Chapter 43
Chapter Forty-Three
Milo
The villa is loud in the best kind of way. Beers are cracked open, snacks are scattered across the coffee table, and a football game plays at low volume, though no one is really watching.
I’m leaning against the kitchen counter, nursing a cold beer as I watch the chaos unfold with a small smile.
Ryan is in the middle of telling everyone an exaggerated story about the time Ethan pretended to propose to Aria with a Ring Pop six months into dating, complete with dramatic reenactments.
Ethan is laughing so hard he’s doubled over, while Jax has been keeping score of how many times Ryan has told the same story since they announced their engagement two years ago.
Having a boys' night feels good. Normal. The kind of night we used to have before life got busy and demanding, and we all went our separate ways to pursue our dreams.
As if sensing my mind drifting, Ryan turns to me, grinning. “Milo, you’ve been suspiciously quiet tonight. Are you nervous about tomorrow or what?”
“Why would I be nervous?” I push off the counter slightly so I’m not slouching. “I’m not the one getting married.”
Ethan flips me off from across the room. “I give it a year before you propose to Sienna for real.”
“Fuck off,” I grumble, taking another swig of beer.
Ryan leans back on the couch, stretching his arms along the backrest. “Remember when we were all single in college and the biggest decision was which bar to hit? Now look at us. One of you is about to be tied down for life, and the other…” He points at me with his bottle. “Within a year, I bet.”
The guys chuckle, and Jax leans forward. “I still can’t believe the day is almost here. You’ve been talking about marrying Aria since you bumped into her at that coffee shop. I remember you texting the group chat saying you found the woman you’re going to marry.”
Ethan laughs, but there’s a nervous edge to it. “I know. It’s crazy how much time has passed since then. One accidental coffee spill, and I knew she was it for me. I’m nervous—”
“Why are you nervous?” Ryan cuts in, raising a brow. “You’ve been together for years.”
“Not helping.”
Tom suddenly stands and moves behind the couch, resting his hands on Ethan’s shoulders, giving a light, fatherly squeeze.
“You’re a good man, son. Did I ever tell you how nervous I was on my wedding day?
I puked minutes before your mom walked down the aisle.
Nerves are good. It just proves how much you love her. ”
Ethan leans his head back against the couch, letting out a slow breath. “Yeah… I just don’t want to screw it up. What if she looks at me tomorrow and suddenly realizes she could do better?”
Ryan snorts and shakes his head. “If she hasn’t already realized that yet, I think you’re safe, dude.”
Ethan runs both hands through his hair. “What if I spill something on my suit? What if I trip? What if I forget my vows—”
“Stop,” I say, setting my beer down, then walking over and gripping his shoulders firmly. “Everything is going to be perfect. You’ve been planning this for years. Aria loves you. You’re not going to trip. If you do, we’ll all laugh about it for the rest of our lives. Just breathe, man.”
Ethan stares at me for a second, then lets out a shaky laugh. “You’re right. I’m losing it.”
“You’re not losing it,” Gregory says warmly. “You’re going to be fine, son. The second you see her tomorrow, everything else will disappear. I promise.”
Ethan nods, visibly relaxing. “I just want the day to be perfect for her. She’s been going out of her mind planning it, so I don’t want to be the one to ruin it for her.”
“It will be,” I say, giving his shoulder one last squeeze. “Because she’s marrying you, not the perfect ceremony. Just you.”
The room quiets for a beat, then Ethan stands like he wasn’t spiraling seconds ago. “Okay, enough of this sappy shit. Who wants another beer before we all start crying?”
Laughter erupts again as the tension dissolves instantly. Ethan grabs several beers from the fridge, brings them back, and passes them out to everyone.
Ryan raises his bottle. “To Ethan not tripping tomorrow.”
“Oh, come on,” Ethan groans, rolling his eyes. “You could’ve toasted to anything but that. Now I’m going to trip. You’ve jinxed it.”
“To Ethan not tripping.” We all echo, clinking bottles.
Hours later, when the guys are deep in a loud debate about the best way to survive married life, I step out onto the deck for some fresh air.
The ocean is dark and endless, the moon casting silver light across the water. I lean on the railing, beer bottle dangling from my fingers, letting the cool breeze settle over me.
Footsteps sound behind me. I turn to see Gregory step out, two fresh beers in hand. He hands me one and leans on the railing beside me.
“Mind if I join you?” he asks.
“Not at all.” I shake my head.
We stand in comfortable silence for a moment, watching the waves roll in.
“I’ve always worried about Sienna,” he says quietly. “She’s always been… everywhere at once. Restless. Chaotic in the best way. She never could sit still. Aria was always the tame one, the planner, the one who followed rules. Sienna? She was our wild one from the start.”
“That doesn’t surprise me at all,” I laugh.
“She was the one who kept us on our toes. Ever since I can remember, she’s been running toward the next adventure. We worried she might never find someone who could keep up with her—someone who saw her chaos and didn’t flinch. Someone who not only wanted to stay but chose to.”
