“I came, I met, I congratulated. Your daughters are beautiful. Thank you for calling me.”
“You don’t have to leave,” Jess says. “The guys just need a reset, then everyone will be fine.”
“No, it’s okay.” I step around Spencer, and hold in my gasp when his hand brushes over my hip. Since I’m on Jess’ side of the bed, I carefully lean in and give her a gentle hug. “You did amazing, Jessie. I’m so happy for you and your family.”
“I made it past the wedding.”
I laugh, but it’s embarrassingly close to a sob. “You showed them all. Now you’re married, and your baby girls are here to complete your family. Maybe you could give me a call next week or something? Whenever you’re up for a visit. I’ll drop in and bring you a fresh Snickers.”
She nods and watches as I back away. “Okay. Thank you for visiting.”
“The pleasure was truly all mine. I got to see your wedding, an almost proposal, and now this. This was an amazing week for me.”
I bend and snatch up my handbag, then I squeak and spin around when I bump into a solid body. “Oh my gosh!” I slam a hand to my chest when Spencer settles me on my feet, then practically sprint across the room. “I’m sorry.” I snag Mitchell’s wrist, and drag him toward the door. “There’s just not enough space in this room for this many people.”
I snatch the curtain open, and nearly pass out when I reveal the man I met last night, Eric, who stands beside Katrina and her teenage son.
She lifts a brow, and he grins as I step through and drag my brother into the brightly lit hallway.
I didn’t realize how shadowed the room was until I adjust to the fluorescents of the hall. My shoes slap against the hospital floors, echoing as we move through a quiet hall, and every step I take to escape that crowded room, the less my eyes burn.
“You better talk to me about that dude, Abby.” Mitch changes our grip so instead of me holding his wrist, he holds mine. He slows his steps and pulls me around a corner until we stop by an almost empty food cart. “Speak.”
“What?” My heart pounds. “There’s nothing to say.”
“That dude has some mega claims on you, and it is way beyond friendly at a wedding.”
“There’s no claim. We were seated together at Jess’ wedding. Everyone else was partnered up, so we said hello.”
“I said hello to the chick at the store today. Guys that only say hello to a girl one time do not step up to her brother a day later with the intention to take him out. Serrano wasn’t gonna tap me on the chin, Abby. He was gonna eliminate me.”
“He was not.” I tug my hand away and scoff. “You’re being dumb and dramatic. Spencer thinks I have questionable taste in men, so he feels responsible, I guess, but–”
“Well, do you? If commando hulks are your crowd now, then maybe he’s right.”
“He was talking about you and Nix! The questionable men in my life are my stupid brothers. So yeah, I guess he’s kinda right. He’s a guy who was nice to me. He was worried about me when it came to Nix, and now, the very next time he sees me, I’m walking around withanotherguy that likes to pretend I can feel a pea under my mattress. I know it’s hard for you guys, but you need to back off me. You act like I’m breakable. You act like I can’t make my own choices. You’re smothering me.”
“Youarebreakable, Abby! You’re the most breakable person I know.”
“And you’re pigheaded and overbearing. You act like you want to be a grump, like it’s part of your personality and something you can’t stop doing, but in reality, you do that to keep people away, to keep your schedule open so you can smother me some more. You work, and then you Abby. That’s your entire existence. You don’t date, because God forbid you do anything that would be nice and just for you. Only an hour ago, you and Nix were telling me to live a little more, but the second youthinkI’ve lived, and my existence spirals out of your control, you guys pee on my shoes and act like the world is falling down.”
“Fuck, Abby.” His forehead creases. “There’s something going on, isn’t there?”
He doesn’t shout anymore, which makes this all the more terrifying.
“Youwantthat guy to pee on your shoes. You want this.”
“No! I just want you to stop killing yourself over me. I finally,finallymoved out of the house and got my own place. I convinced you that I’d be fine, but have I spent a single night alone yet? Have I had a dinner by myself? A whole weekend to sit and read without my phone blowing up in my lap? Have I been able to breathe at all?”
“I didn’t come over last night.”
“I was at the dang wedding, Mitchell! You act like you’ve granted me this wonderful independence, but all you’ve done is extend my chains. Yeah, I got out of the house, but my phone battery dies every single day because you constantly call and text. You and Nix work shifts for your jobs, and then you takemein shifts once you clock out. Nix comes over for breakfast. Beck visits the shop at lunch. Corey brings dinner on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Troy is coming home soon, and no doubt he’ll be delegated to Sunday brunch, just to make sure I didn’t get murdered by an evil clown in my sleep.”
“Don’t say that shit. It’s not funny.”
“Well, don’t act like what I say isn’t the cold, hard truth. Do you think I don’t notice the micromanaging? Just because you switch up the faces doesn’t mean I don’t notice.”
“We’re doing our jobs! We will not stop doing them. So if you want to bring your teenage rebellion at us now that you’re twenty-five, I’m game. I want you to live and have fun, but I won’t tolerate danger or stupidity. You only get this one life, Ab, and yours is particularly special. Take care of it.”