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“I’ll come find you.”
We pull away, but not before fingers linger a little longer than they should for two people who are pretending.
“So, you are fucking my celebrity man crush,” Rio says as he wraps me in a hug.
“We’re not fucking. We’re using this as a practice run. He has to be my believable boyfriend in front of my childhood friends in a couple weeks.”
Rio turns away from the group of his teammates, keeping his voice low. “There’s absolutely no way to convince me that you’re not sleeping with your roommate. Have you told Stevie yet?”
“No, because we aren’t. At least not yet. He did offer to help me with that problem I told you about.”
“Are you kidding?” Rio’s eyes widen. “That was a volunteer thing? I would’ve offered months ago!”
I shoot him a blank expression.
“Yeah. Yeah. I know.”
“How wild that we’re at Zanders and Stevie’s engagement party. Did you know?”
“Maddison filled us when we got here.”
I say hello to Maddison and his wife as well as the rest of the guys I fly around the country for work while we wait for the guests of honor to arrive. Ryan is still hanging out with his parents by the time the main doors open, and the place erupts with cheers and celebration.
Stevie looks absolutely radiant walking through the door, and I’m sure her smile is splitting across her face, but I can’t tell due to her palms covering her mouth in surprise.
Even from across the room, I can see the rock on her left hand and it’s fucking huge. The man who loves nothing more than to spoil her wraps her up from behind, endlessly proud that he pulled off this surprise and gets to show off his girl in the process.
I take a step towards them, but hold myself back, wanting to let their families congratulate them first.
Stevie’s eyes track the room, looking for one person in particular and when they land on her twin brother, she instantly takes off towards him. Ryan meets her halfway with quick strides, picking her up in a hug.
Surprisingly, I’ve kept my emotions in check. Instead of tears, I’ve channeled them into giddy smiles and bouncing toes, wanting to go wrap my girl in a hug. But when Ryan pulls away from his sister, wearing the most stunning smile, he also wipes at his eyes.
My roommate isn’t an emotional man. That much is clear, but Stevie is always his exception. He loves her fiercely, and the fact he’s unguarded enough to shed a few tears for her in public, gives me hope that maybe one day, someone else will make him just as vulnerable.
When he goes in to hug her once again, I have to shift my attention to Zanders so I don’t break my ten-minute-no-crying streak. Zanders embraces his sister and dad, quickly followed by his best friends, the Maddisons.
Rio urges a gin and tonic in my hand, swinging an arm over my shoulders. “You good?”
“I’m good.”
“That’s what I like to hear.”
There’s a lull once Stevie hugs her dad and she looks my way. I take that as my cue, setting my drink down and as quickly as I can move in my heels, I throw my arms around her shoulders in a squeeze.
“Did you know?” she asks in our embrace.
“I had no idea! Did you know?”
“I had no clue!” she bursts with a laugh.
“Is this why you didn’t text me back?”
“Yeah, about that—”
“Let me see that rock.” I take her hand in mine, interrupting because this moment is about her and not her brother and me. “Dear God, Zee.”
At that moment, Zanders swings an arm over my shoulders. “Do you like it?”
