Page 17 of My Brother's Best Men
Because I’m pretty sure it involves Sophie.
Though I could probably wager that he’s mulling over whateverupsether and trying to find a way to fix it. Because that’s what Elijah does. Hefixesthings.
He and Sophie used to be close. Best friends even, kind of like me and Sam.
And every time something happened, some asshole broke Sophie’s heart or some bitch put a toy snake in her locker, Elijah was there. With the damn cookies and ice cream and his relentless adoration and love.
How the fuck could Ievercompete with that? What was the point?
It was clear Eli and Soph were two peas in a pod, and I’m honestly surprised neither of them ever pulled the trigger on confessing their feelings. But that’s not my problem.
Whatismy problem, is making sure Eli and Matt don’t do something stupid tonight and compromise this dinner or this wedding. I won’t let anyone fuck up my best friend’s day.
Matt would do something stupid just because he lacks the brain cells, but Elijah…
Well, his heart and his sense of heroics can be a bit of an issue if he ain’t careful.
And me… Well, as long as neither of them push my buttons to piss me off, I think we’ll all be good. But it’s still a tall order, all things considered.
“Same,” I say. “I could eat a damn horse.”
I park the car and we get out one after the other, Matt leading the way into the restaurant. I can hear the chatter as it’s a busy night, but I’d recognize the voices of Sam and Raegan just about anywhere.
Though it’s not their voices that I hear first. It’s the unmistakable laugh of my princess.
“Oh my God, I can’t believe you remember that,” she says, and just as I turn the corner, I see her. That bright smile stretched across her perfect, luscious lips. The way her jade eyes light up as she looks at Sam.
“Kind of hard to forget how you and Raegan used to make witch soup and curse us all,” he says with a laugh as Raegan shakes her head.
“I swear, we weren’t cursing you,” Raegan defends.
Time stops as Sophie meets my gaze and I feel like the ground beneath me moves.
“Benny! Matt, Eli!” Sam says as he gets up and heads for us, his family turning their heads to great us. Carol and Jack, Sam and Sophie’s parents, look at the three of us and smile with excitement.
“You boys are just on time,” Jack says with his wide grin. As Sam hugs me, I see that his mother looks a bit on edge, but I don’t think she’s going to cause a scene or anything.
She’s a stickler for things going a certain way, but I doubt she’ll do anything to put a damper on her son’s special event. Especially so close to our departure for Paradise. After all, we leave tomorrow.
“Come on, have a seat,” Sam says, clapping me on the back. Matt heads for an open spot near Jack, while Elijah beats me to the spotrightbeside Sophie.
Asshole. I swear if there was a sliver in her flesh, that worm would find a way to bury himself inside her.
I shove the heels of my hands in my eye sockets atthatthought. I do not need to be thinking about Elijah burying any part of himself inside of my princess…
I open my eyes, removing my hands as Raegan asks if I’m okay.
“Fine,” I say. “Just had a fucking piece of dust or something in my eye.”
“Language!” Matt says, as if I haven’t heard him say worse.
I roll my eyes, glancing at the only open seat left. The one directly across from Sophie. And Elijah.
Fuck me.
Fuck me all to hell.
I take the seat reluctantly, forcing a smile onto my face as I do my best to stow my jealousy, my animosity. “Sorry,” I say, shooting Sophie a glance. “Can’t help it, I’m fucking starving.”
