24. Stella
Chapter 24
Stella
I ’ve always loved planning events, but that was before I did one for my own family. I don’t even hate doing this because of them, because they have been absolute angels. It’s me. I’m the problem. I have been so uptight about making sure that everything is perfect, and I’m damn sure positive it’s because I want this event to go flawlessly so that my brother doesn’t hate me.
That way when I tell him that I’ve been doing naked extracurricular activities with his best friend, maybe he’ll just accept it.
A girl can dream, right?
I’m pretty sure I’ve been driving everyone crazy, starting with my parents, who have been at the bakery helping me set up since we closed early at three. We’ve been setting up flowers and decorations for the last two hours, but thankfully the guys all came to help set up—well except for Rex, obviously.
Yeah, it may be Rex and Sawyer’s engagement party, but we wanted it to be a surprise and for this to be a celebration for the two of them.
Having everyone here at the bakery has also been another challenge, especially since Trevor has been walking around setting up the twinkle lights, and I swear every time he looks at me, he’s judging me for the choices I’ve been making. That, mixed with the way my mom decided to put me and Miles together to set up the balloon arch, and I feel like this is just one big disaster waiting to implode in my face.
Even worse, we only have forty-five minutes left to get everything set up, so I had to change into my dress and heels, and now I’m standing on a chair, hanging balloons and trying not to die.
“Do we have another gold balloon? I feel like this area has so much white that it needs another color to break it up,” I ask Miles, who has been blowing up the balloons while I’ve been hanging them.
“Yeah, we have one solid gold and one glitter gold left, but after that, we’re done,” he says, grabbing the last two balloons and bringing them to me. Leaning in to hand me the balloon, he pretends to help me as he whispers to me instead.
“You look so fucking sexy, baby,” he groans. “I wish I could take you back into the kitchen and taste you. Then bend you over and fuck you, leaving this sexy gold dress and those black heels on.”
I feel my heart start to race, my cheeks heating at his words, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t also getting wetter by the second at the promise in those same words.
“If you keep talking to me like that, I’m going to actually drag you back there and then we’ll both be caught,” I whisper, looking down at him as I reach for a balloon. His eyes are dark as he looks me up and down, a little smirk on his lips, and in this moment, I don’t think either of us gives a fuck if we’re caught or not.
“Simmer down you two, you have less than twelve hours left. Today is not the day,” Trevor grumbles as he grabs the last balloon from Miles and hangs it up on the other side.
“Not my fault she looks perfect,” Miles says, and Trevor just shakes his head, but I see the smile he’s trying to fight.
“I’m not saying it’s not cute. I’m just saying this ,” he says, waving his hands in front of the two of us, “is not the way you want your brother finding out…or them,” he says, as he points to the rest of our friends who are still setting up the last few things.
Except my mom, who is of course standing on the opposite side of the bakery, her eyes locked on the three of us with a little smirk on her lips. Son of a bitch.
“True,” I grumble, sticking the last balloon up before hopping off the chair. “Let’s finish this up. They’ll be here any minute. By the way, Miles, my guess is it’s probably five people now.”
Miles looks around nervously, while Trevor’s eyebrows scrunch together as he looks at us confused, but I just laugh.
One more night and then we can tell them. We can do this.
Okay, we can do it…but it’s not easy. At least not after we’ve all eaten, and now we’re onto champagne after both my brother and Sawyer made the sappiest of toasts to each other, as well as to Rory and their family together.
It was adorable, but it only made me want to spend these moments with Miles. As much as I hate to admit it, because it hasn’t been that long since we’ve been hanging out, Miles has grown to mean a lot to me.
I think we’ve always had this connection, ever since that very first night, and although we ignored it, I don’t think it ever really went away—which is why the second we started hanging out, it didn’t just spark; it engulfed us.
But standing here talking to my mom and brother, it’s hard to keep myself from looking over at Miles constantly, something my mom immediately noticed me doing, which she made obvious with her little wink.
