Page 45 of Unveiled Wishes

“She has my vote. That shit was hilarious the other night. Park Avenue Prince.” Op raised his hand.

Slowly, each brother raised their hands, until it was just How, Zook, Grizz, and me left.

“Don’t fuck this up,” How said to Zook, raising his hand.

“I am going to fuck up, but don’t fix my mistakes. I’ll correct them on my own because I know what it’s like to let her go. It won’t happen again.” Zook raised his hand as How nodded his approval.

Grizz raised his hand, and I raised mine.

The club had officially voted Emily in as Zook’s Old Lady.

Chapter 17

Always Meant To Be This Way

Emily

Flo washed the serving platters, and I stood next to her with a drying towel in my hand. The parties that my parents threw didn’t require us to help with cleanup. I was having fun being included in the chatter as the women switched from breakfast to the beginnings of Christmas Eve dinner.

“Are you alright?” she asked me quietly, washing the serving utensils.

“I am fine,” I said, waiting for her to hand them to me to dry.

“These men are intense, and I wanted to make sure you know you have my support, no matter what happens.”

She didn’t look up at me as she washed the fruit bowl, but her words poured over me like warm honey. Her concern was so genuine that it startled me. I couldn’t remember the last time someone, aside from Eric, had cared about me for who I was and not what I represented. I’d tried to make friends over the years, but I could sniff out hidden agendas like a basset hound. As soon as they learned I was from an elite family, their true motives became clear.

“I am alright, but my head is spinning faster than my heart. What if I make the wrong decision?” I hadn’t realized I’d been harboring some doubt until the words spilled from my lips. “What if I stay and it falls apart again? I’ll have my brother, but my heart will break knowing Zook’s so close and yet so far away.”

Flo snorted as she tried to hold in her laugh. “Are you listening to yourself?”

I replayed the conversation in my head, looking for anything that might have been amusing. “I sound like the little girl that he accused me of being.”

Flo raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at her lips. “No, you sound like a woman who’s waiting for her man to get his shit together.” She laughed again, handing me the fruit bowl to dry. “I will tell you this: most of these men have the same values. He’s always going to put you first. You’re going to have to be the one who reminds him to take time for himself. It’s just the way it works around here.”

I thought about her words as I dried the fruit bowl.

“Don’t look now, but you’re about to be whisked away,” Flo said to me.

“Hey, Flo.” Tyler’s voice sent a shiver down my spine, drowning out the noise in the kitchen. I didn’t dare turn around. If I did, the fruit bowl would crash to the floor, and I’d find myself in his arms before I could think twice.

“Are you stealing her?” Flo asked over her shoulder, continuing to scrub at one of the chafing dishes.

Tyler’s tone softened. “If you’re okay with it, I’d like to spend some time with her. I’m running out of days to convince her to stay with me.”

“I don’t think you’ll have a problem,” Flo said as Pebbles sauntered up to my other side.

“Don’t keep him guessing,” Pebbles giggled as she playfully snatched the dishcloth from my hands and set the bowl on thecounter. Her eyes sparkled with mischief. “He’s one of the good ones around here, unlike some of these other assholes.”

“Are you sure?” I asked them. “I don’t want to leave you in the lurch.” If there was any hint that they needed an extra pair of hands, I was going to stay in the kitchen. My nerves kicked in, and my heart whispered that I’d have to take a leap of faith, hoping it wouldn’t end in a crash landing.

“Nope, we’re good.” They both smiled at me and made shooing hand motions.

Tyler extended his hand, and without hesitation, I slipped mine into it. With a blanket draped over his arm, he led me outside, guiding us down the back porch steps toward the tree line that bordered the property. Once we reached a secluded spot, he spread the blanket out and sat down beside me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me close. “We’re far enough out,” he murmured, his voice low. “No one’s going to interrupt us here.”

“This morning, you were relaxed before your meeting. What’s changed?” The muscles in his arm felt tight against my shoulders as he curled a piece of my hair in between his fingertips.

“It’s Christmas Eve, and you’re leaving me soon. I don’t want to rush you, but have you thought more about staying?” He stared straight ahead, the arm muscles flexing against my neck. His other hand lay in his lap, but his fist clenched repeatedly.

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