Page 46 of Fumbling for Perfection

“Five? You’re not staying here?”

“You, me, Riley, Kendall, and my friend Taylor. And fuck no. I don’t ever stay here when I visit, which isn’t often. Tomorrow’s rehearsal dinner is sure to be a shit show of a performance. Mom’s done all the planning so Riley and I have no idea what to expect except too much of everything.”

His dismissal of our parents takes me by surprise, so I agree to golf. I’ll find an excuse to bail on dinner later. Ignoring the women behind us, I head back into the house and to the five-car garage where the golf carts are stored.

Living on the outskirts of the course means we can ride the carts to the country club. Kendall and Riley take the one behind us, and I do all I can not to look at her. Jackson yammers on, oblivious that my tongue and my dick have been in his fiancée’s pussy.

“It means a lot to us that you came today.”

“The email invitation wasn’t expected.”

Jackson chuckles as he steers the cart around a fallen branch. “Mom didn’t ask us for a guest list. I don’t even know what the invitations look like. Figured I’d reach out, see if we can start over. Maybe become friends or something, if you want. Riley’s been after me to contact you.”

“She has?” Fuck me. That’s even worse. If she knew who I was all along and still spread her legs for me...

“Yeah. We’ve been friends for ten years and I’ve never talked about you. No offense. Actually, yeah. You can take offense. I’ve been a dick to you. She tells me that on the daily.”

“If she wanted us to reconnect so desperately, why didn’t she contact me?”

Jackson pulls up to the country club and parks the cart. “I’ve never even told her your name or that you play in the NFL. Honestly, in all the years we’ve been friends, I’ve never talked much about Sebastian and Lydia other than to tell her they’re not exactly the best parental role models. Dad’s a dick, no doubt about it, but he’s a reputable businessman. The best in New England. East coast, really. I wouldn’t be as successful as I am if I didn’t have his guidance.”

“Yeah, well, I’m successful in spite of not having a fucking lick of his guidance.”

“Shit. I didn’t mean to rub it in. I know he’s always been a douchebag to you.”

Not having a fucking clue how to respond, I climb out of the cart and follow him into the country club.

I don’t get it. Jackson and I haven’t spoken in a dozen years, and now he wants to pick up where we left off, which would put us back to middle school years. I’m not the same kid anymore, and he’s not the same older brother.

If what he’s saying is true, Riley’s the one responsible for bringing us together.

And fuck if I know how I feel about that.

CHAPTER TWELVE

RILEY

Golfing was bearable only because Kendall and I had our own cart and didn’t interact much with Jackson and Walker. I made Jackson believe it was because I wanted him to have time with his brother.

During the first four holes, I caught Walker glaring at me too many times to count. It wasn’t until the sixth hole that I noticed his shoulders relax, and by the twelfth hole, he actually smiled at something Jackson said.

Jackson is a charmer. He’s successful not only because he’s incredibly intelligent, but because he’s a people person. He’s likable, kind, and funny. More than anything, I want the brothers to rekindle their relationship, and I worry it won’t happen with me in their lives.

Kendall elbows me in the ribs and I pick up my fork, swirling my fettuccine noodles with my fork. “At least pretend to be happy, Riles. Twenty-four hours of pretending, and then we’ll figure this out together.”

“I’ve ruined his life.” I glance at Walker, who’s sitting at the far end of the table, and when our eyes meet, he quickly looks away.

“He can’t take his eyes off you,” Rowan whispers.

“Because he hates me. Kendall, I lied to him from the beginning. I was so happy. We were so happy. And now...” I lower my hands to my belly.

Taylor and Rowan joined us for dinner and have helped take some of the tension out of the air. Taylor has been questioning me with his knowing eyes for the past hour as well. There’s no doubt he’s picked up on the tension between Walker and me. Jackson is too blinded by reconnecting with his brother to notice.

Somehow, we make it through dinner. When Jackson orders another round of drinks, I set my napkin on the table.

“No more for me.” Not that I’ve had any alcohol. I still haven’t told him about the pregnancy. He’ll be ecstatic...until he learns who the father is. I ease my way out of the booth and Kendall and Rowan follow.

“Our bride-to-be needs her beauty sleep.” Kendall loops her arm through mine. “You boys stay out of trouble tonight.”

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