Page 77 of I Wish He Would

“Yeah,” he cheers.

I take a steadying breath and face Austin. “Do you want to come?”

Relief washes over his features. “I’d love to.”

I start heading back down the trail and nearly run into someone. I hold Rhys closer. “Sorry.” I look up, and the rest of my apology dies on my lips.

“Oh, so you do have manners?” Bianca snaps. She lets go of Bradley’s arm to place her hands on her hips. “I thought you’d lost them with how rudely you disturbed Felicity’s class this morning.” She closes her eyes and huffs. “I want to be zen for our wedding, and you made my morning so not zen.”

Rhys belly laughs in my arms. “Zen, zen, zen.” He repeats the word, probably thinking it sounds funny. I mean, it kind of does.

Her eyes narrow. “I see it runs in the family.”

Austin sidles up next to me, wrapping his arm protectively around my waist. “You mean the family you’re a part of?”

“Extended family. There’s a difference.” She wrinkles her nose like I’m no more than the dirt on the bottom of her designer shoe.

“Definitely, Baby Cakes.” Bradley leans down and rubs his nose against hers.

Rhys turns to me with excited eyes. “Cake?”

“We can ask your mama,” I say.

He pouts and his bottom lip trembles. “Cake,” he wails.

Austin claps Bradley on the shoulder. “Congrats, you made a toddler cry.”

“Our future children will never cry over something as trivial as cake.” Bianca narrows her gaze as Rhys hiccups in my arms. “Right, Shnookums?”

“They’ll be angels, lucky to be raised by the most perfect mother.”

Austin squeezes my waist and mutters, “Yeah, lucky.”

I cover my laugh with a cough.

“Like you in the ocean with Alyssa?” Bradley sneers. “Enjoy my sloppy seconds.”

Austin’s jaw tics. He moves to step forward, but I reach down and grab his hand. He turns to face me. I shake my head. “He’s not worth it.”

“Yeah, listen to your girlfriend.” Bradley laughs. “I’d hate to have to press assault charges on my ex-favorite player for the Mustangs.”

“Come on.” I tug on Austin’s hand, trying to move around them, but he stands firm.

He leans in closer to Bradley and growls, “You didn’t deserve her. Alyssa is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. And just because you were too blind to see how amazing she was back then doesn’t mean you get to insult her now to try to make yourself feel better about how badly you fumbled the most beautiful woman in the world.”

I’m breathless, soaking in every word. Wanting to believe that everything he’s saying is true and not just something to keep up the ruse. Because it’s been real to me all along, and the clarity in Austin’s tone is starting to make me believe my sister was right. That this might be real for him, too.

“I don’t believe in physical violence.” Austin squeezes my waist as his voice drops even lower. “But if I hear you say another negative word about her, you’ll be sporting a black eye for your wedding. Do we have an understanding?”

Bradley’s face pales. He wouldn’t stand a chance against Austin. Bianca looks thrown off her usual game, probably terrified Austin will follow through on his threat and her soon-to-be husband will have an ugly black eye in all their wedding pictures.

“Whatever,” Bradley says.

“Now say you’re sorry,” Austin hisses, and I bite back a laugh at the scowl on Bradley’s face.

“Sorry,” he mutters.

“For…” Austin draws out the word like he’s teaching a toddler how to apologize.