Chapter 3

Martin nodded.

That was all I needed.

I pulled out my phone and started making calls.

First: my father. Emily's boss. Senior partner. He'd been set to promote her after Labor Day—VP of Marketing, a spot she'd been gunning for three years. Not anymore.

Second: Jack's parents. They'd gotten back together, living in New York again. Jack had spent years dreaming about proving himself to them, making them regret throwing him away. I wanted to see their faces when they found out what their son had done.

Then Emily's parents. Her cousins. Her whole damn family.

I called everyone I could think of.

Martin and I drove to Jack's building. I sat in the car for twenty minutes, waiting for them all to show up. And thinking.

About the first time Jack met Emily. He was in a navy suit, all attitude. She was in red, all sass. They both told me they couldn't stand each other. Begged me not to force them together.

And I believed them.

So I played middleman for years. Told Emily how Jack thought she was brilliant. Told Jack how Emily had picked out gifts for him—when really, they were from me.

I thought I was protecting my marriage and my friendship.

Now I realize how stupid I was.

"Mr. Sheffield. Everyone's here."

I stepped out of the car. Familiar faces, all of them. Every single person I'd called.

"Lane! What's going on? Did something happen?"

"Jack mentioned you were thinking about buying him a place. That's so generous, we can't even—"

I pulled my hand away from Jack's mother. Didn't say a word.

Emily's mom shoved her way in. "What are you talking about? Obviously this is about Emily's promotion! Lane, we are so proud of our girl—"

"Cousin! Are you surprising Emily? I brought my camera, man, I'm ready!"

Voices overlapping, all of them buzzing with excitement, clueless about what was coming.

Martin leaned in. "Mr. Sheffield, are you sure about this? Once we walk through that door, there's no going back."

I looked up at Jack's window. The light was on.

I remembered that summer. Walking down the streets of New York together, splitting a hot dog. He turned to me, face flushed from the sun, eyes bright.

"Hey Lane—we're gonna be brothers forever, right?"

I nodded hard. "Forever."

And Emily. She loved the ocean, so I rented out a whole stretch of beach in Miami. Fireworks going off overhead, I dropped to one knee, ring in hand.

"Emily, I love you. Always have, always will. Will you marry me?"

They'd both promised me forever. And at twenty-eight, they'd both broken it.

I took a breath, pulled myself together, and turned to face the crowd behind me. A smile on my face.

"Let's go upstairs."

"Got a surprise waiting."