Page 9 of Always Yours

I tap my fist on the top of the table twice, force a smile to my face, and get up. “So we good? Same time, next week?”

“Austin, what’s going on?” My brother Huddy asks. I look at him and my other brothers, and they all have worried looks on their faces. I can’t really blame them. I know I haven’t been the same lately, and they’ve given me some space to try and work things out, but I knew it wouldn’t last forever.

“Nothing’s going on. I’m sorry, I thought we were done, but if not, I’m good. What’s left to talk about?” I turn to my brother who's the CFO and loves to talk about data, ROI, and all that shit. “Beau, you got another spreadsheet you want to go over?”

Huddy barely holds back a laugh. “Look, you’re our baby bro. We’re just worried about you, that’s all.”

I hook my thumb toward Lucas. “He’s the baby of the family. Worry about him.”

Huddy leans toward me and clasps his hand on my shoulder. “Talk to us, Austin. What’s going on? How’s Ally?”

I shake my head and run my fingers across my temples. “Her blood pressure is high. Too high, and the doctors want her to rest, but of course she won’t. She promised she’d slow down, and she’s trying but…” I break off in frustration.

“But what?” Lucas asks.

I shake my head, knowing the irony of what I’m about to say. “She says she doesn’t have the money to take off from her job.”

“Fuck, Austin—”

I hold my hand up before Huddy can finish his thought. “Yes, I’ve tried to offer her money. I’ve tried to tell her not to worry about anything, but she’s so damn independent, she thinks she can do it all without help. I’m practically forcing her to depend on me, and I’m not sure if that’s the right thing to do or not, but I can’t just stand by and let her hurt herself or her baby.”

Huddy’s hand on my shoulder tightens, and my other brothers get out of their chairs and circle around the conference table to come toward me. Beau is the first to ask, “What can we do, Austin?”

I shrug, not knowing what to tell them. “I moved in with her.”

“At the trailer park?”

My eyes flare at Ford. “Don’t be a snob.”

He rolls his eyes. “I’m not. What can we do? There has to be something.”

“Nothing. There’s nothing anyone can do. It’s ultimately up to her to rest. It’s not like I can force her to quit her job or to sit down and prop her feet up.”

Lucas leans against the table. “I don’t understand. We all love Ally. Hell, she’s been a part of our family since you were in middle school. I know she’s your best friend, but she’s always been like a little sister to us. We can’t just stand by and do nothing.”

I throw my hands up in the air. “I know that.”

Ford crosses his arms over his chest. “I don’t understand. You love her.”

I don’t even attempt to deny it. I do love Ally and as more than just a friend.

And then Ford looks at me pointedly. “And she loves you, too.”

“She doesn’t love me.” I say it with force, but even I can hear the hope in my voice.

Ford plants his feet and tilts his head. “Okay, if you believe that, then what are you doing? You’ve told everyone that will listen that you’re marrying her and she’s having your baby. If you believe that, believe that she doesn’t love you, then what are you doing?”

I ram my hand through my hair and shake my head. “You don’t understand.”

Huddy interrupts. “Then explain it to us.”

“I thought I could let her be with someone. I thought I could stand by and let her have her family with someone else. I want her to be happy and to have everything she wants, but I can’t let her go. I fuckin’ can’t let her go.”

Beau’s bellow surprises us all. “Then don’t! Don’t let her go!”

All of us turn to him. He’s the most mild mannered of all of us, and this kind of reaction from him has my jaw dropping. He doesn’t notice or seem to care. “Fuck, Austin. We’ve all seen you together. You love each other. Everyone knows it… you know it. She probably feels like you’ve had this change of heart because you’re feeling sorry for her or some shit. She doesn’t realize you’ve been a coward all these years. She doesn’t realize you’ve always been in love with her and have kept your relationship platonic because you’re a pussy.”

Ford steps between Beau and me and puts his hands up between us. “That’s enough, Beau. Look, Austin. Whatever you need from us, whatever Ally needs from us, we’re here. You can fix this, brother.” He wraps his hand around the back of my neck. “Trust me, do whatever you have to do to fix this because the end result is worth it. Love is worth it.”

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