Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 98487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
As long as I have the girl who saved me with her love by my side.
Callie challenges me, she supports me, and she loves me more than I could ever ask for. She makes me laugh until I cry, she fights with me over the remote, and she doesn’t allow me to drive to see her family and Owen anymore. It’s okay. Aviva and I discuss the different Bigfoot documentaries I watch on the way. I cheer Callie on, both on and off the mat, and I fall for her daily. I know she wishes Nico would just fall in love with me the way she has—or, hell, even as Aviva has—which is why I fibbed when I told Callie I was going up to Boston with my mom to help move Quinn home.
Yeah, I’m here to do that, but I’m also here because Nico and Aviva are. Nico is being honored for his five hundredth NHL start, and it’s during a Bruins game. When Owen told me about it, I took it as a perfect opportunity to talk to them. Alone. Owen offered to come to dinner with us since he knows I’ve thrown up twice today and almost crapped my pants with nerves, but I knew I had to do this on my own.
As I sit at the table, I swallow back the bile in my throat as I tap my foot on the floor. In my pocket is Callie’s engagement ring, a two-carat rose-colored diamond that my dad gave my mom when I was born. Owen would have gotten it for Angie since he was born before me—by two fucking minutes, not that I’m butthurt about that—but Angie had actually asked him to marry her. So, they went and picked out rings together, one for him and one for her. Because they’re dorks. The smile on my face actually distracts me from my nerves, until I see Aviva and Nico walk into the restaurant.
I stand, my heart out of control as I fix my sport coat while they come toward me. Aviva is all smiles, beautiful as ever, while Nico looks like he is off to get a colonoscopy rather than have dinner with me. Maybe I should have just asked for drinks. Aviva comes right for me, hugging me tightly. As we part, I say, “Thank you for coming.”
“No problem,” she says as Nico pulls out her chair. “You’re here for Quinn? He’s moving home?”
“Yeah, finally,” I joke. “Stop mooching off my grandparents.”
I hold out my hand to Nico, and he takes it. “Thanks for coming.”
“Wasn’t really given the choice,” he says, and when he laughs, I realize he is joking.
I think.
Fuck me.
I chuckle along politely when Aviva gives him a death stare as we both sit. We order drinks and make small talk, mostly about the game tomorrow. I learn they hired Jean to babysit the boys so they could have a weekend to themselves. “What a great idea. I’m glad y’all got some time to yourselves.”
Aviva sighs. “We needed it.”
Nico grins, stroking his thumb over her hand that he’s holding. “Sure did.”
We order our dinner, and then we’re on the subject of Callie’s training. I reassure Aviva that Callie is doing great after a little hiccup on beam that ended with her having a sprained wrist and being out for two weeks. “I’ve never been so scared in my life,” I say, shaking my head. “I seriously almost shit my pants when she went one way and the wrist went the other.”
Aviva groans, covering her face. “I watched her snap her arm in half on bars when she was like nine. I cried for a week.”
“I bet,” I agree, shaking my head. “That sport is rough.”
“So damn rough.”
“But she loves it,” Nico says, and we both nod with him.
“Yeah. So, all we can do is support her,” I say, and I know it’s a low-key jab at Nico for not caring for me, but I don’t know if he took it that way.
The grin on Aviva’s face tells me she did, though.
When I finish, I push my plate forward and lean back, exhaling. “That was good.”
“Really good,” Aviva says, and she finishes just as I do. She leans back, crossing her legs, and then sets me with a wide grin. “So, listen, I’m about to burst. I know you’re going to ask us to marry Callie, so can we get to that?”
I laugh as she wiggles, and Nico says, “Well, if he wasn’t, this is about to be real awkward.”
I reach into my pocket and hand Aviva the ring box. She squeals when she opens it., “Oh, Evan, she will love it!”
“It was my mom’s,” I start, watching as she pulls it out to look closer at it. Nico looks at it with such disdain, but at least he’s not yelling. Or even upset. I guess. I clear my throat, trying not to lose my courage here. “I wanted to bring y’all here to ask to marry Callie, and before you say no, Nico, hear me out.”