Page 145 of Forever

Fuck me.I was already nauseous. This was going to be a disaster.

Chapter 32

Thursday

Matt

“What are you guys whispering about?” I asked as I stared at Rob and Brooklyn.

“Nothing important, man,” Rob said. “Ugh, speaking of nothing important.” He glared at Tanner getting up from the couch and joining us.

“Thank you for doing all this,” Brooklyn said to Tanner. “These decorations are amazing.”

Tanner smiled. “I’m glad you like them. Nigel really wanted live turkeys, and I’m usually an animal guy, but not when we’re eating turkey for dinner.”

Brooklyn laughed.

“The decorations are like mediocre at best,” Rob said. “If you had let me throw your rehearsal dinner they would have been epic.”

Brooklyn shook her head. “I don’t think I like your idea of epic, Rob. But this is perfect, Tanner.”

Rob’s eyebrows lowered. “Perfect and Tanner don’t really belong in the same sentence.”

I sighed. “I know you have manners, Rob. Maybe try and use them?”

“I reserve my right to use manners for people who aren’t liars.”

I cleared my throat and hit him with a hard stare.

Rob just shrugged. “Fine. I will say…this is better than what we used to have to do as kids. My parents always made us go to the Pruitts’ place on Thanksgiving. It was horrible.”

“Was Richard not hospitable toward you?” Tanner asked.

“I mean…he was.”

“Oh.” Tanner tapped his index finger on his lips. “Was it perhaps possible thatyouwere just a bad dinner guest? And increasingly rude to the host?”

Rob lowered his eyebrows again. “I’m a great guest. The best guest.”

“Then maybe be kind to the host, Rob,” Brooklyn said. “Like…really kind. Like don’t do anything weird to his home.”

Rob laughed. “You’re hilarious, Sanders.” He threw his arm around her shoulders and then whispered something in her ear again. “Actually, we’re going to go circulate because someone can’t be trusted alone right now,” he said and pulled Brooklyn away from me.

What the hell was he doing? And who was he saying couldn’t be trusted? Tanner?

Tanner shook his head. “Boys will be boys.”

“He’s older than you,” I said.

Tanner laughed. “He certainly doesn’t act like it.”

“Fair.”

I watched Rob and Brooklyn making the rounds, saying hi to everyone. It was like Rob was trying to commandeer my role here.

Penny walked over to us. “Hey, Tanner. Your home is amazing. I didn’t think apartments in New York City could even be this big.”

Tanner smiled. “Thank you. And this isn’t even the main living area.”

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