Page 87 of Fake Dating Daxton Hawk
“I’ve got someone here to see you.”
I shoot a glare at her. “If it’s Daxton, Mina, I swear I will kill you.”
“It’s not. I think you’ll enjoy this visit.” She glances back at the door and calls out, “Hey, get in here.”
My eyes widen in disbelief when my brother steps into view. His blond dreadlocks are tied in a bun and there’s thick stubble on his jaw. Ryan’s shirt is fully unbuttoned and his torso is on display, like he’s just finished surfing at the beach. The sight of him is like coming home and makes me burst into tears all over again.
“Hey, baby sis.” He sits on the bed with me and Mina and wraps me in his arms. I collapse into his embrace, hugging him tight.
“Ryan, what are you doing here?”
He shares a look with Mina, the two of them communicating something silently.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“Nothing. Daxton contacted me. He told me everything. I came immediately.”
I don’t know whether to feel pleased or annoyed by this information. On one hand, I’m obviously happy to see Ryan. On the other… “If Daxton thinks calling you is going to make me forgive him—”
“He doesn’t,” Mina interrupts. “I spoke to Daxton and he made it clear contacting Ryan was purely about you having the support of your brother.”
My teeth grind together. Probably another lie from Daxton. Ignoring the topic, my focus returns to Ryan. “It’s so nice to see you. I’ve missed you a lot.”
Mina stands from my bed. “I should give you two a chance to catch up. I’ll be in the living room.”
“You don’t have to leave,” I tell her. She’s not intruding on anything, not when she’s basically family to me as well as Ryan. He’s known her since we were young. They’re good friends. On occasion, they’ve been more than friends.
“You two deserve a sibling moment. Before I go…” She places an envelope on my nightstand. “Don’t hate me. This is a letter from Daxton. He gave it to me a few days ago. I should have given it to you sooner, but I wanted to wait till you were feeling a little more stable. Do with it what you want. I’m not forcing you to read it.”
“Take it away.”
“Babe…”
“Throw it in the trash. I don’t want to read it.”
She nods and steps out of the room, taking the envelope with her.
“You should read the letter,” Ryan says.
“Don’t start.”
“I’m not saying you have to forgive the guy, just that you should read the letter.”
I rub both of my eyes and sigh. “You and I have other things to talk about. Like how you got married.”
Ryan holds my hand, speaking softly. “Mina told me I may not have chosen the best way to break the news to everyone. She said you were a little upset finding out the way you did. Of course, it was dumb of me. I wasn’t thinking. You know how I am, doing things that feel right in the moment.”
“Yeah, I do know. It’s okay. Really. I’m happy that you’re happy. I was just caught a little off guard when I saw the vlog. You and Hannah only met a few months ago. I had no idea you were so serious about her.”
He shrugs, smiling. “Time doesn’t matter. You don’t need to be with someone for a long time to know they’re the one. When you know, you know. Hannah is like no girl I’ve ever been with and I didn’t want to wait to marry her.”
Mina and Zac said the same thing to me when they got engaged. Before flying out to Napa Valley to be with Daxton, I was starting to think the same about him…
My throat clenches with a new wave of tears trying to make an appearance. I swallow, fighting the waterworks.
Ryan sighs, continuing his explanation. “Then my manager was hounding me about how I hadn’t posted a vlog in a while, so I handed over footage of me and Hannah eloping. It was a dick move. I’m sorry. I didn’t know how much you were struggling, not just with my absence but everything. Unemployment. The fire. Escorting. Shit, Jordan, I would have come here sooner if I’d known.”
“It was escorting with no sex,” I clarify. “And I’m not your problem to fix, but I won’t deny missing you.”
