Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
CALEB
I swear Jessica is trying to make me go grey early. Bottomless brunch with the girls may not have been the best idea.
My phone buzzes.
Mason: Got her!
Thank fuck. She was meant to meet him ten minutes ago and didn’t show up. My first instinct was to get in my car and go track her down myself. My heart pounds against my ribcage. Even now, I worry about her when neither I nor Noah are with her.
Me: Is she okay?
Mason: I’ll let you decide that for yourself.
Okay, that sounds ominous.
I find Noah at the oven, checking on the food. He’s been cooking a lot more lately. I think it’s his way of keeping busy.
“Is she okay?” he asks, pulling off the oven gloves.
I nod, walk over to him, and pull him into a hug. He wastes no time wrapping his arms around me as I inhale his scent.
“I’m guessing maybe Bottomless Brunch took a turn,” I say, pulling back and searching his face.
He looks so damn tired, the weight of the world on his shoulders, and I hate that I can’t take the burden for him.
“I’m okay, Caleb.” He reaches up and tries to smooth away my frown lines, something I seem to do a lot more lately.
I catch his hand and run my finger over his ring.
“Are you okay that I proposed to you both?” I ask, flicking my eyes to his.
Noah tilts his head. “Yes, why would you ask that?”
I shake my head. “I worry I might have taken something away from you, like maybe you wanted to propose to Jessica too.”
He smiles, his eyes softening. “I think it was only a matter of time, whether it be you or me, and I think your proposal was perfect.”
“Yeah?” I ask, wrapping my palm around his nape and tugging his face closer.
“Yeah,” he replies before his mouth moves to meet mine.
Our kiss is slow, unhurried, one that has my heart racing and dick hardening.
I don’t know how long we get lost in our embrace, but the sound of the motion sensor makes us pull away from one another.
“That must be Jessica and Mason,” I say, turning to check the camera. “As well as Avery and Lily.”
“Luckily I made more than enough food then,” Noah says, peering at the camera. “Something tells me they could do with the food if their lack of coordination is anything to go by.”
“Well, that explains Mason’s text,” I say as I make my way to the front door to let them all in.
Jessica smiles widely when she sees me and throws her arms over my shoulders, her lips meeting mine.
I chuckle against her mouth. “Miss me?”
She pulls back and nods. “I always miss you,” she says, her eyes sparkling.
“In you go,” Mason says gruffly. Avery gives him the side eye, brushing past him with disdain.
“Caleb,” she says in greeting. Lily trails behind her with a huge smile and follows Avery into the hallway.
“You okay, man?” I ask Mason as he steps inside.
“Yep, of course, I’m fine.” A blatant lie. I want to call him out on his bullshit, but something tells me now is not the time.
I close the door behind him and glance at Jessica as she smirks at his retreating back.
“Hmm, I know that look. What are you up to, little one?” I ask, reaching for her and pulling her to my side.
“Nothing.” She bats her eyes innocently at me.
“Liar.”
She bites her lip and then goes up on her tiptoes, her lips grazing my ear as she whispers, “Something is going on, or there’s something they’re not telling us.”
I shake my head. “So you’re meddling,” I translate.
She places her palm over her heart. “Me? Of course not.”
I squeeze her side. “Well, this should be fun.”
We join them in the open kitchen where Avery is talking to Noah as she kneels down, stroking Aspen. Noah’s eyes flick to Jessica.
“Go give your girl a hello kiss,” Avery says, standing and taking one of the stools next to Lily. I don’t miss the side-eye she gives Mason as she does. Aspen follows her and sits at her feet.
“Here girl,” Mase says, but Aspen ignores him in favour of Avery, and I can’t help but smirk.
“Hey, sweet girl, you have fun?” Noah asks Jessica, pulling her into his arms for a kiss.
“I did, thank you, and the girls said yes,” she replies, grinning from ear to ear.
“Said yes to what?” Mason asks as he plucks an olive from the bowl on the counter.
“To being my bridesmaids,” Jessica replies.
I swear I hear him mutter something under his breath, and clearly, I’m not the only one.
“Do you have something to say?” Avery asks, and I swear you could cut the tension between them with a knife.
“Nope, not a thing, Siren,” he replies.
She grinds her jaw, but instead of responding, she rolls her eyes, flicks her hair over her shoulder, and looks towards us.
“Anyway, of course, we said yes, Jess.”
“I told you not to worry,” Noah whispers before kissing her temple.
Jessica lets out a breath. Sometimes, it’s easy to forget how much she struggles with her confidence and self-worth, but I’m glad she finally has friends like them in her corner.
“We’re touched you’d ask us,” Lily says as she fiddles with her necklace. “Who doesn’t love a good wedding?” she says with a wistful sigh.
“You’ll be next,” Avery says, pointing to Lily before reaching for an olive at the same time as Mason. She quickly pulls her hand away as if she’s been physically burned.
Mason arches a brow as he grabs an olive and tosses it into his mouth, a smirk playing on his lips.
Lily’s cheeks heat. “Yeah, maybe, we’ll see.”
“What’s everyone drinking?” Noah asks, stepping away from me and Jessica.
“Wine, if you have any?” Avery replies.
Mason coughs and mutters under his breath, “I think you’ve had enough, don’t you?”
She pushes to her feet so fast her stool almost topples over.
Aspen lets out a woof as Avery rounds on Mason. “I couldn’t give a shit what you think,” she says, stepping up to Mason, her hands on her hips. “So how about you keep your damn opinion to yourself,” she says, poking him in the chest.
He grabs her hand and tilts his head to the side.
“Easy, Siren,” he says with an edge of warning. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were purposely goading me.”
Her lips part, and he leans forward, the entire room crackling with energy.
I don’t know if they’re about to fuck or fight.
“You’re an arsehole,” she says, indignation in her voice. “You act as if your opinion of me matters when I couldn’t give a flying fu?—”
Mason tugs her hand and causes her to stumble into his chest. “Hmm, now you’re just flirting with me.”
Aspen lets out another woof, and I click my fingers for her to come over to me.
We’re all watching like it’s a game of ping-pong. I have never in all our friendship seen someone get to Mason as much as Avery is right now. It would be almost funny if it weren’t for the concern on Lily’s face and the worry radiating off of Jessica.
Noah clears his throat as he lowers the bottle of wine and glasses onto the counter.
“Excuse me, I need to use the restroom,” Avery says, her American accent thick. She glances at her hand and then back to Mason with a raised eyebrow. He blinks and releases her, allowing her to skirt around him. She beelines for the downstairs bathroom.
Jessica clenches her small fists and marches over to him.
“What the fuck, Mase?”
Lily jumps off her stool, pointing in the direction Avery left. “I’m just going to go check on her.”
He stuffs his hands into his jeans. “What?”
I love seeing Jessica standing her ground.
“Why are you acting like this? It’s like you’re intentionally trying to get a rise out of her. Stop being a dick to my friend, Mase. She’s a good person.”
At least he has the decency to look contrite as her words sink in. “Fuck, I’m sorry, she just gets under my skin,” he replies, scrubbing his palm over his jaw.
“Yeah, well, it’s not me you should be apologising to, is it?” Jessica doesn’t give him a chance to reply, just spins on her heels. “I’m going to check on my friend.”