin when we met and I never asked her about who she was with before me. It didn’t matter. But that was before. Before I fell for her. The idea of her sleeping with someone else now makes me want to punch something. Or throw up. Or drink another glass of liquor. Though I know none of those things will change what Layna does or doesn’t do. There’s only one thing I can do that might have an influence on what she does. But I can’t bring myself to say the words. I can’t bear to hear her reject me. And I don’t know why she wouldn’t.
“You okay?” Linc asks from beside me. “You’ve been pretty quiet.”
I hadn’t noticed him until he spoke. I should have figured he’d follow me. He’s the only one at that table who knows how I feel about Layna. He’s the only one I can talk to about this.
“Not really,” I say.
“You should just tell her,” he says. “Get it out there. See what happens.”
I shake my head. “What if she doesn’t feel the same way?”
He shrugs. “So, what? At least you know you tried. You put yourself out there. You can’t control what she feels. But if you never tell her, then she’s going into a relationship with someone she might not really want because she doesn’t have all the facts.”
I think about his words. I appreciate my brother trying to be optimistic, but I think his opinion is biased by the fact that I’m his brother. Not to mention the fact that he’s in a happy relationship and there’s no question his girl loves him.
“Maybe you’re right,” I say. “But if you’re not, it’s going to make Luke’s wedding awkward. I don’t want to be responsible for that.”
“So, wait until after the wedding,” Linc says. “But don’t wait too long. You deserve to be happy, too.”