“Have you thought about when you want to have the wedding?” my dad asks as he walks over to us, wrapping his arm around my mom and placing a quick kiss on her head.
They’ve always been so in love, but I think watching them see how happy my brother and Sawyer are, they just seem giddy tonight.
Glancing back over at Miles, I see him talking to Gwen and Cade, but he keeps sneaking glances my way, and I want to say fuck hiding this and go over to him.
But I can’t, because then that would ruin Rex’s night.
“We haven’t nailed down a date yet, but it’ll be sometime during the next off season, so probably late spring, early summer. We want to make sure that Rory is out of school.”
“That makes sense. I can’t believe you two are finally going to be getting married,” my mom squeals.
“I know, me either. But Sawyer…she completes Rory and me. She was the missing piece we always needed, and I’m just so thankful that we found her,” Rex says, looking over at Sawyer, who’s showing her ring off to Cassie and Ellie. Not that we haven’t all seen it, but yeah, it’s that beautiful.
“I’m happy for you, Rex,” I tell him, bumping him with my shoulder. “I’m glad you found someone willing to put up with your bullshit.”
“Love you too, sis. You’ll find someone to put up with yours too. Let’s just hope I approve of him,” Rex says with a smirk, and I know he’s joking, but it still makes me pretty damn nervous.
He wouldn’t actually have a problem with Miles and me…right? We’re adults, all of us. We can make our own decisions.
“Haha, very funny,” I joke. “Shouldn’t you be off celebrating with your fiancé? It’s almost nine o’clock, and if I remember correctly, you were being picked up in a limo at nine, sharp.”
“Shit, yes,” Rex says, looking down at his watch. “Sorry, guys, I’ve gotta go make sure she’s ready to go. I’ve got surprises.”
“And we have Rory tonight,” my mom says as Rex hugs everyone and runs off to Sawyer.
The rest of the night is a blur of celebrating and cleaning, which thankfully doesn’t take nearly as long as the set up took, but it’s still a lot.
By the time we make it back to the apartment, we are both exhausted, heading straight to bed. Well, his bed, obviously—but only to sleep; the fun can happen in the morning.
“Can you believe the party is over?” Miles asks as he stretches out in bed, setting his phone back down on the nightstand after ordering us breakfast. Thank God for technology because after yesterday, I don’t want to cook a meal for an entire week.
Rolling over, I rest my head on his chest and snuggle in. “I can’t. Although, I’m glad it’s out of the way. Something about yesterday made it so stressful to be around everyone. I’m not sure if it’s because Trevor and Sawyer both know, but I just felt like us being in the same room made it to where everyone within a two-hundred-mile radius would know we are…whatever we are.”
“First off…we’re together, Stell. I don’t do things like this. I don’t share my bed. I don’t share my apartment. And I certainly don’t let people meet my family unless they’re more than something casual. You’re my girl, and I’m looking forward to making that known and no longer keeping this secret. I was planning on giving your brother a call later. I just need coffee first. I wanted to talk to him before I leave tonight.”
My heart swells as I lie with him, the reality of his words sinking in.
His girl.
Those were the best words I could hear at this moment, especially with them being followed up by something not so exciting.
Ugh, I hate that the season is starting, even if it is preseason, but only because it just means that Miles is going to be traveling a lot. It’s been nice having him around, but I know he loves being on the ice, and it’ll be fun to watch him.
But talking to my brother…today? That’s a big step, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited.
Before I can say anything, the doorbell rings.
“Food must be here,” Miles says, standing up, right as his phone rings.
Max .
I get up and give Miles a kiss. “I’ll grab the food; you take the phone call.”
Walking over to the door in nothing but his t-shirt, thankfully one that goes to damn near my knees, I realize just how comfortable I’ve gotten here and honestly how much I don’t want to leave.
Grabbing cash out of my wallet to tip, I open the door to take the food, only it’s not our food.
It’s my brother and Max.
Oh fuck!