Page 97 of Christmas with Brother's Best Friends

“Things were going fine,” Max says. His voice isn’t as firm as before, though. He glances over at me for a moment, concern etched into his facial features.

“Until they weren’t,” Ryan replies. “We knew that we would run into a wall eventually. Do either of you see a way around it or over it? Because I don’t. Not with her brothers in the way.”

“We’ll figure it out,” I tell him through gritted teeth, but my mind comes up empty for a plan of action. It does worry me that Emma hasn’t reached out in some way yet, but I don’t know the full situation.

That’s what really kills me. I don’t know anything.

I don’t know how she’s truly doing. I don’t know how she’s feeling. I don’t know what’s going to happen next.

“Sure, we will,” Ryan huffs, his words full of disbelief and bitterness.

I look over at Max, who stares at the dash with a troubled expression on his face. “We’ll think of something. We have to.”

Max swallows hard. “Unless the best thing to do is to leave her alone.”

“Leave her alone? What are you talking about?”

Max sighs and shakes his head. “Maybe we aren’t hearing from her for a reason. Maybe she’s rethinking things. Rethinkingus.”

I open my mouth to argue, but not a single sound comes out. I close my mouth and stare ahead at the road, tension formingbetween my temples as I try to picture the path ahead. Our options are disappearing more as the time passes.

Eventually, we’ll be left with two: give up or try again.

I won’t give up on us today, but what about the next day or the next week? How long is this going to go on before I can accept the possible hard truth?

We were doomed from the start.

Chapter forty-four

Chapter Forty-Four: Emma

Ididn’t expect to feel as weak and exhausted as I do.

After my parents took me back to their house from the hospital, I slept for the rest of the day and that night. It was the rest that I desperately needed to catch up on, but the peaceful bliss of my slumber quickly fades away when I wake up and remember all that has happened in the past twenty-four hours.

Absolute chaos.

I breathe in slowly and deeply through my nose as I sit up in bed in my parents’ guest bedroom. My childhood bed is a little too small to be comfortable these days, and Mom was insistent that I get some good rest.

Heaviness fills my head, making me want to crash back down into the soft pillows, but I force myself to stay upright. As niceas it has been to sleep and recover from yesterday, I can’t stay in this bed forever.

I need to talk to the guys. I need to talk to my family.

Somehow, I’m evenmorestressed out than before.

A gentle knock on the door coaxes my eyes upward as Mom pokes her head inside. My throat grows tight as a relieved smile crosses her face.

“You’re awake,” Mom says as she walks into the room and sits on the bed next to me. She places her hand on my arm, giving me a light squeeze. “How are you feeling?”

I stare at her, trying to detect any disappointment in her features or anger in her voice. I don’t expect my parents to be as furious as my brothers, but I don’t expect them to be happy with my situation with the guys. They’ll probably just worry too much.

“Emma?” Mom says as she frowns in concern.

“I’m okay,” I tell her, my voice already threatening to shake.

Mom gives me a pointed look. “You don’t sound okay. You sound upset.”

My eyes immediately start stinging, crushing pressure settling on my chest. I don’t want to lose my family. I don’t want to lose the guys.