Page 73 of Pinky Promises

“Yeah, try living it,” I manage to say in a clipped tone.

“If you wanted to get out of some form of an arranged marriage, why not just buy a damn billboard or something.”What the fuck? I would be terrified to be in that man’s brain for even just a minute.

“I thought I had taken care of that. I should have seen it coming since Charles Murphy is a manipulative and ruthless asshole.” Falling for his lies is something I’m not sure I can ever forgive myself for.

Ben clears his throat. “If you need a lawyer, I can make a few calls.”Well, shit, I hadn’t even thought about that. I might need to take him up on that. I don’t even know if my father was telling the truth when he said it was part of the fine print in the contract. Who knows, maybe that was all a lie, too.

“Thanks, man.” I rest my head on the back of the couch and close my eyes, exhaling slowly.

“Have you seen her?” I ask no one in particular.

I look up just in time to see Asher nod. “She showed up at the apartment this morning, but I hid in the bedroom with Olivia all morning until I had to sneak out to the kitchen to grab one of Olivia’s premade bottles from the fridge. The girls were huddled on the couch with Brynn in the middle.” He takes a long pull from his drink. “I’ll be honest, Cal, she didn’t look okay.”

Well, thanks, dumbass. Of course, I didn’t expect to hear that Brynn was doing great; I would have some significant concern if that were the case. I know that she won’t put up a strong front in front of the girls, but hearing how she was truly guts me all over again. It’s like I’m standing in front of the crowd looking directly into her eyes, as both our hearts are ripped out and stomped on. Almost as if our fathers had gone skeet shooting, yelled, “Pull,” the exact moment our hearts were pulled from our chests, and shot with a shotgun. Brutal analogy, but it’s pretty much straight on how I feel.

“I’m going to get a refill.” Asher pushes off his knees to stand. “Anyone need anything?”

I nod, as does Ben, who has remained silent most of the conversation.

He runs his hand over his jaw, pursing his lips like he has something on his mind that he is trying to figure out. His expression grows as serious as it did the day I showed up at the office and the infamous kiss. “Can I ask you a question?”

I nod.

“Do you love her?”

I don’t hesitate. “Yes.” There’s no ounce of doubt that I love her. I am head over ass in fucking love with Brynn Macallister.

He holds up his hand. “And I don’t mean best friend type of love.” You can tell that Ben cares about Brynn, obviously not like I do, but she is important to him.

“I know. She’s the air I need to breathe, the woman who has been my rock from the get-go. I love her with every bone in my body and every inch of my soul.”

Asher comes strolling back in the room with his arms full of beer bottles. “Whoa, that’s some deep shit.” He sets the beers down on the table and then leans over me, with his gaze landing directly on my dick.

“What the fuck, Ash?” I grab a pillow to cover my junk quickly.

“I’m just checking to make sure you still have your balls after those romantic proclamations.”

I shake my head, bellowing out a laugh, the first I’ve laughed since my father approached us last night at the bar. Well, if that’s not the pot calling the kettle black. All three of us should seriously consider turning in our man cards since our women are our world.

“Well, why don’t you tellherthat and not us,” Asher taunts. I all but said those three words last night.

“Thanks, dickhead. I hadn’t thought of that.” I toss the pillow at Asher, but his quick reflexes kick in, and he swats it before it hits him in the face while drinking his beer.

“Honestly, I’m impressed she doesn’t know already because we had picked up on that a long time ago. There’s always been something there between you. Anyone with fucking eyes could see it.”

“Well, if you knew that, then why even ask,” I spout.

Ben sighs. “I wanted to hear you say it aloud. There’s one thing to watch it and make our own assumptions, but I needed to see your face when you openly admitted it.”

I run my fingers through my hair, once again tugging on the ends. At this rate, I might need a hair transplant before I’m even thirty. I rest my head in my hands. How can I tell her when she won’t talk to me. She only said one thing to me last night through the door. And now that she asked for time and I’m here sleeping in Ben and Lexi’s guest room, it will make talking to her even harder if she won’t answer my calls or texts.

God, I fucked up. How do I fix this?What would all the men in those romance novels that Brynn reads or the chick flicks she forces me to watch do? But I’m not a fictional character she reads or watches; I’m real—I’m me.

An idea strikes me, but I don’t think I can pull it off alone. Here’s hoping the guys will agree to help.

“Okay, I have an idea, but I’m going to need your guys’s help, and just pray that it works.”

Both Ben and Asher lean in. “Whatever it is, man, we’re here.”

It’s time to get my girl back or, well, to make her mine officially. Brynn Macallister is mine—always has been and always will be. And it’s about damn time the world knows.

---