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“Well,” Todd said, clearly flustered. “I thought a surprise would be more romantic.” He kept smiling. “Isn’t it?”
I stammered, trying to saynoandmaybeandfor some peopleall at the same time.
My heart ached at his hopeful look.
Get up off your knee, damn it.
The volume of the music in the bar went up suddenly, making it harder for other people to hear our discussion.
I looked to the bar. Dylan stood at the controls and had clearly been the one to turn it up. His expression was hard as he gave me a quick nod.
There he was, coming to my rescue again.
“Are you—are you saying no?” Todd asked, his nervous laughter breaking my heart just a little.
“No,” I said, wrapping his hand in both of mine. “I mean, I’m just not . . . not ready for something like that. It’s not no, it’s . . . not yet. It’s just such a big step. I'm so sorry." I squeezed his hand.
Todd looked stunned. I knew he'd seen this night unfolding very differently. Todd nodded, attempting a brave smile though his eyes were sad.
"It's okay. I clearly misread things between us,” he said as he cleared his throat.
Todd laughed and shoved the ring box into his pocket. “Not theworstnight of my life, at least.”
“Todd, I’m sorry. You just caught me—”
“Everybody,” Todd said loudly as he stood and held his glass of beer in his hands.
My gaze met Dylan’s, and I could see he was as worried about what Todd was going to say as I was.
Todd spoke above the music. “Now that my little show’s over,” he said, still trying to laugh it off, “I wanted to say congratulations to my brother Dylan. I know congratulations is a strange thing to say when selling a business you didn’t want to sell, but it’s for the future. Congratulations on making a fresh start. Here’s hoping for your success, brother.”
He held his beer toward Dylan and took a big drink as most of the crowd saidhear, hearand other nice things.
Relief washed over me. I caught Dylan staring at me with that same look ofthank godon his face.
My grandpa reached over and put his hand over mine. He closed his eyes and nodded, telling me without speaking that I’d done the right thing.
I had. I knew it in my bones.
I’d hurt Todd even though I hadn’t meant to, but saying yes just to avoid an embarrassing moment in public would have been the wrong thing.
I could feel Dylan staring at me from behind the bar, so I looked his way. He’d just watched me turn down his brother’s proposal.
In the few seconds we stared at each other, I felt more desire, more heat building in my body, than I had in the months I’d been with Todd.
Dylan didn’t come to the table for the rest of the party. I hadn’t really expected he would.
11
DYLAN
I sighedas I saw the living room in shambles. Todd was passed out face down on the couch, still in his clothes from the night before.
This was becoming Todd's new normal.
I knew he was going through some stuff after Lana turned down his proposal a few weeks ago, but it was starting to escalate quickly.
He had started missing work and getting deeper into drugs. I started seeing the same patterns from the last time he was in it deep. I hoped this would be a short phase and he’d get his life back on track.
