Page 76 of My Brother's Best Men
My cheeks heat, and I’m thankful they can’t see me. Elijah comes up behind me, his lips close to my ear as he brings the necklace around my neck. “I saw this and couldn’t help but think about how beautiful you’d look in it.” I melt from the heat of his breath, his lips grazing my ear slightly.
I pull my hair around so he can fasten it. “You shouldn’t have,” I say, smiling from ear to ear because it really is gorgeous.
It’s not about the money, though I know it was probably expensive. It’s about the thought. Opals are my birthstone.
“That’s not all,” Benny says as he offers me a small box too. I open it to see a matching pair of shell earrings.
“Really?”
He smirks. “Couldn’t let Eli take all the credit.”
“It’s not a competition over here, Benny.” Elijah huffs.
“Keep telling yourself that.”
Matthew laughs as I take the earrings out and put them in.
Benny moves my hair out of the way, the gesture not all that strange or unlike something a friend would do. But it’s the look in his eyes that is anything but polite.
“Mmm, Eli was right. You do look stunning,” he says with a grin as he leans in to whisper in my ear. “I bet you’d look just as pretty innothingbut those earrings. Sucking off boy wonder over there.”
I blush six shades of red as I look at Matthew, who’s smiling from ear to ear.
“Oh! I have one too!” he says, reaching into his pocket and bringing out another box. I look back at Benny who smirks at me like he didn’t just say the dirtiest things in my ear.
Fucking bastard.
“Allow me.” Matthew clears his throat. He presents the box to me with a grin. “For Princess Sophia.”
Benny rolls his eyes.
I take the box from Matthew, opening it to find a matching ring. It’s small and dainty, the shell the focal point, but there are still little diamonds on the silver band.
“It’s…”
Matthew takes it out of the box, grinning gleefully. “Now you have the full set,” he says, grasping my hand. I freeze as he squeezes my hand before sliding it over my ring finger. It’sa little snug, likely because of the swelling from all the salt I’ve consumed since I’ve been here, what with all the seafood and other delicious things. But the moment Matthew’s thumb brushes my knuckle, I feel tears come to my eyes.
It’s just a ring. It’s not an engagement ring or anything. But…it feels like it’s more than just a ring. It feels like a promise. A vow of some sort.
“Thank you,” I say.
Elijah smiles at me. “Now you have something from each of us,” he says softly.
I hear his words, but they sound like he’s saying something else. Acknowledging something I don’t quite understand, but want to all the same.
“You guys ready for dinner?” Sam says, breaking our spell.
“Abso-fucking-lutely,” Benny says, throwing his arm around my brother. “I’m starving.”
Sam shakes his head. “You’re always starving. Raegan’s convinced you have a tapeworm.”
Matthew laughs as Elijah says, “More like a brain worm.”
I shake my head as Raegan and the bridesmaids make their way over to us, followed by my parents and hers as well as our relatives. I stare at them all for a moment, the large group that we are. All of us here to celebrate my brother and Raegan.
My mother catches my gaze. “You look lovely, Sophie,” she says sweetly as I thank her. Her eyes flash to my neck. “That’s a lovely necklace. It suits you.”
“Thanks,” I say. “Elijah got it for me.” I give him a smile and note the blush in his cheeks.
