Page 84 of The Step Dare

Taylor

The next fewweeks, aside from work, school, and get-togethers with our parents, Brenner and I are inseparable.

If anyone had asked me before last summer if I thought we could be any closer, I wouldn’t have believed that was possible.

But I would have been wrong.

So fucking wrong.

I never really considered that a stupid word could change so much, butboyfriendis more than a word. Knowing Brenner’s mine and I’m his makes me feel like everything’s right in the world.

When the weekend of the wedding finally arrives, Brenner and I check into the hotel on the lake, abutting the venue property.

“The whole stepbrother crew is here,” Troy says as he helps me decorate the arbor by the dock near the lake.

My mom and Troy’s mom know each other through our friendship with Atlas. They became close after Troy’s mom divorced Atlas’s asshole dad, something Mom could help her navigate, considering her own past with the Piece of Shit. Ash and Colin are here too. Their parents have gotten close with ours since Atlas’s pool party the summer before last.

“We should start a club,” Troy adds.

I glance around. Mom and Keith are busy running around, dealing with one drama or another, so I’m not worried aboutthem overhearing. But there’s a lot of mutual friends of our parents and family here, some of whom relish gossip, so I want to make sure no one’s in earshot.

Fortunately, it’s just us.

“Don’t worry,” Troy says. “I’m good at keeping secrets. Not gonna out you and your stepbro.”

“Myalmoststepbro.”

“For like a day. You must be so relieved to finally get through this so you can be open.”

“You have no idea.”

“I get it. It changes things. I’m so proud of being the guy Atlas wants to be with, and I want everyone to know, especially the people most important to me.”

“It’s been hard keeping it from my mom. It’s for the best, but before I met Brenner, she was the one I confided in, especially about important shit. It’s weird having to keep this bottled in. Like, if they came out with a special edition ofRemnant, I’d want to tell her all about it because I’d be so excited.” As Troy pulls a face, I say, “Shit. That doesn’t sound very romantic.”

“Trust me, coming from you, that sounds strangely sweet.”

I blush. “Brenner gets me thinking about a lot of strangely sweet things.”

“You don’t have to tell the guy who has his boyfriend’s name tattooed on him,” he says, displaying theAtlasinscribed across his wrist.

It’s not really my thing or Brenner’s, but the fact that he can display it so prominently and proudly for everyone to see is something I envy right now.

Troy says, “Good luck keeping your hands off him for the next twenty-four hours. I think we both know, the more you have to keep from touching each other, the more tempting it becomes.”

The only saving grace is that there’s so much wedding prep, I haven’t had to encounter him too much. Although, that’s also one of the things that’s annoying me.

After Troy and I finish up with the arbor, I join Atlas and Brenner, setting up tables where we’ll have the rehearsal dinner tonight and reception dinner tomorrow. Mila sets up at the bar nearby. I’m glad Brenner asked her to come along. On top of being really cool, she’s done way more than even some of my family to help get everything set up for Mom and Keith’s big day. It means a lot to me.

Once I finish up with the guys, I tackle a few more tasks before heading into the guesthouse for the rehearsal. I hurry upstairs to the bridal suite, where Mom’s been sorting things out with herbridesmates—a term she found more fitting since she wanted to include one of her guy besties. But when I head in, I’m surprised to find her on her own.

“Where your friends at?”

She’s standing by the closet where she’s hung her wedding dress. “Jane attempted an at-home perm yesterday. Thought it’d go great with the dress. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t, and she’s freaking out. So Todd and Beth are trying to figure out what to do with it. I asked if they could manage it here because I don’t need any more stress right now. So I’m admiring my dress to remind myself of the fun bits before I get back to work.”

With how much there’s been to do since we arrived at the venue, I imagine she could use a breather. Unfortunately for her, I have a few things I need to get out of the way: “Sherrie has questions about the guestbook, and the catering’s running thirty minutes late, which shouldn’t be an issue. Oh, and Dakota’s really excited to be your flower girl. She wanted me to tell you that. I would jump up and down as much as she did when she said it, but I think you get the idea.”

Mom laughs. “That’s sweet.” But I can tell she’s still tense, so I take her hand.

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