Page 75 of Agony of Our Regret

“But pizza is only a snack. I have her favorite burger and sweet potato fries coming for dinner,” Gavin announced.

I let out a groan. “That sounds so good.”

Noah tapped my leg. “Hey, don’t let him steal my glory yet.”

“She skipped over mine entirely,” Sky whined.

“Not my fault you guys don’t plan,” Gavin shot back.

“How can we when you’re always like twelve steps ahead?” Vince sounded annoyed.

“Gavin plays chess while we’re playing checkers,” Noah remarked. “Some things never change.”

I relaxed while they heckled each other. It was the first time since...the farm? No, we were still too stressed there and atDrexel. It was the first time since we lived in Arlington Park that they sounded like themselves.

I missed easy times like this when they were friends first and my guys second. When their relationships shone, and I didn’t need to get involved.

It was a reminder they were brothers long before I came along, and instead of splitting them up, became the glue to keep them together.

I sniffled.

“Are you okay?” Noah asked quietly.

I opened my eyes and nodded. All I ever wanted back then was this: having a life with them, being together, and building a future with the five of them.

It had been a twisted, frustrating, painful road, but we were here now.

“What is it?”

I lifted my head and smiled at him. “I finally feel like we’re on the right track.”

He grinned back.

I flopped back. “That usually means something terrible is on its way.”

He squeezed my foot. “Not this time. We won’t let anything come between us again.”

I wanted so badly to believe Noah that we were past the worst of it. If anyone knew, it was him, but it was so hard to ignore the past.

Sky crossed his arms, looking far too serious. “Now that we’re all here, does anyone have anything they’d like to say?” He glanced around, not lingering on any of us for too long.

I met Luca’s eyes, and he gave a small shake of his head. Vince stared at Gavin, and I turned to him.

“What’s going on?” I asked Gavin.

Vince looked at me. “That’s what we would like to know as well.”

Noah tossed up his hands. “You didn’t need to call him out like this, Sky.”

“Apparently I did because we’ve been over here for hours, and he hasn’t said anything. He had plenty of time to tell us, and he hasn’t.”

“Tell us what?” I asked, and Gavin tensed.

“I’m not sure,” Sky admitted. “But I do know he’s been distant for the past few weeks. He’s been avoiding us, but especially me. At first, I took it personally, but then I realized he didn’t want me to catch him lying.” He faced Gavin again. “So, what is it?”

Gavin narrowed his eyes. “Don’t you think if it was something I could tell you all, I would have already?”

Sky shook his head. “No, I don’t.”

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