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The door beeps open. I turn, expecting Daphne, but it's the other Webb.
Damon steps inside, holding a bag of soda and sparkling cider. He sets the drinks on the table and returns to us. "Can I borrow your brother?" he asks Zack.
"I'm not sure," Zack says. "I'm still thinking of movies where wives turn on their husbands. Do you promise to take over that threat?"
"Daphne killing Jackson?" Damon asks. "Of course. If she asks, I'll help."
"All she has to do is ask? She doesn't need a reason?" Zack asks.
"I'm sure she'll have a reason," Damon says.
"But you don't need to know?" Zack asks.
Damon shakes his head. "Of course not. You wouldn't kill me if Cass asked?"
"Well, yeah, but I don't need to question that. You broke her heart once. And you're fucking annoying. No offense," Zack says.
Damon chuckles. "And you know what? If she asked me to kill you, I'd do that too."
"No questions asked?" Zack asks.
"Of course," Damon says. "She wouldn't ask if she didn't have a good reason."
Zack nods. "I appreciate you trusting her like that."
I walk away from my deranged brother before he can continue his strange banter with Damon or return to listing films. When did he find time to watch all these movies?
I guess that's a perk of life as a professional athlete. He has a lot of time in the offseason.
Damon leads me to the tiny table. He pours himself a club soda and fills a cup with ice for me. "What are you drinking?"
"What if I want it neat?" I ask.
He pours the ice into his drink, hands me the empty cup, motionsgo ahead. "Not in a friendly mood, huh? I don't blame you." He looks to Zack. "Your brother is a lot."
I nod as I mix a gin and tonic. It's not my usual drink, but it is my favorite highball, and there's no way I'm drinking whiskey out of a red Solo cup. That's wrong. "I don't know that our friendship is at the letting go of drunk marrying a sister level."
"It's not, is it," Damon says. "You only barely like me."
"As a guy, I like you fine," I say. "As Cass's boyfriend…"
"You're apprehensive. I get it. I made my bed. I won't argue." He doesn't addand I know you used to say hell no, never.So, while not a vote of confidence, is a huge improvement."And I told my sister to go for it."
"You told her to propose marriage?" I ask.
"Fuck no. I told her to hit it and quit it." He chuckles. "But Daphne doesn't like being told what to do." He shrugsso it's no surprise she didn't take my advice. "She's got a lot coming up. With school. A few years she has to focus on herself. I don't know what you two are doing with this whole marriage thing. If you're going to get it annulled when you get home or go with it. Just… promise me you'll take care of her, either way, okay?" He pats my shoulder the way Zack did. "She hates talking about her feelings. She hates asking for help. She needs someone like you. Someone tough and annoying. So whatever this is, I'm happy for you two. Just don't fucking break her heart."
Right on cue, the door swings open. Laurel and Cassie step inside, blocking the view with their bodies.
Laurel moves just enough I see a flash of pink. "Now, presenting, Mrs. Jackson Steele. Just kidding. As if Daphne would ever refer to herself that way. Or take a man's name. But you get what I mean." She steps aside.
Cassie does the same.
Daphne steps into the room in a bright pink dress, her hair pinned at the nape of her neck, her makeup as dramatic as her outfit.
"Of course," I whisper to Damon. "Anything she needs."
He smiles his approval, but I barely notice it. My entire world tunes to Daphne.
