Page 32 of Between Hate and Desire

“I’ll cook for you, baby,” I taunt. “But I’m not putting out.”

He bursts into laughter and pulls two plates down from the cabinet. I scoop the first serving for him, then grab more eggs.

“No bacon?” he asks.

I roll my eyes. “Beggars can’t be choosers.” I start cracking them into a bowl and mix them before pouring them into the skillet.

Brandon opens the fridge and looks inside but doesn’t find any bacon or sausage. Actually, there’s zero meat in there. All that’s left is canned tuna in the pantry.

“Thank God Lennon’s going to the grocery store when she’s done hanging with her sisters. The fridge is practically empty.”

“Did you give her a list?” I ask as he leans against the counter and eats his food.

“She knows what we like,” he says around a mouthful.

A few minutes later, my eggs are done, and I turn off the stovetop before I slide them on my plate. I grab a fork and walk to the table. Brandon follows behind me, and we both take our seats.

He looks at me as if he has something else to say but hesitates.

“What’s up?” I finally ask because he’s being weird as fuck.

Sucking in a deep breath, he runs his fingers through his hair and pulls his phone from his pocket. I wait for him to speak up while I finish eating.

“I want to talk to you about something,” he begins, his breaths uneven and shaky.

My heart pounds, and I hope he’s not about to blindside me and ask me to move out or something. The last time he looked like this was less than a year ago when he told me his girlfriend was moving in. Different scenarios rush through my mind.

“I want to propose to Lennon.”

Dagger meet heart.

He scrolls through his phone and then flips it to show me a photo on the screen. “This is the ring I picked out. Do you think she’ll like it?”

My brows rise, shocked. I look at the picture, and my eyes go impossibly wider. “It’s stunning. She’ll love it,” I manage to choke out.

“It’s a princess cut diamond ring on a white gold band. Exactly what she wants,” he says nervously, looking at me. He’s waiting for some sort of approval, so I smile.

Jealousy washes over me, but I push it away, forcing those feelings to step aside because right now, I need to be supportive of my best friend. “It’s perfect.”

A wide grin fills his face, and happiness radiates from him. “Thanks, man. I’m fucking nervous. But since I started at the firm, I’ve been saving money so I can get her the ring she deserves. I love her so damn much, and I’m ready to take our relationship to the next level. Being with her the past two years has been…well, everything, and I know without a doubt she’s the one. You know when you just feel it?”

I nod, my heart lodged into my throat. “When you know, you just know.”

“That night we met at the bar, it was special. Within the first five minutes of chatting with her, I knew she was the woman for me,” he continues.

That familiar feeling returns. How’s it possible for me to have felt the same way about the same woman on the same damn night? But Lennon made her choice, and regardless of the chemistry between us, Brandon was her best choice,isher best choice. He’s a good guy. I know he’ll give her the world and everything she’ll ever want. I’m a selfish bastard sometimes, but as hard as it is to say, even I’m man enough to admit I can’t give her what she needs. And that’s what matters in the end.

“Yeah.” That’s all I offer.

“I was gonna ask her on Valentine’s Day, but her parents are conservative, so I thought when we visit them over the Fourth of July weekend, I’ll pop the question then. We just had our two-year anniversary, and I haven’t met her parents in person yet, so I think it’d be a sweet way to propose so her family can be involved. I might fly her sisters in too because I know how close they are and how Lennon would want them there. The logistics are a little overwhelming, but I’m gonna figure it out.”

Brandon looks down at the photo on his phone, smiles, then locks it. I can see the sparkle in his eyes and know how fucking happy he’d be spending the rest of his life with Lennon. “I haven’t told anyone yet, not even my parents, so you have to promise not to let it slip around Lennon.”

Ever since I saw her in my kitchen that night, I knew this wouldn’t be easy. I just didn’t realize as time passed, it would only get harder.

I smile and let out a chuckle. “I won’t tell her. I’ll take your secret to the grave. Also, if you need any help with anything, I’ll be happy to do whatever you need. I’m here for you.” It’s a response that’s expected even if I just want this conversation to be over so I can drown my feelings in a bottle of beer.

“Well, I wanted to ask you something too. I know it’s probably early for this, but I want you to be my best man. You’re my best friend. You’ve been with me through everything, and I can’t imagine you not standing up there beside me as I marry the woman of my dreams. I imagine it’ll take a while to plan the wedding, and the earliest it would be is next year, but?—”

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