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“Why are you hiding this from us? You know we approve of Easton,” Mitch said. “How long has this been going on?”
“There’s nothing going on. It was a drunk night in Vegas. I married him on a dare, and now I can’t get rid of him.” The words felt wrong even as they came out. Technically, they were the truth, yet they were lies. Lies I’d keep telling myself until whatever Easton made me feel went away.
Mitch and Stone exchanged a look.
“You went to Vegas in May.” My older brother didn’t miss anything. “You’ve been living with him all this time and didn’t think we ought to know he’d officially become part of our family?”
“I haven’t been living with him,” I said, affronted.
“You have been since we got back to New York,” Stone corrected.
“Not before then,” I argued.
“Hold up.” Mitch squinted at me. “You mean to tell me you’ve been married for seven months to that poor guy and you haven’t been living together? You made vows.”
“It was a dare,” I shouted.
“You still made them,” Stone said quietly.
“Aren’t y’all supposed to be on my side?”
“We are.” Mitch pulled me in for a hug I didn’t want, but when his arms went around me, I deflated.
“That man has the patience of Job.” Stone scruffed my hair, and I swatted his hand away.
“I’ve tried to do the right thing. He won’t sign the annulment papers I keep giving him.”
Mitch put me at arm’s length, eyes rounded. “You didn’t.”
“We made a mistake. It could easily be fixed, but his stubborn ass won’t do it.”
Stone spun me around. “He loves you, knucklehead.”
“How the hell would you know?” I punched him in the shoulder. “Ever since you got together with Muriella, you’ve got hearts in your eyes.”
“He’s right,” Mitch said.
I punched him too. “I’ve got the biggest saps for brothers.”
“Stop acting like you don’t feel anything.” Stone caught me by the arm as I tried to get away.
“I cried like a baby when the Rangers lost in the playoffs,” I said. Pity came from his direction.
“I’d have lost Jules if it weren’t for you.”
“I thought she almost cost you Juliana?” Stone asked, pity turning to confusion.
I refused to look at Mitch. “You were both being idiots. Somebody had to do something.” Stone was right. I had almost cost Mitch and Juliana their relationship. But all it had taken was a little nudge and reminding them of their past. They were meant to be together whether I’d helped or not.
He shrugged. “If you don’t want to be married to him, why bother with this annulment business? Just divorce him.”
I gripped the ledge as I swayed on my heels. Was there really a difference between divorce and annulment? The results were the same. Yet somehow divorce seemed unpalatable, a step I wasn’t willing to take.
“Ruby would kill me,” I said, weakly.
“She’d rather you be happy than shackled to a man you don’t love.” Stone nodded his head toward the door. “It’s colder than a well digger’s belt buckle in Idaho out here. Now that we’ve solved your problem, let’s go inside.”
“If you’d have talked to us sooner, you could’ve been rid of Easton a long time ago,” Mitch chimed in, hooking his arm through mine.
