Page 43 of Every Promise Broken

“It’s respectful to bring something when someone invites you over to their house for dinner,” Whit says, annoyance flickering in his tone.What the hell does he have to be annoyed about?

“What the fuck was that back there?” I spit out, unable to ignore the elephant in the room any longer.

Whit’s eyes narrow. “What waswhat, Conrad?”

“Oh, don’t play coy, Whit,” I bark. “You know exactly what I’m referring to. Why the hell didn’t you tell me you and Reggie broke up?”

He rears back, eyes widening as he scoffs. “Because it’s none of your damn business, that’s why.”

Laughing dryly, I rub a hand over my mouth, sending up a silent prayer for some goddamn patience. “Given the circumstances, I think I deserve to know.”

Standing off the bed, Whit folds his arms over his chest, jutting out his chin. “How do you figure? My relationship isnoneof your business, Conrad, nor does it affect my ability to keep up this ridiculous charade with you.”

“You still should’ve told me,” I grit out.

Whit’s brows pinch, head cocking to the side. “You mean, kind of like how you should’ve told your nana that we got divorced? Pot, kettle, Conrad.” Seemingly deciding that he’s done with this conversation, he brushes past me, calling out over his shoulder, “Let’s go. We’re going to be late for dinner,husband.”

He says the word with a sneer, tossing back what I called him earlier, in a way that I know he thinks will piss me off, but it does nothing except light a fire inside of me. A need to hear him call me that again and again. To remember who he’s always belonged to, who he was always meant to be with.

The drive over to Will’s is filled with chatter from my nana in the backseat. I love her, but God, she never shuts up. She’s spent this entire day talking about everything and nothing all at once. There is nothing wrong with a little quiet time every once in a while.

Whit’s sitting beside me, a bottle of wine on his lap, leg bobbing a mile a minute as we inch closer to Will’s house. I have so much I want to say, so much more I want to ask, and thisdinner really couldn’t have come at a more inconvenient time. Pulling into the driveway, I park behind Colt’s truck, and Whit’s out before I even have time to turn off the car.

“What’s up with him?” Nana huffs from the backseat.

I grit my teeth, grab my keys, and open my door, not bothering to respond to her because what is there even to say?Oh, he’s pissed off because I went full caveman at the market when his ex-boyfriend showed up, who I didn’t realize was his ex, because, oh yeah! We’re not actually married! Surprise!

“I see you’re both in a mood,” she chides as we follow Whit toward the front porch.

Whit must hear her because he tosses her a look over his shoulder before he glares at me, like it’s my fault.

The door yanks open. “Well, howdy,” Colt chirps, Roger’s blond, long-haired dachshund in his arms. “Come on in.Oh!You brought wine?”

“Yes, let’s open it,” Whit drawls as he brushes past him into the house.

Colt looks from him to me, humor dancing in his eyes. “Uh-oh, what did you do?”

“Colt, shut the hell up.” Walking farther into the house, I turn back toward them. “Nana, this is Colt, a royal pain in the ass. He’s Will’s boyfriend.”

“Well, aren’t you a nice lookin’ young man,” she murmurs as she shamelessly checks him out. “Good for Will.”

“I love her,” Colt blurts out, pulling her in for a one-arm hug. “We’re keeping her and sending your grumpy ass home.”

“Those two must be having a lovers’ quarrel,” Nana cuts in, then sends a seething look in my direction.

What the hell have I done?

“Ope, that must be it,” Colt replies.

“Is that Nora I hear?” Stepping into the hall, Will’s face lights up as he sees my nana. “I’d know that beautiful voice anywhere! Get over here.”

A smile splits on her face as she meets him in the middle. “What have I always told you. None of that Nora crap. It’s Nana! And look at you.” Hands cupping his scruffy cheeks, she says, “You’re practically glowing. It must be from all the sex you’re having with the young buck back there.”

Will snorts out a laugh and pulls her in for a hug as Colt practically preens. “It is,” he says. “From all the sex.”

“Alright,” I grumble. “We don’t need to know that.”

“Listen.” Colt points a finger, arching a brow at me. “Maybe you shouldn’t be throwing stones from inside glass houses.”

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