AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I groan and unbuckle myself, turning off the truck and climbing out. “Happy?”
“Ecstatic. We haven’t had any brother time since Dad kicked me out. I must say, I was pissed he did, but living with Gillian at her place isn’t anything to complain about. Morning sex, nooners, sex every night. Hell, Clayton went to his buddy’s house and the blowjob?—”
“You sound like Emmett. I don’t need to hear your sex stories.”
In truth, Ben isn’t usually a guy who kisses and tells, so I’m a bit surprised he’s telling me this. I think there’s an ulterior motive, but I’m not sure what it would be.
“Just trying to tell you what you’re missing out on. Move Sadie in.”
There it is. She and I haven’t even discussed when that will happen, which is odd since I put together the whole plan to let people know we’re a couple. I guess I should put that on the agenda. “She’s got her mom to worry about.”
“She’s not going to be that far away if her mom needs her. And you’re getting married soon anyway.”
I take off my baseball hat and run my hand through my hair. “Still. After the wedding.”
He nods and gives me the look that says there’s a list of questions running through his brain.
“What?” I say, exhausted.
“Are you marrying her because of Dad?” He looks around the sidewalk, but it’s after the breakfast rush in the morning, so not a lot of people are milling about. “I mean, it happened so fast. I won’t tell anyone. Not even Emmett.”
“No. I just…” It’s hard not to tell Ben. At least, Sadie has Lottie to talk to.
“Actually.” He holds up a hand. “Don’t tell me. Because if you tell me, then I have to tell Gillian, and I think she’d keep it a secret, but I can’t honor the brother code on this one. I’d have to tell her.”
But I really want to ask for his advice. Am I making a big mistake? Could I ruin my friendship with Sadie if this goes south? That’s what I’ve been trying to avoid all these years that I’ve been pining away for her and not saying anything. Am I about to do it now in a different way? She deserves the world, and I don’t want to stop her from having it.
It doesn’t matter, though. We’re too far into this. Plus, it’s Sadie. She’s my best friend and deserves this opportunity.
Thankfully, Sadie pulls up and parks next to my truck, giving me an out from this conversation with Ben.
“Hey, I have something to talk to you about later,” Ben whispers.
“What is it?” I watch Sadie get out of her car. It was her grandma’s, and she won’t get rid of it. I’d like her in something a lot more reliable in the winter, but she fights me every year when I bring it up.
“Briar.”
“Gillian’s sister?” I wonder why he has to talk to me about Briar but doesn’t want to do it in front of Sadie.
“Yeah. She might be returning to Willowbrook.”
“And?”
“Hey, you two. Why are you waiting outside? Ben, are you sampling with us?” She walks right by the two of us and holds open the door of Laurel’s bakery.
“I’m gonna get some type of sugar since you’re the reason I’m not in bed with Gillian right now.”
I slap him in the stomach with the back of my hand.
“You’ll understand when you’re getting regular sex and someone cockblocks you—a.k.a., cake tasting.” He walks in past Sadie.
“Keep up with the way you do it, and there’s going to be a dozen little Bens running around,” Sadie says to his back.
He turns around. “Do you two need a lesson on birth control before your nuptials?”
“Fuck off,” I say, flipping him off, and he laughs, walking back into the kitchen.
“Well then.” Sadie stops by the glass case.
