Chapter 39

Warren stood up and clapped his hands together. “Okay, you two talk and the three of us will go out for a bit.”

“Why do we have to move? I’m so tired.” Lucas yawned but still stood up. He walked by me and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “Good luck, Cupcake.”

Warren hugged me tight and then walked over to pull Macy into a hug. “Remember who she is to you.”

Andrew shook his head. “I’m not going to leave if you’re just going to be an ass to her again.”

Macy and I sighed in unison. Her eyes flicked to me with a brief smile on her face before she turned another glare on her brother. “Go.”

I moved closer to Andrew and took his hand. “Please, go.”

He stared down at me for a moment before blowing out a rough breath and dragging me into his chest. He stroked my hair and leaned down so we were face to face. “You don’t deserve abuse, no matter what you’ve done.”

My eyes filled with tears, and I nodded as he let me go and marched towards the door. At the last second, I looked after them, having second thoughts about sending them away. They were my safety net. Looking back at Macy, I knew they had to go, though. We had to talk, and she needed the freedom to say whatever she needed to say.

She waited until the door closed and then sank back into the couch. Running her hand over her face and through her hair, she sighed and finally met my gaze. “He’s right, and I hate it. Why would you want that in a partner?”

I sat on the edge of the couch across from her and shrugged. “He’s not always right. He’s being mean to you. I’m sorry for that.”

Macy groaned. “Don’t apologize to me. I wasn’t nice to you last night. I went too far with my words and I feel like shit. I’m sorry, Sara.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“I know. I know you would’ve never done this if you didn’t care about them. I don’t understand it and I don’t know how you can deal with one of them, much less all three of them, but I know you wouldn’t have done this just for sex.” She faked a gag. “I can’t even say sex while talking about those idiots without wanting to die a little.”

I smiled, a pitiful thing, scared but hopeful. “I do care about them. I don’t quite know what to do with myself over it, but it’s true. I care about each of them.”

“They care about you. I haven’t seen Andrew this mad at me in a long time.” She sighed. “It’s weird, okay? I just need some time to accept it.”

“Of course. I understand.”

“I’m getting married in a few hours and all I can think about is you. I’ve never been good at fighting with you.”

I sighed and shook my head. “It’s miserable. I don’t want you to think about this, though. I’m fine. We’ll be fine, when you’re ready. Your wedding is more important.”

Macy sat forward and shook her head. “It’s not. This wedding was too much. Jason and I are barely holding onto our sanity. There’s so much family around that I want to scream. I’ve never been more eager for a vacation to end.”

“Don’t rush it. Today is going to be beautiful for you.” I fought back tears at the idea of not being there for her, but I wasn’t going to force myself on her. She needed space.

“I don’t want to do it without you, Sara. You’re my best friend. You’ve always been the sister I needed. I know things aren’t perfect right now, but I don’t want to look back and not see you in the pictures. You matter so much to me.”

Full out crying, I stood up and met her halfway to hug her tight. “I love you. You’re my family. Thank you for letting me be there for you.”

With her arms still locked around me, she groaned. “I should’ve asked you to do the cake, Sara. This whole wedding is falling apart. I didn’t ask you and now I have no cake. At least I’ll have you there with me. You always smell like cake, so it’ll kind of be the same as having one there.”

I pulled back and grinned. “They didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

I took her hand and pulled her to the door. “We have something to show you in the kitchen.”

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Macyfellapartwhen she saw the giant tiered cake we’d put together for her. She delicately touched one of the sugar flowers I’d made for her and then just about tackled me in a bear hug. Kitchen staff worked around us as we held each other. I could feel how touched she was, and I cried right along with her. It was my dream to make that very cake for her, and I’d been able to do it with the help of the men standing right behind us, hovering around to make sure I was okay. It made the cake even more special for me.

Macy and I spent a bit staring at the cake and hugging before her planner popped into the kitchen, face red and eyes bulging. “You should have your hair and makeup done by now! Both of you! Where have you been?”

I watched as even Andrew flinched. The woman was a warrior with a clipboard, hellbent on making Macy’s wedding happen on time.

“Calm down, Tilda, it’s fine. We’re going now.” Macy grabbed my hand and looked at her brothers, standing guard. “Do you think you can let her out of your sight while we get ready, or do I need to clear a spot for you three in the dressing room?”

Lucas yawned so big his jaw popped. He stretched and shook his head before reaching for me and dragging me into his chest. “I’m going to nap before this thing happens. I don’t do well without a full eight hours, and it’s been too many nights with barely any sleep at all.”

I hugged him tight, slightly self-conscious of Macy watching us. “I’ll see you later.”

He stole a kiss and then stumbled away, making room for Warren to grab me and hug me tight. He was more aware of Macy’s eyes on us as he kissed my cheek and let me go. “See you soon, Cupcake.”

Andrew leaned down and kissed me, his mouth hot and intense. When he pulled away, I was left semi-stunned. “Don’t take shit from anyone.”

My smile was probably ditzy as I nodded and gently pushed him away. “Bye. Love you.”

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I gasped and spun around to face Macy, my eyes wide and my mouth gaping. I knew that Andrew was still standing behind me; I could feel his eyes burning a hole through the back of my head.

Macy covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes just as wide as mine. She kept looking over my shoulder at her brother and then back at me with the same shocked expression, not helping me at all.

I hadn’t meant to say it. I didn’t know that I loved them. I mean… It was too early. I just had let it slip. Because it’d definitely been on my mind. But just the possibility, not that I actually did feel that strongly for them. The words were out there, though, and I couldn’t take them back. I hadn’t meant it in some huge romantic sense, but just in the comfort of telling someone you loved goodbye. Yet, with it hanging in front of me, I realized that there was something to it. There were weight and meaning to the word.

Andrew’s arm snaked around my waist and he pulled me back into his chest firmly. Leaning down to whisper to me, his words were rough with emotion. “We were wondering when you’d join us, baby. See you tonight.”

Then, like some sort of figment of my imagination, he was gone. Outside the kitchen, I could hear the three of them talking to each other and arguing amicably as they moved away. I felt relieved for a moment that I wasn’t going to have to deal with facing them just yet, but when I looked at Macy, she was still there, staring at me with wide eyes.

“You love them?”

Worried that she was going to be mad at me, I gestured to the cake. “Look at this thing I made out of love for you.”

She laughed then, breaking the spell. Pulling me in for yet another hug, she gently shook me back and forth. “You love them.”

I pulled back and shrugged, acting nonchalant, even though I was freaking out inside. “I don’t know. That just slipped out. I…”

“You love them.” She was smiling a lot for someone who wasn’t sure she liked the idea of me being with her brothers. “You really do. I can see it all over you.”

I cringed and shook my head. “We’d better go. Tilda vanished for the moment, but she’ll be back any second.”