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“No. But I’m pretty sure she does. You saw how crazy she was at the hospital. She acted exactly how I would if something happened to you. So, yes, I think she loves him.”
“I still don’t like it. I don’t like any of it.”
Selena leans back just enough to look into my eyes. “That’s fine. You don’t have to like it. I love it. I think it’s great. It seems like they’re good for each other. So long as you stay out of it, we’re fine here, Nugget.”
“I haven’t agreed to anything. Just because you’re trying to bamboozle me into being all reasonable and staying out of it doesn’t mean I will,” I grumble, knowing that in the end I’m going to do exactly what Selena wants me to do. At least about this. And probably about most things. Who am I kidding?
“What if it was me? And my friend was trying to butt between us the way you want to? What if my brother had told you to stay the hell away from me for ruining my life on national television? Twice!”
“I’d never let anyone keep you from me.”
“Exactly. It wouldn’t have worked. And it just would have made everything worse if anyone had tried it. There’s nothing you can do here that’s going to end well. You just have to stand back and let them figure it out, okay? Be a good brother. Be a good friend. And you need to stop being a total asshole to them like you were today. You know better than to treat the people you love that way. And it’s not your place to be acting like a jealous boyfriend. I know that you and Lily are besties. But you’re marrying me.”
That gets my attention. Selena and Lily have been tight since literally the minute Selena set foot in Western Springs when I first brought her home with me. They like each other almost as much as they like me. Sometimes I think they like each other more. Selena’s never once cared that my best friend is a woman. “Since when are you jealous of Lily?”
“I’m not jealous. I never had to be. I love Lily almost as much as you do. But you’re getting married. To me. I’m your plus one. I’m your first call. Doesn’t Lily deserve to have someone to do life with, too? Doesn’t she deserve to be someone’s plus one and their first call? Why should she be alone when you’re so freaking happy with me—the love of your life?”
Leaning back, I frown down at her. She’s exactly right, and that pisses me off more than a little. “You know you drive me crazy, right, baby?”
“Yup! But I only acknowledge the good ways I drive you crazy.”
“Of course, I don’t want Lily to be alone. But why the hell did it have to be Jameson? It’s just weird.”
Selena rolls her eyes at me. “Trust me, it’s not weird. Your little brother’s smoking hot.”
Squeezing her tighter against me, I groan. “Stop, please. Baby, I’m begging you to please quit telling me you find the men in my family hot.”
She shakes her head and laughs up at me. “Hmmm. Nope. Your brothers are all hot. And so is your dad. But you’re the hottest of all the Waters men, Nugget. And you’re all mine.”
“You’re going to be the death of me one day, baby.”
She gives me one of her big, sweet smiles. “Never. I’d miss you too much to ever let anything happen to you. But let’s go back to you begging me. I like the sound of that. You have two minutes to tell me why this is bothering you so much. And then you better start begging.”
“I don’t know. I just don’t like it. It’s weird.”
She lets out a long sigh. “Honestly, what did you even do before you met me? How did you even survive for thirty-two years without me?”
“You have something to say, then just say it.”
“It’s not because Lily’s in a relationship. And it’s not because it’s with Jameson. And it’s not because it’s weird.”
“Then why is it? You seem to know better than I do.”
“Of course, I do. Because I know you, Nugget. You’re upset because she hid it from you, and she’s been lying to you for months.”
“She’s not the only one.”
“I never lied. Not once. I’m never lying to you, Nugget. But it wasn’t my place to tell you Lily’s business before she was ready to do it herself. I know she hid it from you. But that was about her, not you. Trust me, if I could have hidden us from the entire world when we first started dating, I would have. I’d still do it now, if I could.”
“Why?”
“Go read the comments the next time a photo of us gets posted somewhere.”
“Don’t read that shit, baby.” I hate that being with me hurts her. The media. The photos. The things assholes who don’t even know us write about my perfect woman and her perfect body.
“I don’t. But that doesn’t mean I don’t know exactly what it says. Lily’s six years older than Jameson. He’s her best friend’s little brother. She’s curvy like me, and your little brother looks like he should be on a billboard selling jeans.”
“He looks like an idiot.”
