Page 62 of Break

Too late to take it back.

“Good,” he says, shocking me. “It’s about fucking time, bro.”

I almost drop my phone. “What?”

“You heard me.” Mason chuckles. “I was wondering when you were going to finally admit that you love her.”

My heart falls between my feet. “You knew?”

“Of course, douchebag. And FYI, Landon does too, so if he’s not on the same train as you, he better get on board before I kick his ass.”

“He’s on board,” I say quickly, a smile trying to work its way across my face. “He’s willing to kidnap and keep her hostage in our basement.”

“You don’t have a basement.”

“That’s what I said.” Laughter bubbles out of me and relief makes me a little lightheaded. I honestly had no idea how we were going to tell Mason about Nicole. It’s one thing to go out dancing for a night, but it’s another to want to keep her forever with us.

“You should have said something sooner,” Mason chides. “I would have supported you.”

I guess that’s true, but… “It wasn’t right. With you two engaged. There was no way I, or Landon, would’ve ever touched her.”

“Even though you knew I was doing everything in my power to get out of it?”

“Yeah.” I lean back, running my hand downmy face. “I wasn’t going to step in until I knew for sure that…”

Nicole opens the balcony door and steps back inside, her hair wind-blown and the tip of her nose bright red.

“Knew for sure that what?” Mason asks, forcing me back on track.

“Knew that it was over for good between you two.”

“Christ, I would have paid you to take her. Even if she’d been my w…” He gags. “My wi—” He gags again. “Christ, I can’t even say it.”

“Wife,” I say, knowing it’s all an act on his end. But when I say the word, I stare at Nicole and the burning desire to make her my wife is so fucking strong, my chest hurts.

Landon slowly approaches her from behind, wraps his arms around her waist, and presses little kisses on her temple.

Aaaaand suddenly, I see our future.

“So, she’s doing okay?” Mason asks, once again making me refocus on our conversation instead of the beautiful sight in front of me.

“She’s getting there.” I tap my leg, beckoning Nicole over to me. She leaves Landon and sits on my lap, curling into my chest and making me feel ten kinds of protective of her.

“Leah wants to go out to dinner tonight. Do you all want to join us at the Magnolia?”

I think he really just wants to see Nicole for himself. Not that he doesn’t trust us, but I knowMase well enough to catch when he’s being protective, too. We hauled her out of his house like two knights with a damsel in distress, after all.

“Let me ask.” I slip Nicole’s hair off her shoulder and kiss her cheek. “Mason and Leah want to meet for dinner. Do you want to go?”

“Ugh, with Mason? No. With Leah? Always.”

“We’re a two for one, Nicole!” Mason yells into the phone. “You know all about that kind of deal, considering you’re with my two best friends.”

“We’ll see you at eight.” I hang up quickly and give Nicole all my attention.

She giggles against me, not at all flustered by Mason’s commentary. She never is. The two of them give each other a hard time about everything. It’s their love language. “Two for one,” she repeats, shaking her head. “Wow.”

“I think he just meant you can’t have one without the other.”

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