Page 119 of The Fiance Dilemma

A chortle escaped. “In your defense, they were very nice stilettos.”

Adalyn’s smile remained for a few more seconds. She swallowed.

“We’re not doing that anymore,” I reminded her. “Keeping stuff in for fear of bruising each other’s feelings. So speak up.”

“Matthew’s in love with you,” she said, and her words brought me pause as much as we’d talked long and hard about it. “He really is. And I know I had weeks to process this, but it feels like I’m hearing it for the first time. Like I finally get to ask you questions I couldn’t because we were both being silly.”

I scooted a little closer to her still. “I know he is,” I whispered. “And I love him too. So much it terrifies me. So much I want to give him things I can’t. Things I don’t know I’ll ever be able to give him.” Adalyn frowned in question, and I clarified. “He gave me his ring. His grandmother’s.” My voice lowered. “He would have married me Saturday. I know he would have.”

My sister processed my words for an instant. Then she smiled. “He’s just…” She laughed. “He wasn’t joking, you know? The story about the text wasn’t made up. He asked me a couple of times how his future wife was doing before I created that group chat with the four of us.”

A flutter took flight in my chest, but it was short-lived. “Future wife. When I saw myself in that dress I wanted to crawl out of my skin, which is horribly ironic for someone who has been engaged so many times. But I—I wanted to run, Adalyn.”

“Not without him,” she said, her hand clasping mine. “You aren’t scared of a life or a commitment to him. It’s something else that’s missing. But I don’t know… Maybe nothing’s missing. Or maybe we don’t need to be whole to function, you know? Maybe we just need to learn to love who we are and let people around us love us for that, too.”

Maybe nothing’s missing.

I didn’t feel like something was with him. “I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I think Bobbi was right. It’s very likely that I have abandonmentanddaddy issues. Probably other stuff too.”

“I think you tried your best, Josie,” Adalyn told me, voice hardening.

I frowned. “I think I could have done better than wrangling the whole town into this.”

“It’s okay to be hurt,” she continued with a fierce expression. “It’s okay to have issues. It’s fine for life to bruise you and leave a mark. That only means you’re living, you know? It means you’re trying. It doesn’t really matter what the world or anyone says about that. It doesn’t matter that you get to experience love in a way that’s different from what you expected. We were both raised by our mothers and in one way or another Andrew wasn’t there for us. For me, he was the man I mimicked but never seemed to impress, to be good enough for. And for you he wasn’t much more than a name. Beforehe came into your life, you didn’t think there was anything wrong with how you approached love, or life, so why start now?”

I smiled. “Matthew said a similar thing.”

“Well, he’s a great man,” she answered. “He’s my best friend. And he loves to pretend he’s silly, but he’s not. He will occasionally say some things that blow my mind.”

I agreed. I loved Adalyn. I always had. From the moment I saw her standing at the entrance of what today was Warriors Park, looking very fashionable and completely out of place. I… I threw my arms around her and hugged her to my chest. “You’re going to be an incredible mom, and I’m going to spoil my niece or nephew so absolutely rotten it’s not even right. I’m going to be their favorite person in the world.”

Adalyn chuckled, and this time, she wasn’t even crying when she released me. “That’s exactly what Matthew—”

The door flew open and two figures ran through it.

“Jesus Christ,” someone grumbled from the foot of the bed, right before I was tackled from the side by a big ball of warmth. “You’re like a child. I give up.”

Matthew’s chuckle fell against my ear. “Stop growling and get over here.” He hummed. “It’s as cozy and nice as I expected.”

Adalyn snorted, and I couldn’t help but laugh. “See?” she said from her spot on the bed, bringing herself up. “I told you. He was never really good with personal space. I’ve been telling him that it’d get him into trouble.”

Matthew snuggled further into me. “My most predominant love language is physical touch. Tell that to your baby daddy, by the way. He punched me when I tried to climb onto the couch with him. He’s lucky I still have a man crush on him and I refuse to give up on our bromance just yet.”

Cameron grunted something before saying, “I apologized.”

“And I forgive you,” Matthew quipped, hands splaying over mysides. “If you take your woman and leave. I’ve been respectful of sister time, now it’s Matthew time.”

I huffed out his name, feigning that the implication of spending alone time with him hadn’t just sent my belly twirling. “I was thinking it’d be nice to have breakfast. The four of us and Grandpa Moe.”

“Matthew time has just been officially rescheduled,” the man inappropriately but deliciously plastered at my back barked. “I’m starving for more than cuddles.”

A laugh rolled out of me as I watched a smiling Adalyn being helped off the bed first, then led outside the room by Cameron. “We’ll be downstairs.”

Matthew’s lips brushed a kiss on my jaw the moment we were alone. All goofiness gone. “Do you feel better this morning? After talking to Adalyn?”

I turned in his arms so I could look at him. “Yes. I feel a lot better.”

He kissed the tip of my nose. “Good.”

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