Page 21 of Hold Your Breath

“Does anyone have any requests for dinner?” Jace asks the guys.

“We were thinking about firing up the grill and eating out here. It’s nice out tonight.”

I love the back patio; it overlooks so much of the gardens. But when I look toward the lake, I blush, remembering my first night here.

Jace leans into my side and whispers, “What’s got your face that pretty shade of pink?”

I turn my head and blink at him. “Nothing.”

Micah pushes his chair back and stands, causing my heart to beat a million miles an hour in my chest. I just know he is pissed about me being here with them, not to mention Jace holding my hand—but he literally won’t let go.

“I’m going to get the steaks. Willow, do you want to help me make the salad?”

I nod, and Jace finally lets go of my hand. He walks over and takes Micah’s seat, picking up the beer that was left on the table and finishing it one go, all while staring at me. When he smirks and releases his invisiblehold on me, I follow Micah inside, mentally preparing myself for what is coming.

When we reach the kitchen, he is silent, and I can’t take it anymore. “I’m sorry.”

He turns to face me. “For what?”

I shrug. “For being here. For holding your boyfriend’s hand.”

The fire in his eyes has my knees trembling. He stalks toward me, and I shuffle away from him until my back hits the kitchen island.

Micah places a hand on either side of me, closing me in. “I knew you were here, Willy, and I like to share.”

He stares down at me and doesn’t break eye contact. I think this is the closest Micah and I have ever been, and my brain short-circuits. “B-but I thought you hated me.”

That makes him smirk. “I never hated you, Willow. I just never trusted myself to be around you. There is a difference.”

“Oh,” I squeak.

Micah pushes back and casually gets out the ingredients for the salad, placing them on the counter. I take a deep breath, then grab a cutting board and knife, and work on chopping everything up, tossing it into the salad bowl as I go. He takes the steaks out, and we stand side by side and get everything ready. I musthave died or been thrown into a parallel universe because this is all way too amicable.

His arm brushes against mine and I wait for him to rip it away, but he doesn’t.

“Have you planned on how you’re telling the parentals about not only having one boyfriend, but two?” I blurt out.

He snorts. “Nope. I know Carol has a list of potential wives for me and is already talking about how cute her future grandchildren will be. I feel like it’s almost cruel to rip the Band-Aid off during a holiday.”

“Maybe, but no crueler than they usually are to me during the holiday. Aunt Angie always tells me to watch my portion sizes while I’m serving myself food.”

His head snaps to the side, anger swirling in his eyes. “She what?!”

“It’s no big deal. She does it every year.”

“You don’t need to watch what you eat,” he snaps. “There is not one thing wrong with your body.”

I want to laugh, to tell him I could name a few off the top of my head, but the way he speaks with so much conviction has me almost believing it as well. “Thank you. Can I ask you a question?” He nods, so I push on before I chicken out. “After we leave here, do you think it would be okay if Jace and I stayed friends? If he wants to, that is.”

He bellows out a laugh. “I’m not his keeper, so youwould have to ask Jace. But from how much he won’t shut up about you, I’m confident he would also like to be your friend. If you asked nicely, I’m sure he would strip you naked as well.”

Now I scoff. “He would not.”

There is no universe that someone as hot as Jace would want to see me naked. Micah hands me the salad bowl, plates, and cutlery, then he grabs the meat, a couple of beers, and a bottle of wine—along with a wineglass—and we head outside.

I place the salad on the table along with the plates.

“Hey, Jace. If Willow asked nicely, would you?—”

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