Page 3

I snort a small laugh out, knowing how true the statement is. I swear they follow each other around like lost puppies.

“Don’t be jealous of the bromance, ladies.” Bryce’s grin is broad as he lowers the temperature on the stove before coming over to join us at the table.

As he steals his girlfriend’s wineglass and takes a large drink, I allow myself to relax in this home. In the presence of the person who has always been there for me, and her boyfriend.

Josie rolls her eyes at him. “Please, Mia and I are so much better at friendship thanyou and Carter.”

“That’s only because you’re slowly stealing him away from me,” Bryce argues.

I grin at him over the rim of my wineglass. “And it’s not our fault he has good taste.” Bryce’s eye roll makes me grin wider, but then he’s leaning across the table with such a serious look on his face. I sink back in my chair. “Josie? What’s your boyfriend about to do?”

Josie leans over, her voice nothing more than a whisper. “I think he’s about to give you a motivational speech.”

Stunned at this turn of events, I have no choice but to look back at Bryce and wait for whatever’s about to come out of his mouth. Nothing on this Earth could prepare me to hear a motivational speech on my love life, or lack of it, from Bryce Clark. This is the man who spentyearslying to himself, saying hooking up with my best friend was nothing more, but he also wasn’t messing around with anyone else. Which is something that’s only come to light recently, but still. What wisdom could he have to bestow on me?

“I know it’s not my place to say anything, but I think you need to listen to Josie and Joy. I’ve always envied the easy confidence you seem to carry yourself with, but I also know what it’s like to project that into the world. You do it to protect yourself, because you know opening up to someone means tearing that down a bit. I know it’s terrifying, but trust me, it’s worth it in the end.”

Well, shit.

“You’re in a new city that’s full of people who could be the one, but they’re not going to come to you,” he continues. “You deserve to find someone who makes you happy. I never met Bianca, but I’m sure there was something there that had you falling, but it didn’t work out. I’m not going to say it’s for the best or there’s a reason, but I am going to say you deserve to be treated better than that. I know you can find it.”

I fight to keep my jaw from dropping open. Am I that transparent? And, more importantly, when did Bryce become so goddamn observant?

When I turn to look at Josie, she is beaming. “I told you there’s a lot more to him than just a dumb swimmer!”

“You called me a dumb swimmer?” Hurt colors Bryce’s tone, and he’s pouting slightly when I look back at him. “I graduated with honors, thank you very much.”

“I meant more in an emotionally stunted kind of way.” I shrug. The hurt deepens. I quickly amend, “But that was back then—before you came back in Josie’s life!”

He considers my words before sighing with a defeated nod. “That’s fair, I guess. Therapy is a wonderful, wonderful thing.”

“Except when it’s pushing you to step out of your comfort zone,” I grumble back.

His head tilts. “I disagree. I think it’s exceptionally wonderful when it does that.”

Ugh. I officially hate emotional growth when it’s being showcased by Bryce. What kind of sick twist of fate is this? When did this man, who is two years younger than me, become the emotionally mature one? I just…

The ring of the doorbell cuts me off mid-thought.

“That’d be Carter and Kat,” Josie reminds Bryce, who’s already standing.

“Look at that, Mia, my best friend actually uses the doorbell.” The door opens, and closes a second later, followed by Carter’s voice calling out. I arch a brow, a smirk tugging at my lips while Bryce groans. “At least he rang it first before coming in.”

“We’re in the kitchen!” Josie calls, before looking at me, and lowering her voice. “We’ll talk about this later?”

“Mm-hmm,” is all I say before taking another large drink of my wine.

Carter and Kat walk into the room, already chatting a mile a minute. I allow myself to be pulled into hugs and small talk, relaxing as I let go of the therapy session more and more. Josie will want to bring it back up, but for now, I can pretend it didn’t happen. I can be Mia and hang out with my friends, because there’s no way a dinner with the most important people in my life can possibly throw me another curveball.

Tomorrow, I’ll deal with the rest of my life. Tonight, I’ll let it be.

Less than an hour later, the five of us are crowded around Josie and Bryce’s dining room table, a whole spread of food laid out on the table in front of us. Wine has been poured, small talk is still happening all around me, but my focus is firmly planted on my best friend’s boyfriend.

“Is there a reason you’re staring at us all like you’re about to recite some epic monologue?” The unimpressed look he gives me takes me right back to the conversation we had less than ninety minutes ago in his kitchen. “I’m really starting to hate this look on you, Clark.”

Bryce glares at me from where he stands at the head of the table, waiting for the other four people in the group to take their seats. I simply grin back at him, taking a sip from my recently refilled wineglass as I hold his gaze.

“Maybe there is,” he relents once everyone is seated. “Or maybe I have an announcement to make.”