He turns to me, his hand landing firmly on my shoulder. “But these last few days… it’s as if she’s found something worth slowing down for. And the way you look at her… it gives this old man hope.”
I swallow hard as the weight of the moment presses against my ribs. I never planned to say any of this out loud tonight, but standing here with Sienna’s father, the words feel right.
“Can I be honest with you?”
“Always,” he responds with a smile. “Honesty is the only policy worth keeping.”
I nod, staring out at the dark ocean again. “My parents passed away a few years ago. This is the kind of conversation I wish I could be having with them right now…”
Gregory’s grip tightens in quiet understanding. “I’m sorry to hear that. I lost mine in high school. That kind of loss never really leaves you. It changes every big moment after.”
“It does,” I say quietly. “My parents would’ve loved Sienna. Adored her, actually, especially my mom.”
He studies me for a beat, then gives my shoulder another firm squeeze. “And you?”
I draw a shaky breath. The truth rises before I can hold it back. “I like her more than I expected. Honestly… I think I’m falling in love with your daughter.”
God, saying it out loud makes it feel even more real.
I never saw her coming. I built a life that was calm, ordered, and safe—everything running on schedule.
Then this bright, chaotic, impossible woman sat down next to me on a plane and wormed her way into every corner of my life and made it brighter than I could’ve ever imagined.
Gregory stays quiet for a moment, then a low, genuine smile spreads across his face.
“You’re not just falling, Milo. You’ve already landed.
Sienna’s a force of nature. She deserves someone who sees all of her and still chooses to stay.
If that’s you—and I believe it is—then I’m happy for both of you. ”
Emotions swell thick in my chest. “Thank you. That means more than you know.”
“Take care of her,” he says with a soft smile.
“And let her take care of you. That’s how the best ones last.” A protective glint flashes in his eyes.
“And just so we’re clear—I may look retired and harmless, but if you so much as hurt a single hair on her head, I still remember how to throw a decent punch. ”
I chuckle as the tension eases. “I’d never hurt her. You have my word.”
“Good man,” he grins, clinking his bottle against mine. “I’m holding you to that.”
We stand in silence for a while, watching the ocean. The waves roll in with a steady rhythm. It feels peaceful. Right.
Footsteps sound behind us, and we both turn to see Ethan step out onto the deck, his face warm from laughing inside.
“What are we talking about out here?” he asks, already grinning as he joins us at the railing.
“Just having a heartfelt conversation with a son-in-law I never expected to meet so soon,” Gregory winks at me, then steps back. “I’m going to grab some water before calling it a night. See you both bright and early in the morning.”
“Good night, Greg,” Ethan smiles as Gregory heads back inside. Once the door slides shut, he turns fully toward me. His head tilts, eyes narrowing. “Your eyes are glistening, Reyes.”
I blink hard and swipe at the corner of my eye with the back of my hand. “It’s the alcohol… mixed with the ocean breeze.”
He gives me a long, knowing look. “Not only are you my best friend, but we’re also going to be brother-in-laws in the future. I know when you’re lying, Reyes.”
I let out a shaky breath. The words slip out quieter than expected, almost carried away by the waves. “I’m falling in love with Sienna.”
Ethan’s smile breaks wide across his face. “About damn time you realized!”
I laugh, the sound rough around the edges yet genuine. “Yeah… I don’t even know when it happened, but it did. It’s all blurred together.”
She wasn’t supposed to get this far under my skin. I came here for a wedding and a little peace. Instead, this whirlwind woman crashed into my quiet life and somehow made every carefully constructed piece of it feel incomplete without her.
She’s chaos, color, and constant motion, and I can’t imagine going back to steady, silent days.
Ethan claps me hard on the back, hard enough to make me sway. “I’ve been waiting for you to catch up, Reyes—both of you. It’s been painfully obvious the whole time.”
I shake my head, grinning despite the tightness in my chest. “It’s been that obvious?”
“Uh-huh,” he replies, still smiling. Then his expression softens. “But seriously, I’m happy for you, Reyes. After years of watching you swear off anything real… You deserve this. You deserve someone who actually gets under the standoffish armor you’ve worn for the past few years.”
“I don’t have a standoffish armor,” I protest.
He gives me a blank look, and my lips press into a thin line.
“Sienna crashed through all of that,” he continues. “She also deserves someone who sees her fire and doesn’t flinch, someone who stays. And you… you’re that guy, Reyes.”
I nod, my throat suddenly tight. “I want to be that guy for her.”
“You already are,” Ethan says, raising his beer and clinking it against mine. “To falling in love and finding the person who makes your heart feel like home.”
I clink back, the sound bright and clear in the quiet night. “To that.”
We stand shoulder to shoulder for a while, looking out over the dark ocean. The waves keep rolling in, steady and endless, and for the first time in years, I don’t feel the need to plan what comes next. I just feel… here. Present. Completely caught up in a woman I never saw coming.
Ethan bumps my shoulder lightly, a wicked grin on his face. “She’s going to drive you fucking crazy sometimes. You know that, right?”
I stare at the ocean, a smile tugging at my lips. “Oh, yeah. I’m counting on it.”