Page 95 of Forever Fascinating

“Can yourepeatthat? I think I was hallucinating or didn’t hear you correctly…”

“Hot Cakes,” Reaper said quietly, stepping forward. “Hear him out.”

“I don’t think I heard him the first time,” Hot Cakes bit out, not looking away from Matthew as he stood there, unmoving.

“I said,” Matthew began, clearing his throat and standing firm. “I am in love with your sister, and we are serious about each other. I would really like your support because it means so much to Jana…”

“Whoaaa…” X-Ray grinned, leaning over to shake Houdini’s hand. “I’ll take your wager, buddy.”

“SHUT UP YOU TWO,” Caboose snapped angrily, moving to stand between Hot Cakes and Matthew – not five feet away from Reaper.

“Go on…” Hot Cakes said, rolling up the sleeves of his coveralls slowly, not looking away. “Keep going, Vapor. How long has this been going on?”

“Since the wedding,” Matthew said unflinchingly. “We started talking, emailing, and calling each other afterwards. She’s incredible, makes me laugh, and…”

“Go on…” the other pilot hissed.

“We took a trip,” Matthew admitted. “We just got back from Greece together…”

“Did you sleep with my sister?”

“Sex? No. I wouldn’t disgrace her or do something like that. Did we sleep in the same room, yes, because…”

He heard Caboose utter a softly spoke curse word, just before Reaper and Handsy jumped towards Hot Cakes, grabbing him by the arms. X-Ray and Houdini got up as the trio of men struggled to hold the pilot back.

“Get off me…” Hot Cakes snarled at the two pilots, looking at Vapor. “How could you? I told you to stay away from her!”

“I never intended to,” Matthew said openly, looking at the man in alarm, knowing just how bad this was and what it was doing to the team. He was dividing them, alienating himself, and painting a massive target on his chest by the guy that everyone seemed to like and get along with.

“We were all just starting to get along here, becoming a team, and I was so happy to be able to attend your wedding. I never meant to even look twice at her – I told you that, too… I swear it, man. I don’t want to ruin our team, break up our brothers, or cause a rift… but I can’t help it. I mean, Jace, she looked at me and I could feel something move inside of me. I know that sounds stupid…”

Caboose slapped a hand over his eyes and dragged it down his face in disgust, causing Reaper and several other men to start laughing.

Matthew didn’t care that they were laughing at him – because every bit of it was painfully true.

Jace was standing there looking at him with this strange look on his face.

“Say something,” Matthew pleaded, emphatically, putting his hands into his pockets to keep from defending himself. “Just hit me, get it over with, because I do not want to create a problem with us, with our team. It means a lot to feel like I’m a part of something… yet…”

He drew in a shaky breath and sighed, feeling miserable at the other man’s stony expression as he stood there silently.

“Hot Cakes…” Reaper said, almost as if the other man would understand that single sentence. He saw something flicker across Jace’s expression, before Jace looked at him again.

“I cannot give her up either,” Matthew continued, knowing he was hanging himself openly before this man. “I love Jana with every fiber of my being, and I want to marry her someday. She loves you so much, Jace. It would mean the world to Jana to know that her brother didn’t absolutely detest the guy she chose – and I would do anything for her.”

Jace stood there unmoving – almost as still as Matthew was.

Neither looked away from each other, and you could have heard a pin drop in the barracks.

“I already knew,” Jace said quietly, not looking away. “You should never leave your phone out, because your lock screen has the two of you on there, nitwit… and when you forward an email from her, like the wedding photos? Her email is on there, too.”

“What?” Matthew whispered, numbly. “You did?”

“Is she happy? Jana hasn’t said a thing and usually she blabs or forwards the emails to me to keep me in the loop. She calls it ‘staying grounded with the real world’… Sorry, X-Ray,” Jace said casually, tossing the apology to the other man, causing several of the guys to laugh. “She sent me one or two of yours.”

“I’m good,” X-Ray shrugged uncaringly.

“…But she’s said nothing about you – at all,” Jace replied, watching him. “So, I’ll ask you again. Is my baby sister happy?”

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