Page 20 of Gin and Bear It

“Jada’s a romantic. You’re a cynic. She runs a successful hotel. Your band is successful, too, but…I don’t know.” He doesn’t meet my eye. “I don’t think you’re a bad person. You’re my brother. But Jada is my best friend and I know your history with women. You’re not…”

He doesn’t have to say it. He doesn’t think I’m good enough for her.

I don’t blame him.

Cinematicas is successful now, but for five or six years, we were scrounging by, releasing music and playing shows at random spots with a handful of people. We’re pretty good when we want to be, but our success was like a lot of bands’—dumb luck. We met the right people at the right time.

But the lifestyle isn’t exactly stable and never will be. There are way too many videos of me partying and getting shit-faced out there. And that doesn’t even take my past before I left home into account. I’ve always been the bad influence. Jada’s always been Waylon’s smart, good-girl best friend.

Jada is going to find a man who’s worthy of her. I don’t doubt that for a minute. But she’ll have to do that after she divorces me.

Hearing Waylon basically say I’m not good enough for her hurts more than I thought. It hits the soft parts of myself that I don’t think he knows exist. It’s one thing to know something about yourself, but it’s another for someone to call you out on it.

“I don’t mean to be a dick,” he adds after a long, heavy silence.

“I don’t think you can be.” I try to laugh, but it doesn’t feel right for once.

“Nah, I can.” He isn’t laughing. “Especially if Jada even breathes a word of being unhappy. Or looks unhappy. Or is anything but thrilled to be married to you. I’m dead serious.”

“I know.”

“So you proposed to her? The way she’s always wanted it?” he asks, petting Sadie like he’s trying to calm himself down.

“Yeah.” I hope he leaves it at that, because I have no fucking clue what kind of proposal she would have wanted.

“And when are you getting married?” he asks. He finally starts walking again, which I didn’t realize I needed this much.

“Monday. Just a courthouse thing.”

Waylon gives me a sidelong glance and looks straight ahead again. He doesn’t say anything for the rest of the hike. Not a damn word.

“See you,” he says once we get back to the trailhead, tapping out a text now that we have service.

“Bye.” I put Lady in the car and hop into the passenger seat. I’m in good shape, but that short hike sucked the energy out of me like I’d just run a marathon.

I drastically underestimated how much this ruse would take out of me.

But we’re starting with the harder nuts to crack. It can only get easier from here. Right?

My phone lights up with a few texts.

Jada: Waylon is blowing up my damn phone. WTF happened?

I slide a hand down Lady’s back and debate what to text her. Instead, I call her.

“It’s bad enough to warrant a phone call?” she asks. “Shit, Waylon is trying to call me, too.”

“Don’t hang up,” I say. “What do you want the proposal to be? Waylon said you have a specific idea of what you’ve always wanted. I told him I did it perfectly.”

Jada sighs. “It’s not important. Tell me what happened.”

“It is important, because he asked me. I told him we’re together, he flat out didn’t believe me, then basically threatened to kick my ass if I hurt you and didn’t make your romantic dreams come true. Including that proposal.”

She goes quiet on her end. Just before I cut in to ask if she’s there, she clears her throat.

“I didn’t think he’d be legit upset,” she says. “He’d seriously kick your ass?”

“He could fucking try.” I snort. But to be honest, he probably could if he fought dirty. “Why won’t you tell me about the proposal?”