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I push against his chest playfully, not able to stop my smile. “No. We have to go. You two,” I wave my finger between the boys, “need to shower and change.” A simultaneous sigh leaves both of them, as well as mutual grumbles of acceptance. I chuckle as Dean reluctantly releases me before they head to their respective rooms.
Fifteen minutes later the boys return to the living room. “How did everything go, by the way?” Dean asks. His messy-styled blond hair starkly contrasts Marcus’ neatly tied back brown locks, but they both look extremely handsome in black slacks and button ups.
“I left before Lexy got there, but I’m sure it went perfectly.” I smile, thinking about my best friend’s proposal.
Marcus chuckles. “I’m just happy I don’t have to hear about the anticipation anymore.” I’m not fooled by his comment at all. Marcus is secretly a hopeless romantic at heart, and he thoroughly enjoyed helping Troy plan tonight, especially since the two of them have become so close now that they own a business together.
“Okay, let’s go!” I usher the men out the door, anxious to see Lexy.
When we walk through the front door of Jameson’s, everything is exactly how I helped arrange it with Troy earlier. Only now it’s full of our favorite people.
I spot Lexy immediately, and Dean leans down to kiss my temple. “I’ll get you a drink,” he says, knowing I’m about to make a beeline for her.
Lexy meets me in the middle of the room, her blonde curls falling perfectly over her shoulders and her silky red dress hugging her body in a way that makes her look like a movie star. “I hate you,” she says through a bright smile.
I shrug. “It’s not my fault you didn’t catch on to me wanting to get all dolled up for once.” Grinning, I reach my hand out and wait for hers to land in it. I’ve already seen her ring, but I’m just so excited. I love Troy and Lexy together so much. I’ve loved the idea since it first crossed my mind during our weekend in Vegas. Both the diamond of my ring and the ruby of Lexy’s catch in the twinkle lights strung above us.
“It’s perfect.” She sighs dreamily. Watching my best friend’s transformation when it comes to love and relationships has been so much fun. I love where she is now, where all of us are. As if on cue, Mack fills the space next to us, a grin covering his face as he pulls Lexy’s hand out of mine to examine her ring for himself, holding it in front of his face and twisting her finger.
“Damn, Lex.”
“I know, right? This is so weird,” she says, once again her words not aligning with the smile on her face. Her gaze shifts to somewhere behind me. “Oh, Melissa just got here. I’ll be right back.” She takes off toward her future mother-in-law, leaving Mack and me alone together–for the first time in a year.
Technically, I saw him last week for the first time, but we didn’t have any moments to ourselves. We were both at the hospital, meeting Canaan, Avery’s baby. It was probably the best way for it to happen–in a room full of love and attention solely focused elsewhere. It was inevitable for us to be together at some point though, so now will be the test of where we stand. The last time we talked was Avery’s wedding weekend, but I’m confident he’s doing well based on reports from Avery and Lexy. I’m hoping with the baby, maybe this can be our turning point, and we can get back to some sort of friendship. I’m one hundred percent happy with my choice, but I still miss him.
“I hear another congratulations is in order?” Mack’s words break through my thoughts, leaving me confused, until his gaze shifts to the ring on my left hand.
“Oh, yeah,” I say shyly.
“I’m happy for you, Maci.” He looks and sounds genuine. He always does.
“Thank you.” I stare into emerald green eyes I haven’t locked onto in a while. “How are you?” I ask, nervously twisting my ring around my finger. I don’t know why I’m anxious. I think I just want him to be as happy as I am.
A smile lights his face, and immediately my body relaxes. “I’m great.” His eyes drift to behind me, and I turn, following his gaze to a girl leaning against the bar talking to Cooper. She’s wearing a navy blue bodycon dress with capped lace sleeves and has lavender streaks twisted through her light brown hair. She’s gorgeous, and Mack’s eyes hesitate on her before coming back to mine. “It’s new,” he adds, “but it’s going well.”
I can’t help my smile of relief. “Tell me about her.”
He pauses as if he’s contemplating if this is a weird conversation but speaks anyway. “Ella. I met her at Avery’s wedding. She’s a friend of Miller’s.” Apology fills his eyes, as if it wasn’t okay he met her the weekend we officially called it quits. I try to reassure him with a look of my own. “A few months ago, I wanted to plan something cool for my kids at work, to make them feel like rockstars for their first show. She’s a music photographer. I reached out about having her do a photoshoot with them. I guess it just kind of went from there.”
“She sounds great, Mack. I’m so happy for you. So, work is going well? Do you miss the band?”
“I love it. It’s exactly what I should be doing, and I’m glad to be back here. Especially with the baby.” His eyes sparkle even more at the mention of his nephew.
A wave of peace floods me as I focus on Mack, and the feeling distracts me enough I don’t see Dean approaching. I become aware of him as he’s reaching out with a whiskey sour. “I snuck you extra cherries,” he wiggles his eyebrows at me, like he’s proud of himself, but his face falls when he moves to lean into me and realizes I’m talking to Mack. “Oh, hey, man,” he says, refraining from getting closer to me. God, I love this man. He could easily be putting off a different vibe right now. Regardless, I still feel a little weird.
“You’re best friends with the owner.” I roll my eyes as I take the glass from him and pinch one of the stems between my fingers. “We can have as many cherries as we want.” I bite the cherry off–my attempt at avoiding any awkwardness that could potentially ensue.
I glance up from my drink to assess the situation, stopping mid-chew as I watch Mack reach his hand out. “Hey, it’s good to see you. Under better circumstances this time.”
The men chuckle as if their shared mutual understanding and time have bonded them. I stand there as if I’m in a twilight zone.
“Yeah, you too. Congrats on the new family member,” Dean says, returning Mack’s handshake.
“Thanks.” He beams. “Well, I’m gonna go find Ella. I’ll see you two around.” His eyes find mine one more time before he turns away, and the way he looks at me makes me feel like he’s thankful for how everything worked out.
“You alright?” Dean asks, pulling me to him by the hand that’s now caressing my lower back.
I hold my drink between us and let my other hand fall to his chest. “Yeah, I was just thinking.”
“Oh yeah? About what?” His fingers smooth along my cheek before threading through my hair and resting at my neck.
“I’m just happy for everyone.” He smiles at my words but stays silent for me to continue. “It’s crazy how everything really worked out, isn’t it?” I ask Dean for confirmation, with my earlier conversation with Troy on my mind, but he knows my question is rhetorical. It’s hard to find the right words to describe it. I scan the room, my eyes briefly landing on where Mack is leaning into Ella as she looks at him like he’s everything she’s been waiting for. I continue on, finding Troy and Lexy, his arm wrapped around her waist, her head on his shoulder as they talk to Cooper’s mom. I can’t help but grin as Cooper tugs on Sophie’s hand, pulling her into the corner of the billiards room with a mischievous look on his face, as if no one will notice them. I look back to Dean where he’s silently watching me with adoration. “Who would have thought choosing the right seat in math class would lead to all of this?” I laugh, standing on my toes enough to brush my lips against Dean’s, knowing so many decisions led us all exactly where we are meant to be. Home.
