Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25

Riley

I tossed and turned all night, because I couldn’t stop thinking about the inevitable, and soon enough, it was time to head to the cafe.

Whereas in the past week or so I’d become accustomed to the butterflies in my stomach when I knew I was going to meet Eric, there were no butterflies this time.

Only anxiety and sadness.

When I got to the cafe, the place was already pretty busy. I took a seat, watching the customers smiling, laughing. I took in the rich scent of coffee and pastries.

It wasn’t all that long ago that I was supposed to meet my blind date here. But I’d been busy, and lost track of time, and I missed my shot. But fate intervened, it seemed, and that night I’d gone to M’s Place to grab a drink with my brother and lick my wounds.

And that was the night I met Eric.

Almost as if he could read my mind, he waltzed in the door at that very moment, looking as divine as ever. Dressed in a pair of jeans and a black polo shirt, he looked positively sophisticated. His bright blue eyes sparkled like diamonds, and his dark hair was swept back, the light catching the gleam in his raven locks.

Gorgeous.

My stomach turned in knots as he looked at me, my blood rushing beneath the surface, straight to my cock.

He smirked at me, and then I remembered.

I remembered him staring at me through the computer screen, stroking himself and...

I shifted in my seat, if only to stifle my burgeoning erection, because now was certainly not the time to get all hot and bothered.

“Hey,” he said as I rose, intending to head to the counter to order a drink.

I needed something to hold, to ground myself to, otherwise I would have sunk right through the floor.

“Hey,” I said. I glanced at him as he leaned in toward me.

My heart raced, because I wanted nothing more than to give in and lean into him.

To kiss him like he had tried to kiss me.

But instead, I evaded him, making a beeline for the counter, and ordering a pumpkin spice latte immediately.

Eric didn’t seem too bothered by my actions, instead just shrugging and he ordered himself a flat white latte.

When we’d placed our orders and had our drinks—which Eric insisted he purchase for us, much to my disdain—there was no turning back.

“Something on your mind, Cinderella?” he drawled, and took a sip of his coffee.

“I just...” I said as I watched the muscles in his forearm tense and flex as he did so, and it only reminded me of the previous night, watching all of his muscles flex as he came.

Beautifully, I might add, but still.

I licked my lips, glancing away from him and sipping my own drink.

How the hell am I going to get through this?

I knew what I wanted to say, and a part of me figured I should just get out with it.

I saw you online, XxPrinceAyricxX.

I know what you do.

I think it might be in our best interest if we just...

But for some reason when I looked at him, that’s not what I said. Instead, I said, “It’s just this wedding, I guess. We’re close to the big day and things are just getting more stressful.”

Eric reached out, setting his hand over top of mine. Instinctively, I wanted to pull back, but found it difficult to do so. Like my hand itself was made of iron.

I looked down to where he touched me, running his thumb along my knuckles.

“I mean, I get it. Weddings are a giant pain in the ass.”

I scoffed at his remark. “Weddings are a time of love and joy,” I said.

Eric let out a dark chuckle. “For some, sure.”

“It’s just... there are so many details. Things to get absolutely right,” I grumbled.

“Isn’t that like, the maid of honor’s job or something?” Eric asked, raising a brow.

I pulled my hand back, all too aware that his touch was giving me goosebumps and causing my cock to twitch.

“Not everyone has a maid of honor, you know.” I wrinkled my nose.

“I’m assuming the bride?—”

“Giselle,” I corrected.

“I’m assuming Giselle has, like, a ton of bridesmaids. I’m sure they have all the important shit taken care of. All you have to do is hold the rings, plan the party, and look pretty in a suit.”

I pursed my lips as I sipped my coffee. This conversation was leaning farther away from what I wished.

Or perhaps, it wasn’t, if I was being truthful.

Perhaps I was not the confidant, bold man I thought I was. Perhaps I was a coward who could not look this man in the eye and tell him, I know.

“You would know something about that, wouldn’t you? Standing there, looking pretty, as you say?” I bit out, watching Eric’s eyebrows furrow.

He left his hand on the table, leaning back in his chair languidly. The motion drew my attention to his groin, knowing full well in detail what he was packing beneath his tight, form-fitting pants.

But so did thousands of others.

Call it jealousy, call it petulance.

But I wished it was all for me and no one else, and that made my stomach flip once more.

“I know a thing or two about weddings, actually. I’ve been a groomsman, like, three times.”

