Page 106 of Always Yours

I hold his gaze, and I don’t know that I can admit it to him but not tell Austen yet. “I am well aware, thank you very much.”

“Oh good, because I thought I was going to have to break it down for you.”

I scoff at that. “It’s obvious?”

“Very obvious, since day one.”

I hold his gaze. “Shut up.”

“No, for real. Like, I remember the look on your face when she walked up that first day of training camp. That shit was gross.”

I snort. “You’re a jackass.”

“It’s true. You got all starry-eyed and practically followed after her like a lost puppy.”

“You’re annoying.”

“Only because you know I’m right.” He smirks at me. “Does she know?”

I shake my head. “I don’t know. I haven’t said anything. And we sound like girls right now. You know that, right?”

“It’s cool. No one is around,” he reminds me. “Why haven’t you told her?”

I shrug. “Lots of reasons.”

“And they are?”

I press my lips together. I don’t know why I haven’t told her. Okay, I might. “I don’t know if she loves me.”

My cousin’s face scrunches up so tight, I don’t even recognize him. “You don’t know if she loves you?”

“Yeah.” He eyes me, and I just look back, confused. “What?”

“Why do you think she wouldn’t?”

“She hasn’t ever been in love and hasn’t been loved right. What if she doesn’t know how?”

“You don’t need to know how to love. You just do, you dumbass,” he throws back at me. “Bro, come on. She’s totally in love with you.”

I swallow. “Why do you say that?”

“I saw you two at the wedding, the way she looked at you… And, dude, come on. This is getting too gushy for me. I’m telling you, she does.”

I work my lip. “But what if she doesn’t?”

“Then obviously you’re doing something wrong.”

Our eyes lock, and then we both start laughing. I shake my head and wish she were here with me. I want to tell her right now, but I know I can’t. She’s in meetings, and I’m about to be on the receiving end of the state of my future. As much as I know that my future will include Austen, my declaration of love will have to wait.

“I want to do right by her,” I admit, looking up at my cousin. “She’s been through some shit.”

“If I know one thing about you,” he says around the bite he just took. He swallows it and then coughs a bit. He takes a pull of his water and clears his throat. “You will do whatever it takes to get what you want. You’re the kind of guy who gives the shirt off his back, and I know you’ll do right by her. Because really, you don’t know how to do anything else.”

Emotion billows in my chest. “I haven’t been in a relationship before.”

“So? There are plenty of people who have and suck at it. Maybe you were waiting for the right one?”

Maybe I have been, and maybe she was waiting for me. “Thanks, bro.”

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