Page 82 of Making the Cut

“Dude, beer?” Enzo asks me, and I nod gratefully. He hands me one and I glance around at the group.

“What’s going on here?” It wasn’t Thursday already, was it?

“We have some news and thought we’d stop in to share,” Graham announces and gives me a smile that tells me I know what kind of news is coming.

“Oh, awesome.” I take a seat on the couch and glance around. April, Jane, and Quinn are all chatting, worried looks on their faces, and I have a strong feeling that I know what they’re discussing.

“We were just waiting for you,” Graham says, reaching over to clasp Quinn’s hand. She beams back at him.

“Is Viv coming?” The words are out before I can stop them, but I need to prepare myself to see her. To take her in and not touch her.

Not that I would anyway, since her brother is seated right next to me.

Fuck. Why didn’t I announce to the world that she was mine when I had the chance?

“No, she’s not feeling well,” April tells the group and Enzo asks, “She’s sick?”

I’m glad he asked because I was two seconds away from doing so myself.

April shrugs. “I don’t know. She didn’t give details, just said she was out of it and couldn’t make it tonight.”

The girls don’t look over at me, which either means they know what happened and hate me, or they don’t know at all.

“Well.” Graham clears his throat and smiles. A beam of excitement radiating from him, and I definitely know what’s coming. “We wanted to tell you in person…”

“We’re engaged!” Quinn yells, jumping up and holding out her left hand. The room erupts in excitement and we all stand, doling out hugs to the happy couple.

They deserve to be happy, I’m thrilled for Graham, but there’s a tug of envy there too. First Chris and April get engaged, and now Graham and Quinn. I had hoped Viv and I would have been on the list too.

“Congrats, man,” I tell Graham, giving him a slap on the back and then moving away from the crowd. I can’t take it.

I can’t stomach it when my heart is cracked open and my girl is three miles away “sick” and not here when she should be. These are her friends, too. She should be here celebrating them.

She should be here.

Chapter Forty-One

“Moms know everything. Literally. I could be going through a dry spell and Mom will hand me a glass of wine and pat me on the head saying I’ll, ‘get them next time’.” –Enzo

VIVIANA

The smell of Italian food and the laughter of my family is like a warm blanket wrapped around me. I sip a glass of wine and smile at my brother and his fiancée. I was jealous, to be sure. It seems like everyone is getting married these days, happy couples were everywhere.

I was still reeling over what happened with Archer. I felt as if I had made a mistake, that I went too far too fast, but my heart was hurting. I was hurting. And I didn’t know how to stop it other than to chop out the part that hurt.

Problem was, now that part not only hurt but hemorrhaged.

“Hey, sis.” Enzo plops down in a chair next to me, clutching what is probably his fourth glass of wine and looking mighty buzzed.

“Hey, big brother,” I reply softly, looking him over. “You never drink Mama’s wine.”

He shrugs. “Desperate times.”

“What’s the desperation?”

He shrugs again. “Life.”

I frown at my big brother, we haven’t been as close as I would have liked in recent years, in fact, we’ve kind of drifted apart, which was mostly due to our lives being busy. But out of everyone, he was my closest sibling, and I was tired of not being close anymore. I nudge his shoulder. “Tell me what’s going on.”

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