Page 29 of Stay for Me
Oh, here we go. I roll my eyes. “No one fucking calls you that except you. No one. Not a single freaking person because it doesn’t mean you’re a stud, it means you’re as dumb as a wood pole.”
He grins. “Say what you will.”
Declan breaks in. “Can we all agree that Jacob is not the hot one and leave it there?”
“Tell that to the thousands of women who formed a club in honor of my hotness.”
All three of them burst out laughing, and then Sean hands me a beer. “The fact that you think delusional people make sense is enough for us to worry.”
Just then, my favorite sister-in-law of the day exits. “Bean, will you set these dumbasses straight as to who is the sexiest of the four of us?”
Sydney sighs dramatically. “Jacob, but not by much.”
“See.”
“Seriously, wife?” Declan growls.
“Oh, calm down. I said not by much.”
“But you did say I was the hottest one, so who cares where the rest fall in,” I say smugly.
“If you did have to rate us, who would be next?” Connor’s voice rings with mischief. He’s clearly enjoying Declan’s irritation.
Sydney doesn’t hesitate. “Jacob, Declan, Sean, and then you.”
I burst out laughing, hand slapping against my chest as I see Connor’s crestfallen face.
“Really, Bean?”
“It’s the fear of ducks thing. It makes you look like a pansy.”
“I’m a fucking SEAL!”
She gives me a shit-eating grin before turning back to him. “Former. But you’re . . . not a very scary one.”
My brothers and I lose it.
She leaves, and the four of us take our seats on the porch, still chuckling as Connor mutters all sorts of angry nonsense under his breath.
The laughter dies down and Sean speaks first. “Is it normal for things to be weird once your honeymoon is over?”
I look over, knowing this wasn’t easy for him to ask. Declan speaks first. “Weird how?”
“Just . . . weird.”
Declan and Connor share a look. I’m definitely not one to speak on this shit. I’m not dating or married.
“Again, I’m going to ask how?” Declan tries again.
“She’s exhausted for one. Second, it seems as if something is bothering her.”
“You guys have been back for a week,” I say, unable to be quiet because I’m not sure I know how.
“I know that.”
“Do you? Because aren’t girls supposed to be depressed after their wedding? I swear Ellie said some shit about a post-wedding depression one time on the phone.” That was an hour-long call I can never get back. I still don’t know if she was drunk when she called me, but then she started to get upset, so I just listened.
Sure, it was my birthday, which was why I answered, but then she was going on and on about being bored and not knowing what to do with herself because the wedding was over. I kept looking down at the phone, wondering what the hell was going on or if she thought maybe I was Syd.
