Page 32 of The Price of a Promise

“What’s wrong?”Damian asked quietly at my side.He’d started thumbing through the takeout menu from the Chinese restaurant that accepted Bitcoin.

“Nothing.”

“Oh, okay.Then why do you look like you’re trying to shit out a screwdriver?”

I blinked, looking over at him in surprise.“Have you ever shit out a screwdriver?”

Trace looked up at us from across the kitchen island that doubled as our dining room table.“What did Cora do to you with a screwdriver?”

I X’d my hands through the air.“Let’s back it up.There were no screwdrivers involved, unless Damian had a farm accident back in the day he forgot to tell us about.”

“Okay, so what’s wrong?”Damian tried again.

“Nothing,” I repeated.

“Then let me rephrase.”He paused, licking his lips in thought.“How’s Cora?”

My gut twisted.Fuck my brothers for knowing me so well.“She’s fine, I guess.”

“You guess,” Trace echoed.“That sounds weird, coming from you.I thought you guys were telepathically connected.”

“The telepathy only works when she uses her phone, which she’s doing less of these days.”I worked my jaw back and forth.I hated how my brothers could tease the truth out of me so fucking fast.“I dunno.Something’s been different since she left, and I can’t figure out what it is.”

“You sure it isn’t pre-wedding jitters?”Damian asked.

“I’m sure.I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life, actually.But I swear to God Cora is just…distant.”

“But she said yes,” Trace reminded me.“She wants to marry you.”

“I know,” I said, though I didn’t know.I felt like this entire house of cards could crumble at any time.Not just with Cora, but with what we were trying to do out here.With the business.With all of it.“Maybe she realized how broke I am and wised up.”

“I’m pretty sure she’s always known how broke you are,” Damian teased.

“Yeah, but dating a broke guy is different from marrying one.”

“She’s not like that,” Trace reassured me.“I know she isn’t.You know she isn’t.You guys have been together for three years.She’s probably just stressed from school.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” I muttered, running my fingers through the front of my hair.I wanted to believe him so badly, but I just didn’t.“I honestly expected some kind of blowback by now from her dad.I guess she hasn’t told him yet.”

“He’ll find out come the wedding day,” Damian laughed.

“Can’t wait for the suit fitting,” Trace said, shoving my shoulder.“Where we gonna have the bachelor party?”

I smirked.“Depends on if you’re bankrolling this shit or not.”

“Of course.Anything for my younger brother,” Trace said, touching his palm to his heart.

“Does that apply to me too?”Damian asked.

“You have to actually want to get married first,” Trace shot back.“And, you know, date someone.”

Damian frowned, looking at the takeout menu in his hands.His glasses slipped down his nose, and he pushed them back up with his index finger.“I’ve dated plenty.”

“You’vefucked aroundplenty, which is not the same as dating,” Trace said.

While my brothers continued splitting hairs about fucking vs.dating, I swiped my phone open again.I returned to my thread with Cora, realizing the last time she’d written to me that day had been at nine a.m., and it was six o’clock now.My stomach plummeted to the floor all over again.

I called her immediately.This wasn’t right.

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