Page 61 of All of Me

She rolls her eyes affectionately. “Tell the guys Merry Christmas from me.”

I relay her message before Luke chimes in again.

Luke:

Alright, real talk—who got the worst gift this year?

Will:

My mom gave me a sweater with a reindeer on it. It has bells. Actual bells.

Me:

Pics or it didn’t happen.

Will:

Hell no.

Luke:

I got socks. Again.

Vince:

That’s classic Dad gear.

Luke:

Yeah, but I’m not even a dad!

I’m mid-reply when Vince’s next message pops up, cutting through the banter like a wrecking ball.

Vince:

So, when are you proposing to Callie?

The air seems to shift around me, the weight of the question hitting harder than I expect. My thumb hovers over the keyboard, my mind suddenly crowded with thoughts I haven’t quite sorted out.

“Everything okay?” Callie asks, tilting her head.

“Yeah,” I say quickly, setting my phone face-down on the counter. “Just the guys being nosy.”

She narrows her eyes playfully. “Tell them to behave.”

I chuckle, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “I’ll try, but you know how they are.”

When I pick my phone back up, the chat has already exploded.

Will:

Whoa, Vince just went there.

Luke:

Don’t dodge the question, Owen. Spill.

I sigh, running a hand over the top of my head. No way am I getting out of this one.

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