Page 52 of My Ex-Best Men (Ex Marks the Spot #4)

***Will***

I clinked whiskey glasses with Jake and grinned. “I’m happy you made it here, man. I couldn’t think of another man I’d rather see marrying Soph today.”

He sipped his whiskey and groaned. “Hair of the dog should feel better than this.”

Zane slapped him on the back. “And this is why I rarely ever drink these days. Feels like shit, right?”

“I’m just fucking glad that Soph barely cares about the wedding.

She’d kick my ass if she was as obsessed with having a perfect wedding because I think I’m going to look more than a little ill in the pictures.

” Jake made a face that made me think he’d thrown up in his mouth.

“Oh, fuck. Remind me to never get drunk with male strippers again.”

I laughed. “Sure. It’s not something I thought I’d ever have to say to you, but sure.”

Anthony looked at Zane and sighed. “You looked like shit and you’re not hungover. Fix your tie.”

“How are you still this grumpy? You got laid last night. Several times. You’d think it would cheer you up some.” Still, Zane fixed his tie.

“I’ll cheer up when I see Claire again. On our wedding day, I don’t want to do this whole spending the entire day apart shit.” Growling, Anthony took over fixing Zane’s tie and then turned on me. “Yours looks like shit, too.”

Anthony didn’t seem to notice that the rest of us had gone silent and still.

It was a strange thing to share a moment with a guy you’d just met for the first time less than a week earlier and to know that he was going to be standing next to you when you both married the woman you both loved one day.

Looking at him and then at Zane, I let out a low chuckle and shook my head.

It was insane that in such a short amount of time I’d come to trust both of them almost as much as I’d ever trusted anyone in my life.

Not only that but I felt downright brotherly towards them.

I didn’t want to get mushy and say that I loved them, but I could no longer imagine my day to day life without them being a part of it somehow.

“On our wedding day?” Zane’s smile was so wide that it practically stretched from ear to ear. “You making plans already?”

Jake pretended to fan his eyes with both hands. “Oh, my god. You boys are going to make me cry!”

Anthony reached forward and clapped his hands together loudly next to Jake’s head, making Jake back away with his head in his hands.

“Of course, I’m making plans. You aren’t?

Where the fuck do you think this thing with Claire is heading?

I always wanted a life with her and now it’s a real possibility.

If you think I’m letting her slip away, you’re fucking nuts.

I’m putting a ring on her finger as soon as I can. ”

“Will?”

I turned and saw Jordan of all people sticking his head in the room. Scowling, I was about to demand he come closer so I could strangle him just a bit when I noticed the panicked look on his face. “What is it? Is it Claire? Did something happen?”

He cringed. “Not Claire. Madeline. I ran into her and she’s a mess. I couldn’t understand what she was saying but I think it’s serious. She asked for you.”

Zane whistled. “Of course she did.”

Anthony shook his head. “Go on. Go check on your friend. Just know that we’re going to sit down with her one day soon to talk to her about how she treats Claire. And with you to talk about how and when you should be fighting for Claire.”

I didn’t like the implication that I didn’t always fight for Claire. I didn’t want to fuck up my sister’s day, though, so I just glared at Anthony. “Yeah, we’re definitely going to talk later.”

Jordan stepped back as I passed him. “She’s in the lobby. I tried to ask her if she was okay and she just said something about her grandma. At least, that’s what I think she said.”

My stomach dropped as sympathy rushed forward for Madeline.

If something had happened to her grandma, she’d be lost. The woman was everything to Madeline.

I felt like an asshole as I quietly wished the timing was better.

It was Sophia’s big day. Madeline was my friend, though, and I could hear her voice in my head, telling me she was afraid I’d leave her behind because of Claire. I didn’t want her to think that.

I found her sitting in the corner of the lobby, her body folded in on itself. “Madeline? What’s wrong?”

She got up and threw herself into my arms. “She’s gone, Will!”

I hesitated for a moment and then stifled a sigh before wrapping my arms around her in a hug. “I’m so sorry, Mad.”

She clung to me, her body pressed a little too tightly to mine for comfort. “I’m sorry for bothering you. I know you’re busy and you’ve got other people to worry about now but I just… I need a minute to lean on you. You know how much she means to me.”

Patting her back, I closed my eyes and forced myself to just be her friend for a moment. “Of course. We’re friends, Mad. Of course, I’m here for you.”

She wound her arms up around my neck and cried into my chest. “Just hold me. Please.”

Red flags were waving big time. I reached up and pulled her arms from around my neck because the position was too intimate. Anthony’s words were still banging around in my head and I knew I was going to have to analyze my friendship with Madeline.

She pressed even tighter into me and then let out an unhappy grunt when I took her by her shoulders and eased her away. “Will?”

It wasn’t the right time. Her grandma had just died and I wasn’t going to pile onto her pain by asking her to not touch me so much. “Why don’t we sit down? You can tell me what happened.”

When she tried to sit in my lap I shot to my feet so fast that she tumbled to the floor. She swore and stared up at me while sniffing. “I knew this was going to happen. You won’t even comfort me now?”

Her eyes were dry. It hit me like a two by four. My head thumped painfully as I frowned down at her. “Madeline…”

She climbed to her feet and dusted her butt off. “What? What do you want from me, Will?”

“The truth. What’s going on? You’re supposedly falling apart but your eyes are dry, Madeline. Did your grandma die?”

She looked away, the red coloring her face a sign of the lie. “No. I never said she did… My aunt’s cat did, though.”

I held up my hands and backed away. “I don’t have time for this right now. My sister is getting married and you’re trying to pull focus. You and I will talk later but I need you to stay away from me today. I can’t deal with whatever this is right now.”

I jogged away before she could say anything else.

I was pissed off and concerned about what all I’d missed with Madeline.

Worse even, I had a sinking feeling that everyone else had seen the truth.

Including Claire. What did she think of my friendship with Madeline if she’d seen through Madeline’s bullshit?

I thought about stopping by the bridal suite to talk to her but I didn’t want to create any drama on Sophia’s big day. I’d talk to Claire as soon as the wedding was over.