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“We got married last week. In Costa Rica.”
Carter’s eyes went directly to my left hand, then to Austin’s.
“Married? What kind of bullshit is this?”
I shook my head. “We’re in love. Have been for a long damn time.”
His brow furrowed, as if he couldn’t quite hear me. He looked at Austin. “Why the fuck aren’t you saying anything? Is this a joke?”
“No,” Austin replied calmly. “It’s not a joke. I asked Greer to marry me last week, and he said yes.”
Carter’s eyes went wide as saucers. “But you’re not gay!” he exploded.
Flashbacks from last week resurfaced as I opened my beer and took a swallow. The cool liquid eased the dryness in my throat. “You’re right. But I’m demisexual. And I’ve been in love with your brother since he left Chicago to join the Navy.”
“And I’ve loved him even longer.” Austin squeezed my hand, trying to tell me it would be okay.
Carter started laughing. Not the type of laughter when something was funny, but the kind full of disbelief and shock. We waited for him to settle back down. When he sat back and all emotion had left his face, his words cut me deeper than any knife ever could.
“You have fucking ruined everything, Greer. I’m losing him again because of you.”
Austin stood and loomed over his brother. Heat and anger radiated off him, making me fearful of what he might do. Balling his fist, he relaxed it and pointed in his face. “Don’t you fucking dare speak to him that way, do you hear me? He is my husband. I’ve waited fourteen fucking years for him. You’re being the piece of shit here, thinking about you and only you.”
I watched the color drain from my best friend’s face at Austin’s words. They had cut him too, but he wasn’t done like I’d hoped.
“You promised to move to Chicago and run this team with me. All the paperwork was submitted, we’ve been approved, and you couldn’t fucking wait to get out of Portland. You said you wanted to leave.”
Austin shook his head. “The only reason I wanted to leave was to get away from Greer!”
The air left my lungs as I looked at him. He wanted to get away from me, and I couldn’t say I blamed him.
“Then why did you marry him? What kind of fucking sense does that make?”
Austin kept his eyes on me as he spoke. “I needed to get out of here because it hurt too much...” His voice cracked with emotion, causing my eyes to pool. “To see him when I was so fucking in love with him. It hurt to see all my friends blissfully happy, only to be the one on the sideline having my heart ripped out over and over. Don’t you get that, Carter?”
His expression changed after he released that painful statement. Then he gazed at me with so much love I could almost feel it wrapped around me.
“I’ve loved him all my adult life, brother. From the first time we met when I was seventeen. And I’ve waited over half my life for him, and nothing, and no one, will ever separate us again. I love you, big brother, but if you can’t accept that, then you know where the door is.”
Austin picked up a box and headed toward the bedroom. I wanted to follow him, but I was stuck between the two people I loved the most. Then it suddenly occurred to me: there was no choice. It would always be Austin for me. I loved my best friend, but I loved his brother more.
“I’m sorry for hurting you. But I love him. And I’ll never let him go again. So if you can’t find it in your heart to want our happiness, then I guess this is it.”
Carter stood and looked at me. Anger and fury grew within him like I’d never seen before. And when he reared back and punched me in the face, I wasn’t prepared for it. But I took it; the pain of losing my friend was worse than the sting on my cheek.
I looked at him for a moment, then picked up a box. I turned back as he stood there shaking, the adrenaline visibly coursing through him. “Get the fuck out.”
Then I turned and walked to our bedroom.
CHAPTER 36
AUSTIN
When Greer entered the room, I’d been sitting on the edge of the bed, my elbows on my knees, trying to figure out why Carter had been such a dick about everything. Never had I expected him to lose his shit like that. And it hurt me more than I thought possible that he’d be more concerned over his hockey venture than with my happiness.
But when I looked up and saw the red spot on his face, fear followed by rage like I’d never known consumed me.
“What happened?” I jumped to my feet as more adrenaline filled my veins. But I knew the answer. “Wait. Never mind.”
