Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 97466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97466 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 487(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
“Um, I…” I felt like I couldn’t get enough air in my lungs, so I paused to take in an extra breath. “Lesya booked me a trip to Wyoming.”
He focused on his image in the mirror over my dresser while he flipped one end of the silk tie over the other. “You going to see Boone and Richard?”
I swallowed. “Yeah. I’m, ah… I’m going to go next week. Stay for a bit.”
A muscle ticked in Hugh’s jaw, but otherwise, he didn’t seem bothered by my announcement. “Oh. Great. That’ll be nice. I’m sure they’ll enjoy seeing you.”
“You… you’re…” I didn’t even know what I was asking. Why did he sound so cool with it? I was leaving him. It was my way of making sure we actually ended this thing. Otherwise, I’d stick around and delay the inevitable end. “Yeah.”
“Rafa mentioned going away for a long weekend in January too. I think I might take him up on it. Go somewhere warm though. I’m not sure Wyoming in the middle of winter sounds all that appealing.”
I pictured Hugh and his beautiful roommate wearing nothing but tiny swimsuits, lying stretched out and sun-lit on a beachside chaise. There would be steel drum band music and fruity cocktails. If I knew Rafa, there would also be a never-ending supply of Grindr hookups nearby.
“Great,” I said, not meaning it at all.
When we were both fully dressed, we made our way to the event barn at the back of the property. Birch and the rest of the siblings, with the exception of Hyacinth, were gathered with the photographer over by a snowy split-rail fence. Sage waved me over. “There he is. About damned time.”
“I’m not late,” I grumbled, pulling Hugh by the hand. When his hand slipped out of mine, I turned back to see what had happened.
“I’m going to see if I can help with the setup inside,” he said softly.
“But the pictures…”
He reached out to straighten my bowtie. “The pictures are for family. Go be part of the family, Oscar.”
I wanted to argue, to keep him with me. To put him front and center in every single photograph so I could never forget that, once upon a time, for the briefest instant, Hugh had almost been mine.
But he was right again, of course. Hugh wasn’t mine. I couldn’t keep him, even if I wanted to. I shouldn’t give either of us false hope about that.
I ignored the stab of pain just below my breastbone. “Save me a seat?”
Like before, Hugh pressed a long kiss to my cheek, just in front of my ear. “Take a deep breath and remember this is a joyful celebration. Give your sister the gift of your handsome smile in the pictures, okay? Have mercy on the poor photographer.”
His voice was full of repressed humor. I already knew he thought I appeared scowly in wedding photos, and I’d tried explaining it was because weddings were the opposite of my favorite.
Hugh pulled back and smirked at me. “You’re not in the dentist’s chair.”
That was enough to bring a smile to my face, not because of the joke but because he was just my fucking favorite person to look at. I leaned in again and kissed him on the lips, taking every opportunity to imprint his taste on my tongue.
Two hours later, when I felt like I’d actually rather be in the dentist’s chair than pose for another photo, it was finally time to enter the barn for the ceremony. My mother had sent Hugh to call us all inside, so I was able to glom onto him once again.
As he approached from the open barn doors, he looked happy. “You look familiar. Did we meet at a wedding before?”
My heart tripped over itself, but I tapped my lip and pretended to consider this. “Mmm. Seven out of ten for originality.”
Hugh grinned. “Wait till you see how gorgeous it is inside,” he gushed. “They did such a good job. It’s like something from a farm chic magazine. Fairy lights, chandeliers wrapped in fresh flowers, candles everywhere… it’s like this perfect blend of casual elegance and warm welcome. So like your sister. And someone put together a slideshow. There are pictures of her in her dance costumes as a teen.”
Sure enough, when we walked in, a large screen hung from the back wall, and an overhead projector was currently playing a slideshow. Photos of Hyacinth and Dirk elicited “awwwws” and laughter from the growing crowd of guests. Hugh stopped and stared as a photo of me and Hyacinth popped up from over ten years ago.
“It’s baby Oscar,” he said reverently, reaching over to take my hand. “Look how scrawny you were.”
“I was twenty-eight,” I said. “Manly. Strong. Buff.”
He leaned over and kissed my cheek, never taking his eyes off the slideshow. “Sure you were, babe. That’s what I meant. Look how virile you were.”