Page 125 of Pick Me

Tanner sat back, as though he was taking in my words. I shifted to face forward in a lame attempt to give him some privacy. There wasn’t much back here, considering our shoulders and knees brushed.

“I can’t even use the ‘if you hurt her’ line because you already did, and yet, here I am, still listening to you and still somewhat convinced you two should be together.”

Okay. Okay. He was saying that in anger, but it was a start. He thought we should be together. That was a good sign since I thought the same. Thea and I were perfectly imperfect. We fit. I knew it. He knew it.

I knocked his shoulder with mine. “Brother.” He slowly looked over at me, his face flat.

“I’m not your brother,” he gritted out in annoyance.

Not yet.

Fuck. Did I just think that?! I’d only technically taken Thea out on one date, yet I was thinking about what it would be like to have Tanner as my brother-in-law. Visions of Thea wearing a white dress walking toward me with that sarcastic smirk across her face flooded my mind, and I had to stop myself from smiling. That confirmed it. Britt was a witch, and shehadput her spell on me. I didn’t just want a girlfriend. I wanted a wife.

I was done for.

I shifted a little, making sure I could really look at my friend when I said, “The only thing I can do at this point is promise that I’ll never let her get hurt again. I will treasure her the way I treasure the 1986 Nintendo games console my parents got me for Christmas when I was eight.”

Tanner narrowed his eyes, and I squirmed in my seat. Maybe that wasn’t the right comparison. “I have it under lock and key in my room at my parents’ house.” I cringed. “Not that I’m going to keep your sister under lock and key, but what I’m trying to say is, when I really care for something, I do my best to look after it.”

“Jackson?”

“Yes?”

“Please stop talking. You’re making it worse.”

“Okay.”

We sat in silence for the better part of five minutes before I broke it. Yes, he told me to be quiet for my own good, but I didn’t have that ability, and I admired the people who did.

“So, does that mean I can keep my balls for now?”

Again, Tanner didn’t break a smile. It was unnerving how serious he could be when he wanted to be.

“If I had the time or inclination to take you outside and threaten you until you saw stars, it would have happened already. You’re a good guy, Jackson. She might never admit it, but Thea’s more than my sister. She’s my best friend, and I want to see her happy. She has this spark when she’s around you, and frankly, if it means I won’t have to listen to you arguing, then at least my ears will get a rest.”

My shoulders slumped and I smiled goofily. It wasn’t that bad telling him, was it?

“Besides, I don’t need to hurt you too bad, you’ve got enough to contend with when it comes to dating to my sister. She’s a powerhouse.”

“Don’t I know it.”

“You’ll never win an argument.”

“Yup.”

“She’ll make you feel like shit when you screw up.”

“I’ve already felt it.”

“But you’ll do anything to make her smile.”

I raised my hand. “Guilty.”

He didn’t laugh. He just shook his head and opened the door. I took that as my cue to get out of the car and follow behind him. I couldn’t wait to see his sister, and as we stood in the elevator on the way up, I was sure Tanner knew.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Thea

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