She bites her bottom lip and scrunches her nose in a way I’m sure I’ve seen her do a thousand times and yet this time makes my blood begin to heat in my veins. Heat… and rush south. FUCK. “A lot can happen in a year.” She lets out a sigh before tucking a hair behind her ear. “I mean, I am eighteen now.” She winks, actually fucking winks at me before turning around and calling for her mother leaving me with a scent that I could only equate with pure sex.

I shift in my seat, trying my best to keep my cock from rising as I remember sitting through the most painfully awkward dinner with Kevin, Michelle, Mason and the innocent girl who used to be my goddaughter. I was hyper aware of every move she made, every time she spoke, every time those bright brown eyes found mine across the dinner table.

“This is going to be a fucking shitshow,” Trey mumbles under his breath breaking my thoughts of that night I decided to blow up my entire life. “Am I taking you home first? Or we going to Mom’s?”

I stare down at the text message from my older brother, Mason wishing that the words would morph into something else. Literally anything else. Once upon a time they were my favorite words and ones I looked forward to hearing but now it just gave me a feeling that a tornado was about to rip apart my life.

Mason: Mom just called, Jacob just showed up at the house. They want us to come over tonight for a small get together.

Mason: Did you know he was coming?

Now I realize why Mom called me earlier. I didn’t answer because I’ve had to limit her to two phone calls a day because ever since I got engaged, she’s felt the need to call me every hour on the hour with ideas for the wedding.

Me: Not a clue.

Mason: I guess your good news travels fast.

Me: Fuck off.

Mason was four years older than me and yet we were still pretty close growing up and I’d probably call him my best friend now. We rarely argued even when we were younger and he’s always been one person I knew I could always depend on. He was never judgmental and only offered his opinions when they were solicited. He was overprotective without being overbearing and was easily the one person I’d call if I ever needed help burying a body.

I might just have to call in that favor tonight.

When Jacob ended things and left for Mexico, I tried my best to keep it in, but after two weeks, one night I broke down and called Mason hysterically after too much tequila and confessed everything.

His response? “I knew it.” He then proceeded to let me cry for the next four and a half hours. Okay, weeks.