Page 25 of Worth the Wait

Ugh.

“Did you guys rob a toy store?” Thomas asked.

I whipped around to see him sitting on the couch, Brooklyn on his lap.

They looked really fucking happy. A stab of jealousy quickly tore through my body before it left.

“Hey, son.” My dad wrapped me in a hug before whispering, “A bit much, don’t you think?”

“Always,” I answered. “There’s still more. We’ll be right back.”

I reached for the sleeve of Matthew’s shirt and gave it a tug, pulling him out with me.

The second we were back outside, I turned on him. “I told you not to reach out to her.”

I gave his shoulder a shove, but he barely even moved. I hated that he was the taller and bigger one out of the three of us.

“What can I say? I’m bad at listening.” He shrugged as he grabbed the last few gifts that remained in my truck. “And you all know it. So, did she text you or what?”

“Yeah. She said it wasn’t a date.” I ran my hand through my hair, which was constantly hanging in my eyes now.

“Good. Get a haircut,” Matthew said. “And you’re welcome, by the way.”

“Welcome for what?” Thomas suddenly appeared outside, looking a little pale.

He was proposing to Brooklyn today, and I’d almost forgotten, I’d been so wrapped up in my own head.

“He talked to Addison,” Matthew announced, and I willed him to keep his voice down.

I didn’t need our dad or Clara hearing her name because then neither one of them would stop bringing her up.

“You talked to her?” Thomas couldn’t hide the surprise in his tone.

“She sent me a text.” I tried to sound unbothered, but I was so fucking bothered.

“What’d she say? Why are you making me drag this out of you? Tell me.” Thomas sounded so excited, and it should have been a little awkward, but it wasn’t.

My whole family had always loved Addison. How could they not?

“She said it wasn’t a date.” I knew I sounded relieved, even though I tried to hide it.

“That’s a good thing, right?” Thomas asked.

He waited for me to say something, but I just stared at him with my mouth closed.

“I think it’s a good thing. I didn’t want it to be a date. Did you want it to be a date, Matthew?”

“Hell no, I didn’t want it to be a date,” Matthew responded, his arms still full.

“Stop saying that word. Jesus. It wasn’t a date. That’s all she said. He’s friends with Sarina. She’s not coming home. Everyone needs to get over it,” I ground out suddenly, my jaw clenching with each word.

“Did she say she wasn’t coming home?” Thomas’s eyebrows pulled together. His look of excitement was long gone now.

Why do my brothers take everything so literally?

“No. She didn’t say that. Can we just have a nice Christmas, please? You didn’t forget the ring, did you?” I asked, maneuvering the focus from my failed relationship to my older brother’s blossoming one.

“Be quiet,” Thomas snapped as he gave a head nod toward the house. “And, no, I didn’t forget it. I’m not Matthew.”

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