Page 138 of Always You

“Thank you, Charls. That means a lot. Talk later, okay?”

I nod my head, though he can’t see me.

“Yeah, sure. Talk later,” I say, hanging up the phone, as I keep staring at the world passing by in front of me, wondering what the fuck just happened. Wondering why the sun is still shining bright in the sky, yet everything feels darker than it did five minutes ago.

54

“You look like a circus monkey,” Jensen snorts, barely keeping his whiskey in when Jason walks out of the dressing room with a deep scowl. It’s as annoying as it is hilarious, because ever since I proposed to Laurie, it seems to be imprinted into his forehead.

“Come on, Hunt! It’s fucking blue!” Jason screeches with clenched fists.

“Laurie doesn’t want black at the wedding. Says it’s the color of death.” Not sure what it says about the thousands of people getting married every day that do wear black, but I don’t care enough to ask. This is her day. If she wants us all to wear blue, we’ll wear blue.

“Seems fitting,” Jason mumbles.

“Oh, snap.” Jensen is giggling like a little girl, and I throw him a death glare before settling it on my best friend.

“Jay, seriously? Can you just support me?”

His eyebrows move to the hairline of his blonde buzz-cut, fire flaring from his gaze. “I’m here in a baby blue tuxedo.Baby blue, Hunt! That’s the definition of me supporting you.”

“No, supporting me would be keeping your trap closed and not swinging all those digs at my head.”

“It’s hard when you see your best friend making a mistake.” The counter is quick and harsh, coming from the depths of his frustration, I’m sure.

“Ouch, Mr. Spencer.” Jensen pushes out a low whistle, but Jason just shrugs.

“What? He loves someone else.”

Not this again.

“Can you please, for the love of fucking God, get Charlotte and me out of your head? It’s not going to happen.” Aggravation builds in my stomach, and I briefly close my eyes. I’ve had this conversation numerous times with him over the years, but lately, he keeps torturing me with it.

“You love her, Hunt.”

“I do love her!” One drunken confession, and he just won’t let it slide. I regretted it the moment I blurted out the words, and now Jason loves to remind me every chance he gets. I do love Charlotte. She’s my best friend, and I want her to be happy; it’s why I know it doesn’t matter how I feel. “It’s why I can’t be with her. She wants a white picket fence in small-town North Carolina and a bunch of babies. Look at me? I live the jet-set life of LA,” I tell them with my arms spread.

“But is that really what you want?” Jason frowns, and I let my hands drop to my sides.

That’s the whole thing. It doesn’t matter whatIwant. All that matters is what she wants and deserves. And I ain’t it.

“Jason, there’s a reason I moved to the West Coast. To get the hell out of North Carolina. That was the whole reason I started fighting, because I didn’t want to stay.”

“You didn’t have a reason to stay.”

“I don’t have a reason now!” I snap.

“That’s—” I cut him off before he can finish whatever is about to roll off his lips.

“Jason, you have to drop this! Charls and I are never going to happen, and I’d appreciate it if you'd stop making this any harder than italready is.”

My raging eyes collide with his, both flaring with frustration, but it isn’t until his softening yet cynical expression is aimed my way, that something slices through my heart.

“It’s not supposed to be hard, man,” he replies.

55

It’s late.

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