Page 22 of The Husband Game

“Only you, Charlie.” Taylor’s sigh was heavy but he snuggled closer. “I’m gonna miss you though.”

A lump rose in Charlie’s throat. “Gonna miss you too.”

“We’ll video chat at least once a week though, right?” Taylor hooked their pinkies together.

“At least once a week.”

“And you’re gonna take care of yourself?”

“I’m gonna take care of myself,” Charlie promised.

“And if you feel the urge to calorie restrict or over-exercise, you’ll let your therapist know?”

“I will.”

“Are you gonna tell Dustin about it?”

“About the anorexia?” Charlie grimaced. “I don’t think so.”

“Charlie …” There was a warning note in Taylor’s voice.

“I don’t want to go into this feeling like a total fuckup. I know this is fake but he—he looks at me like I’m something amazing.”

“You are amazing.”

“Well obviously. But … it’s nice to have somebody who isn’t my best friend and his family treat me that way.”

Taylor sighed. “I know. I just worry about you.”

“I’ll be fine.” Charlie pressed a kiss to Taylor’s forehead. “I promise.”

There was a quick rap on the door before it swung open. “Hey, Charlie, we should head out for the airport,” Dustin said.

“Sorry.” Charlie disentangled himself from Taylor, wondering if Dustin was going to get weird about him being all snuggled up to his best friend, but he didn’t give them a second glance. “Give me a few minutes and I’ll be ready to go.”

“Okay. Jamie is going to grab Ava so you can say goodbye to her, and I will be out in the living room.”

“Be right there.”

Dustin closed the door behind him.

“So you’re really going through with this?” Taylor asked, propping himself up on one elbow again as Charlie got to work.

“I am.” Charlie settled the cubes into place and when he pulled back, his stupid gigantic ring caught on something. “Damn it.”

Taylor scooted over and helped him get untangled from the loose thread.

After, he grabbed Charlie’s hand and examined the ring. “Far be it from me to say jewelry is gendered but why exactly did you go for that?”

Charlie sighed. “Honestly, I don’t remember. I have vague memories of us going to a jewelry store and me marching over to find the biggest, most obnoxious ring I could find.”

“Well, you succeeded.” Taylor’s tone was dry. “I mean, it’s pretty but it’s gaudy as hell.”

“You don’t say?”

Drunk Charlie had thought it was pretty and sparkly and fun. Drunk Charlie had either been trying to goad Dustin into buying it or maybe convince him getting married was a fucking terrible idea. Maybe Drunk Charlie had been trying to scare him off.

But Sober Charlie thought Drunk Charlie was an idiot.

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