Page 68 of Give Me Forever Love

“Kat, how long have you been engaged?” Claire asks.

“Since Amsterdam,” I say.

K looks at me. “I can fucking speak for myself.”

“Well, you aren’t doing a very good job, baby,” I say.

“Don’t patronize me,” she seethes. “You’ve crossed a line.”

I look around. “What line? I don’t see a line.”

“After all this time, you’re still an asshole,” she says, shaking her head.

“I’m an asshole?” I point to myself.

“Yes,” Claire and K say at the same time. My eyes jump to Claire.

“So, you don’t think you’re an asshole for making your best friend feel like she can’t tell you that’s she engaged? It’s the happiest moment of her life, and she can’t tell you…the one who’s supposed to be like a sister to her.”

Claire blanches and K looks down.

“Hey, look, this is all going too far. We didn’t mean to make you feel that way, Kat. Claire just loves you and doesn’t want anything to happen to you.”

“What the fuck is going to happen to her?”

“Bryce, don’t sit there and pretend like you’ve been a great person for the last however many years. You were running an illegal gambling operation underneath your club. You then hired a hit man to kill someone.”

“Someone who raped you!” I throw back.

“Watch it,” Austin says.

My eyes bounce to him. “Don’t tell me to fucking watch it. My girl has scars on her wrists because of the man yours chose to date.”

“Bryce, stop it,” Kat says.

“No. You stop it. This shit is ridiculous. You’re all judging me for my sins, and yet you’re all soaking up the benefits. You don’t have to worry about that psycho ever again, and that’s because of me!” I slap my chest. Claire blinks, running her hand over her stomach. None of them say anything. They know I’m right.

“I know you three have this special bond that I don’t understand. I know K means a lot to y’all, but she does to me, too.” I look over at her, thinking about grabbing her hand, but I’m sure I’ll get rejected. I swallow and look at my plate. “I also know that without your approval this amazing thing between us might not work out.” I slide my chair out and stand up, grabbing my beer. “Let’s get that shit out of Axel’s room, yeah?”

Austin nods, standing up, too. He kisses Claire’s forehead as I head up the stairs to K’s old room.

_____________

Kathrine

I sit, looking down at my half-empty plate, wondering just how much trouble I’m in with my best friend and wishing I could knock Bryce out. I’ve got a strong urge to bolt out of this apartment and run like a serial killer is after me. I dare peek over at her. Her head’s tilted and she looks back at me.

“I’m sorry,” we both say.

“What?” I ask. “Why are you sorry?”

She sighs. “I’m sorry I made you feel like you had to keep something so life-changing important to you a secret. That was not my intention.”

“Oh,” I say softly. I didn’t expect her to say that. I thought there would be yelling and pointing fingers and possibly her telling me to get out of her house.

“I’m sorry, too. I should have told you. I’ve wanted to so many times.”

She nods. “I can imagine. I’ve been talking so much about my life and Axel and everything to do with babies, and here you are with this big news and you couldn’t even tell me.”

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