I blinked. “You never said...”

Eric shrugged. “You never asked.”

Images flipped through my brain of Eric looking pretty in a suit, of him and my brother and party members tossing back shots and dancing with strippers... To that of him wrestling his thick cock out of his suit pants, looking down at me like he looked at me through the computer screen, taunting me to take him into the back of my throat. My own cock twitched in response as my heart lifted, and I nearly jumped when my phone rang.

I didn’t even have to look at the name to know who it was, since my brother had his own ringtone, after all.

“Excuse me a second, Eric,” I said as I rose from my seat and headed outside, out of earshot.

“Hey, what’s up?” I answered, trying to sound normal. The cool air outside the shop was like a balm to my flushed self, and I let out a small sigh of relief.

What sounded like a sob on the other end had me on high alert.

My brother never cried. Over anything, so the immediate sound was like a giant red flag.

“Aaron, what’s wrong, are you okay? Do you need me to come get?—”

“It’s Giselle,” he breathed, his voice heavy.

“Is Giselle okay?” I asked, panicking right along with him.

Giselle was his world. She had been ever since they met in college, and I knew then the day he brought her home for Christmas break, there was no denying that one day they’d be the it couple of Jasper Springs.

A part of me was jealous, to hear him fall apart over her. I wished someone could love me like that.

With such intensity and depth, the world would stop for them when I walked into a room.

“She’s fine, she’s...” Another sob, and now I really was worried.

“What, Aaron, she’s what?”

“Pregnant, Riley. Giselle is pregnant.”

All the blood in my body chilled at those words, warmed only by the remaining ones, full of shock, awe, and happiness.

“I’m going to be a father, Aaron. You’re going to be an uncle.”

I couldn’t speak. I could barely process the words as he said them. Giselle was pregnant... and the wedding was only a few weeks away.

“We’re not telling anyone, for... obvious reasons,” he said, sniffling on the other end.

“Oh,” I said, like an idiot, at a loss for words. I wanted to congratulate him, but suddenly the world seemed so vast, I could barely breathe.

I always figured they’d be all in on starting a family, but not this soon.

But I guess, some things don’t come on schedule. Including babies.

I turned to look through the window, noticing Eric sitting there nonchalantly, browsing his phone.

For some reason, looking at him snapped me out of my daze, bringing me back to reality.

“Congratulations,” I mustered, coming back to Earth.

“Thanks, I just... I needed to talk to someone, since, you know, this is kind of a big deal.”

“I get it. Can’t tell anyone, but you want to tell the world,” I said, watching Eric mindlessly sip his latte, waiting for me to return.

To return and break his heart.

Was I capable of that?

Did I want that?

I wasn’t so sure, as the very thought of not seeing Eric again made my heart palpitate.

“How... how do you feel about the news?” I asked, trying to focus on the subject. I tore my gaze away from Eric.

“I mean, marriage, kids, it’s what I always wanted,” Aaron said calmly.

“You say that like you’re not sure,” I spoke cautiously. If my brother was having second thoughts about the news, about the wedding...

“I mean, relationships aren’t ever easy, you know. You just... when you love someone, you endure whatever you have to, because you know in the long run they’re worth it.”

I closed my eyes, feeling overwhelmed by the emotion in his voice.

“How do you know?” I asked quietly. “That they’re worth it? The pain, the drama, the bullshit. How do you know that it’s all going to work out?”

My brother sighed. “I don’t. But I know I love Giselle, and I can’t imagine my life without her. I can’t imagine who I’d be without her, you know? And now...”

I listened as my brother got choked up, talking about his soon to be wife. The love in his voice was evident.

“God, if you would have told us when we were two college kids at a frat party that one day we’d be married with kids, I wouldn’t have believed you. But now, all I can think about is seeing her face at that altar and wondering if this kid will have her eyes,” he said, letting out a chuckle. “Our kid is going to be at our wedding, and no one is going to have any fucking clue.”

I laughed with him, understanding the levity of this secret. Especially around our mother, who was notorious for sniffing out gossip.

With practically the entire town coming, it was really wild to think about.

I turned to look at Eric once more, catching his gaze. He waved, and I couldn’t help but do the same.

“Anyway, I got to go, I just... Thanks, man. Thanks for being you. And listening.”

“Your secret is safe with me,” I said, and the line went dead.

And as I looked at Eric in the light of the coffee shop, I wondered just how much my still-beating heart could endure.