Page 121 of All This Time

“Not back then,” I cut him off quickly. “But as of last night…”

Henley covers his face with his hand. “Jesus Christ. Did you forget the pact?”

“No, but it wasn’t just some heat-of-the-moment thing. It was mutual,” I whisper, moving in closer to him. “It meant something, okay?”

“You slept with Rhonan’s sister,” he says, like I haven’t already been haunted by that fact for the past twenty-four hours.

My back straightens as I reply, “I did and I’d do it again because it was always meant to happen.”

If there’s one thing I know now, it’s that my feelings for Laney aren’t wrong, no matter how it may make Rhonan or the other guys feel. No, my feelings for Laney are the only thing that’s felt right in the past twelve years, and it took my coming home for Elliot’s wedding to admit that.

Henley’s phone rings in his pocket. He takes it out, declines the call, and shoves it back in. “Freaking Meghan again.”

“She’s still calling you, huh?”

“Yup.”

“Well, maybe you should finally talk to her and see what she wants?”

“She’ll get the hint eventually.” Shaking off his irritation, he goes back to our previous topic. “So what does this mean? Are you moving back here? How is that going to work with football?”

I let out a heavy sigh. “I don’t have all the fucking answers right now, Henley. All I know is that for the first time in years, I feel like a part of me just snapped back into place.” I tap the center of my chest. “I can’t explain it, but Laney and I… It’s real, man.”

Henley crosses his arms over his chest while widening his stance. “Then let me warn you—you need to figure out some answers to those questions fast because Rhonan deserves to know, and Laney doesn’t deserve to be strung along.”

“I’m not stringing her along.”

“So, she’s in this then?” he asks, waving his hand back and forth between us.

“It’s…complicated.” The last thing I want to do right now is explain to Henley what’s transpired over the last few weeks.

He blows out a breath. “I just don’t see this ending well.”

“It has to,” I say, even though in the pit of my stomach I know the risks I’m taking here—not just for me, but for Laney too. The moment we slept together, everything shifted. Nothing will ever be the same between us. “But fuck, man…she’s…”

My words trail off as Dilynne and Laney round the corner and begin walking right toward us.

Mine, my mind finishes for me as I watch Laney saunter toward me, her hips swaying in her dark red dress, her lips painted the same hue, and her long hair down, straight and silky.

“What are you two doing out here?” Dilynne asks. “The party is that way.” She points behind her.

“We were just having a private conversation,” Henley responds.

“You two have conversations about your privates?” Dilynne wrinkles her nose. “Eww, gross. You should be talking to your doctor about those sorts of issues.”

Henley flashes his sister a deadpan look. “Hilarious.”

She shrugs. “I thought so. Now, if you’ll excuse me, you’re standing in my way.” Pointing to the storage closet behind me, she says, “I need to get my cutouts for my game.”

Laney looks at me, shrugging. “I’m just here to help with supplies, apparently.”

“You left my sister in charge of games?” Henley asks. “Jesus, I thought you were smarter than that, Laney.”

“I needed help, and she saved the day for me, all right?”

“Exactly. Coming up with adult-themed bachelorette party games is my superpower, apparently.”

“I’m so happy to know my sister has many talents.” Henley heads back toward the main room. “I’ll see you guys back in there.”