Page 56 of My Brother's Best Men
“Have you heard from your fiancé, at all?” she asks and Sophie stills beside me.
Oh, shit.
I guess she hasn’t told her mother yet about her breakup.
“Uh….”
“You said he was resting, right?” I offer, and she looks at me with a mixture of surprise and relief.
“Yeah.” Her voice cracks, and for a moment, I think she’s going to cry.
Shit, I didn’t mean to?—
At her mother’s questioning look, Sophie continues, “Plus, we’ve been kind of busy, so?—”
“I still can’t believe you’re getting married in two days,” Elijah interrupts, turning the group’s attention to Sam and Raegan.
Sam sighs, wrapping his arm around his to soon-to-be-wife, who beams from the touch.
I hope one day I can have a love like theirs.
Though every day, I think that possibility is getting less and less likely. I’ve tried the dating apps. Tinder, Bumble. But every time, it just doesn’t feel right. Things go great on dates, but then they always want more, and I just…
I know Benny says I need to just do it.
I need to not overthink sex and just do what feels right. If I like a woman and feel attracted, I need to give in to the urge and instinct.
Elijah says it’s perfectly fine to wait and I shouldn’t listen to Benny.
Sometimes I don’t know who to listen to, which is why I just sort of stopped trying to go on dates altogether. I can just focus on myself. I work from home most of the time, which I’d planned to do for a bit until I found a job I wanted, but that was over a year ago at this point.
Benny hasn’t kicked me out, and I don’t think he’s going to, but still, I keep looking, hoping something will pop up. Though I dokind of like living with him and Elijah. They’re my friends. And most of the time, they aren’t so bad as long as they aren’t arguing over Sophie.
I turn to look at Sophie, at her bright eyes.
“Thank you,” she mouths to me.
I give her a soft smile. “Of course.”
“Me either, man,” Sam is saying. The air around us is warm and full of love, because we’re all here to celebrate him and Raegan, and when those two are in the same room, it’s impossible to not feel their love.
It’s infectious.
“Tomorrow is the big bach party,” Benny says. “And then…poof. You’re old and lame come Saturday morning.”
Raegan giggles. “I’ll take old and lame any day,” she says. “As long as it’s with you.”
Mr. and Mrs. Martinawwas Elijah sighs and Benny rolls his eyes. Sophie bristles next to me as the Martins are delivered the check and Lucy, Natalie, and Tiffany all get up.
“Where are you ladies headed?” Benny asks.
“Nat wanted to check out the campfire on the beach. You in?”
I notice Sophie tense and then I see where her eyes are glued. Benny.
I’m not a detective, but I’m not blind either. She’s been glaring daggers at the man all day, every time one of the bridesmaids talks to him. Lucy, mostly.
Lucy has been flirting with Benny for the last few months, probably angling to try to get the Benny Battering Ram experience.
