Page 114 of Pick Me

“So, neither one of you is dead, which is great news,” Britt said, humor lacing her voice as she looked between us. “Guessing you got over that little dream you had?” she asked Jackson, whose cheeks went red.

“I’ll never get over that, B. Just let me know when you and Matty are ready. I’m here for it.”

Britt’s eyes widened, and she clutched the pearls on her neck. Funny, I didn’t expect her to act so prudish, considering I knew some of the things she and Matty got up to. Her ring glinted in the movement, and I still couldn’t believe she was married, or that my brother was in crisis over a potentially botched proposal.

Why did I suddenly feel so old? Marriage wasn’t even in my orbit, yet here were the most important people in my life discussing it.

“What was the dream about?” Aster asked, her voice quiet and subdued. Tanner was sitting next to her, but there was a stark contrast in their body language when compared to Matty and Britt. With visible space between them, they focused on their food and looked at everyone at the table except each other. It was awkward. They were fidgety and constantly apologizing every time one of them accidentally bumped into the other.

It broke my heart in ways I hadn’t expected. To me, these two were the very definition of soulmates—they justfit. They understood each other in a way most people could only dream of, and the thought that one small misunderstanding could unravel everything between them was almost too much to bear.

Funny. A misunderstanding kept Jackson and me apart. If only we’d realized sooner, then we wouldn’t be in a mess where we couldn’t celebrate our happiness in fear it would wreck my brother.

I subtly dropped my hand to my middle, nausea overcoming me because this didn’t feel right. Nothing about this situation did. I was hiding the best thing that had ever happened to me while waiting for the best thing that had ever happened toTannerto crash and burn. This was awful.

Jackson’s palm settled on my knee, his fingers splaying over my skin instantly grounding me. Then, slowly, he slid his hand up, finding mine and clasping it, holding on like he had no intention of letting go.

My cheeks heated. The move almost felt like he was claiming me in front of everyone, even though no one could see.

His thumb rubbed across the top of my palm and sent a searing heat through my stomach. It wasn’t horniess—although that always seemed to be a factor when he was around. It was love.

I knew it. I’d first thought about it in the few minutes before Tanner nearly caught us, and I was grappling with how I’d tell Jackson.IfI’d tell him. Jackson didn’t seem like the overly sensitive kind of guy. Especially since we’d only been sleeping together for two days. I felt it, though. A different kind of force burning between us. It was there, and it was very much on my mind.

“I just need a minute,” Aster said as she pushed her seat back, excusing herself from the table. I glanced at Tanner, noting the exasperation on his face as he ran a hand through his hair. He was tired and frustrated. I didn’t want to see him like that, so I knew I needed to talk to her.

I squeezed Jackson’s hand before letting it go and pushed my seat back. “I need a minute too.” I didn’t even bother coming up with a good excuse, everyone at the table knew exactly what I was doing, and although Tanner opened his mouth to protest, he said nothing. As much as he hated to admit it, he wanted me to chase after her. “I won’t be long.”

Patting down my dress, I made my way to the same exit I’d seen Aster walk out of and followed her into the bathroom. I checked my makeup as I waited for her to finish up. Once the door opened, I turned and leaned against the sink.

“Thea!” She clutched her chest, shocked to see me. “What are you doing here?”

“I was just checking my makeup and wanted to check up on you.”

Aster’s voice wavered slightly as she averted her gaze, shuffling over to the sink beside me. She turned on the water and scrubbed her hands with a little too much force, like she was trying to wash away more than just germs.

“Aster, what’s going on?”

She yanked a few paper towels from the dispenser, pressing them to her damp hands. “It’s complicated.”

I let out a sharp breath. “Don’t give me that. Don’t act like I haven’t been here for the entirety of your relationship, like I don’t know you and Tanner.” I folded my arms, unwilling to back down. “What’s going on with you and my brother?”

Her fingers stilled against the paper towels, the hesitation flashing across her face like a storm cloud. Finally, she exhaled. “So, you know he proposed, then?”

I frowned. “No, he didn’t. You found a ring in his bag.”

Her lips parted in surprise. “Yes. One he wanted me to find.”

Oh, Aster. I loved her, but sometimes, she was too smart for her own good.

“He didn’t,” I said firmly. “Trust me. I know. The only reason he brought that ring with him was because he didn’t want to leave it in the apartment with me and Jackson. He was afraid we’d do something stupid—like burn the place down.”

“Oh.” Her shoulders slumped, her expression shifting into something uncertain. She stared at the floor, brows knitting together.

“Everything okay?” I asked after a beat of silence.

“Yeah…” She nodded, but her voice lacked conviction. “I just wasn’t expecting to hear that. I thought—” She let out a humorless laugh, shaking her head. “I thought he wanted to marry me.”

“I thought you didn’t want that?”

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