Page 140 of The Friend Situation

I’m introduced to so many people that my mind spins, names and faces melting into a blur of laughter and cheer. Weston shines under the spotlight, and I’m grateful he can so effortlessly keep conversations going. His words are full of charm and charisma, and I could watch him under this light all night.

I’ll help however I can, knowing he’d do the same for me.

He leans in closer, whispering in my ear, “Fake fiancée looks good on you.” His warm breath sends a shiver down my spine.

“You had this planned the whole time?” I ask when he pulls me back onto the dance floor.

“I didn’t,” he replies with a casual shrug. “But the timing felt perfect.”

“You just carry an engagement ring in your pocket for funsies?” I ask as he spins me around.

I try to wrap my mind around the sudden shift in our relationship.

He whispers, “Can never be too prepared. It was just in case I resorted to thefuck itplan.” He smirks, his gaze flicking down to the ring.

“It’s very similar to Lexi’s. I shouldn’t have this,” I whisper. Her ring is a pink emerald-shaped diamond. The only difference is the color. Mine is crystal blue.

A sense of disbelief coats me. I’m not exactly sure how we got here.

“Agree to disagree. My grandmother would’ve wanted you to have this. When she thought she lost her original ring, my grandfather replaced it with this one. She adored and cherished it for decades,” he states with conviction, twisting it around my finger. “It was meant for you. I didn’t even have it resized. Perfect fit.” His words float in the air.

After many more conversations filled with laughter, several glasses of wine, and dancing, we unexpectedly find Lexi andEaston in the crowd. I didn’t even realize they were still here. Their voices ring with laughter as they joke with Asher and his brother, Nicolas.

“There’s the happy couple! Congratulations again!” Asher calls out, waving us forward with a drunken smile. “I was just telling Easton that I couldn’t believe you two have been seeing one another for a year and kept it hidden for so long. Super impressive.”

“It’sveryimpressive. A year. Weston’sgreatat keeping secrets,” Easton adds, his tone laced with sarcasm as he glares at his brother before turning his gaze toward me.

Emotions fill his darkening eyes, and I’ve seen that same expression on Weston’s face before. He’spissed, and I can feel the tension boiling beneath his casual demeanor.

I guess Weston didn’t tell him about our weekly meetings after all. I always suspected he had or that maybe Easton had pieced it together in his own way.

Weston keeps his grin intact, effortlessly finishing his wine. The mood around him is light. “Anyway, I think we’re going home. Are you staying?”

“We’ll join you,” Easton replies, shaking Asher’s hand firmly, though I can sense the underlying edge of frustration. “We’ll chat soon.”

The four of us leave together, and the room’s energy follows us as we make our way to the door.

“Interesting,” Easton states, tucking his hands into his pockets as we walk through the cozy living room on the first floor.

Weston glances at me, his brows raised. The boyish grin I adore so much stretches across his face. When he looks at me like that, I can almost convince myself that this is possible.

“That timeline can’t be right.” Lexi shakes her head as she interlocks her fingers with Easton’s.

“It’s correct,” Weston insists firmly as we climb into thespacious interior of the sleek limo. We sink into the soft leather seats.

“You knew each other in February?” Lexi’s voice comes out as a whisper, her eyes darting between us, as if she’s trying to assemble a jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces. “I didn’t meet Easton until the summer.”

There are too many hidden truths that I’m not sure where to start. I never expected Weston and I would be discussing this with them tonight.

Weston hesitates as the weight of our reality hangs between us. “We met a year ago at Sluggers and became friends. We watched a lot of baseball and drank shitty booze together,” he recounts, a nostalgic smile creeping onto his lips as he recalls the nights filled with laughter.

Easton watches us intently, his gaze piercing yet playful before his face cracks into a smirk. “You hooked us up.”

Weston wraps his arm around me, proudly giving me every ounce of his attention. “We just made sure you were in one another’s orbit so you could collide. You did this. It’s impossible to force two stubborn people into falling in love.”

He turns to Lexi and Easton.

“You wanted us to be together?” Lexi asks, her voice full of disbelief.