Page 28 of Burning Your Lies

He hums under his breath. “No, you’re a magician.” He clasps his hands on the table. “May I interest any of you in a game of poker?”

Brynn, completely oblivious to the sudden tension around the table, shakes her head. “I don’t know how to play.”

“Your boyfriend can teach you.”

Before I can speak, Savannah cuts in. “Xavier only knows how to play chess.”

She’s trying to rankle me, but I will rise above it. “Poker does not differ from chess. A king and queen, reading your opponents and being five steps ahead of them.”

Her brow arches. “But in poker you just never know what is coming. You think the game is in your hand, and then before you know it, you’ve lost.”

15

Huxley

“What do you thinkof this one?” The brown tie my mum holds up looks exactly like the last three. She tuts at me when I stare at her blankly. “Men. You’re all the same. This one clearly has an earthy undertone to it. We’ll wait to see which one Savannah prefers.”

I lean against the tie counter. “You know she doesn’t care, right? She’s only doing this for you.”

Her smile is soft and warm. “I know. It’s how I know you married well. She’s kind-hearted and a wonderful person. It’s also why she deserves to have a proper wedding. She’s had a tough upbringing. So you make sure you give her a future filled with security and family. Be gentle with her. Love her in ways she hasn’t had the privilege of experiencing. Smile and laugh with her.”

“I will.”

My mum stares at me with a proud look. “You’ve always been a man of few words, and that’s okay. We’ve raised you and understand your methods of expressing love. But make sure you tell her. It’s important to say it sometimes.”

I can’t help but roll my eyes. “I know how to be in a relationship.”

“Do you? You skipped all the dating milestones, such as bringing her home to meet your family.” Her eyes narrow at the statement. “Did you even propose? You never bought her a ring. You just dragged her to court and changed her name.”

“We aren’t that type of couple. We like to keep things private. It was Savannah who didn’t want a wedding. She has no family and only two friends. A wedding would only showcase that. And who cares about a ring? Marriage is more than that.”

She shakes her head. “A ring is more than just jewellery. Do you think marriage is going to be easy? News flash, it’s not. Even when you love that person, it’shard. There are times you’re going to wonder if it is worth it. You’re going to storm out the house with no desire to go home. And then that piece of metal reminds you why you married them. It’s a symbol of the promise you made.”

“Why the serious faces?” Hadley asks when they join us.

“I was just telling your brother that there are differences in these ties.”

Savannah couldn’t care less about the ties, but she inspects them like her world would crumble if she picks the wrong one. She goes back and forth with my mum as if it’s the most interesting thing in the world. She listens intently when my mum gives her opinion. And in the end, she goes with the one my mum likes the most.

Pride swells in me. My mum is right. I married well. I married someone I am not worthy of. Exiting the store, I take her left hand and pay no mind to her bewildered gaze at my public display of affection.

“You do know I love you, right?” I whisper when my mum and sister are a few steps from us.

She squeezes my hand. “I know.”

Mia flops onto the sofa. “Are you really not having a maid of honour or bridesmaid?”

Savannah twists her hair into a topknot and groans. “We’ve had this discussion already.No.Because I am already married. We’re just doing this for Hux’s family. It’s why I’m letting Isabella choose everything. We have bigger things to be planning than a wedding.”

Jordan gulps half his beer in one go. “Any more updates?”

She slides the picture of Rowan onto the table. “We’ve officially introduced the Jack of Clubs into the game.”

The friends share an add look.

“My wife has allocated everyone a new personality,” I dryly remark.

Her mouth hangs open. “Oh, come on! Admit it, his one is smart. He’s a jack of all trades type of guy,andhe owns a bunch of fancy clubs. You know it’s a great idea.”

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