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“Yes. You do know. Now tell me, Mer, are you still pretending?”
“No. I don’t have to. Not with her. Fuck, Mav, everything is easy. We get along well. We enjoy each other’s company. I can’t stop kissing her and touching her and holding her. I’m losing it.”
Maverick reaches over and places his hand on my shoulder. “There isn’t anything wrong with any of that. You’re not losing it, brother, you love her. Big difference.”
Warmth fills my chest as his words take root. “But is she pretending?”
“No way.” Maverick shakes his head. “Not a chance in hell any of her actions are pretend. Her eyes tell you everything you need to know. Take it from me. You have to look at what’s going on around you as an outsider. Stella was—is my best friend, and I could have lost her because I was ignoring how I felt, and keeping her at arm's length.”
“We could all see it clearly,” I remind him.
“Pot meet kettle.”
“Fuck,” I mutter, and he roars with laughter.
“It’s scary. I get it. Falling in love and giving the most vulnerable piece of you to another to hold in the palm of their hands is a big deal. However, the reward far exceeds the risk with the right person.”
“How do you know it’s the right person?” I keep my voice low, not wanting anyone to hear us. We’re sitting over here by ourselves, but you never know when someone might walk up on you.
“I’m going to ask you a few questions. Don’t tell me the answers out loud. You don’t have to. I already know what they are. I need you to admit that to yourself.”
“Get on with it,” I grumble. I hate being vulnerable like this. But if I’m going to be this open with anyone, it’s going to be Maverick. I love all my brothers, but our connection is different. Kind of like my connection with Courtney.
“When you have a good day, who do you want to call? When your day sucks ass, who do you want to call? Six months from now, who are you calling in both of those scenarios? One year? Five years? Ten years?” he continues.
“I get it.”
“I’m happy for you, Merrick. Truly. Courtney is a great girl. Stella and all the ladies have nothing but incredible things to say about her, especially Jordyn, who has spent the most time with her. She fits in well with our family. Almost as if she was meant to be a part of it.”
“Now, what do I do?” I’m struggling to keep up with the emotions coursing through me.
“You keep doing what you’re doing. If you’re not ready to tell her, that’s fine. There are no rules to follow. Just don’t wait too long to tell her. You don’t want to lose her.”
“No. No, I don’t want to do that.”
“Sit on it for a few days. Give yourself time to accept it.”
“Is that what you did?”
“Nah, it hit me like a fucking lightning bolt, and I had to tell her. I needed my girls to know they were mine. But that’s my story. Ask any of our brothers, and you’ll hear something different. The biggest hurdle is understanding that you’re in love with her. Allow yourself the time to adjust and then tell her when the time is right. You’ll know. I knew, and I can assure you they all knew too.” He motions around the pool where all of our brothers are hanging out in different areas with our family.
“Happy for you, man.”
“Thanks,” I reply as Blakely comes rushing over to us. She’s dripping with water from where she just climbed out of the pool.
“Why aren’t you swimming?” she asks, tilting her head to the side.
“We’re just talking.”
“Well, Daddy says it’s rude not to join the party.”
“Your daddy is right. We’re going to go take the twins and let Aunt Scarlett and Courtney have a break.”
“Is Courtney my aunt too? I still need one more, you know?” She plants her hands on her hips as she waits for a reply.
“Courtney is not your aunt. She would need to be my wife for that to happen,” I explain so that she can understand. At nine, she’s whip-smart, but I still want to break it down as easily as I can for her.
“Oh, okay. Wait, why don’t you just marry her? I like her. I pick her to be my last aunt.”
