Page 152 of The Worst Best Man

“So, you’renothere to beat the shit out of me?” Aiden clarified.

The brothers threw back their heads and laughed but didn’t give him a definitive yes or no.

Aiden’s phone buzzed, and he glanced down at the screen.

Oscar: Do I need to call security?

Aiden: Not unless you hear me sobbing for my mommy.

He returned his attention to the brothers. “Then why are you here?”

“Frankie is wrecked,” Gio announced.

“We figured you probably weren’t doing so hot either,” Marco chimed in.

“You could say that,” Aiden said, looking down at the disorganized mess on his desk. “I need to get her back.”

Marco sighed, and shoved a hand through his thick hair. “I don’t know, man.”

Aiden rubbed a hand over his brow. “No advice, no magic key to make her forgive me?”

“She ever tell you about our second cousin Mattie?” Gio asked.

Aiden shook his head.

“Yeah, that’s because she won’t speak his name. He got gum in her hair when she was nine, and Ma had to cut it out. She didn’t speak to Mattie again until his wedding last year.”

“She’s not big on forgiveness,” Marco said. “Like ever.”

“It can’t be over,” Aiden said, pushing his phone around on the desk. She’d not once responded to one of his texts or gifts. Desperation made his chest ache.

“Ah, shit,” Gio sighed, scratching the back of his head. “Look. You can’t keep texting her and sending her stuff, okay? Anything you do is gonna look like psychological warfare.”

“You want me to just give up?” Aiden asked.

“Nah, man,” Marco said. “Just make itlooklike you’re giving up.”

“Look, guys. I haven’t been sleeping well. I’m not getting what you’re trying to say,” Aiden said.

“She’s a smart girl, our Frankie. Stubborn but smart,” Gio began.

Marco shifted in his chair. “You fucked up, pretty big. But so did she.”

“She didn’t do anything,” Aiden argued.

“She’s had one foot out the door your entire relationship because she figured it would end bad. She was scared, and if you ever repeat that to her, I’ll fuck you up and lie about it,” Gio said, pointing a finger at him.

“She was just looking for an excuse,” Aiden said half to himself.

“Yeah, but given her current level of misery, if you give her some space, she’s gonna figure it out that she isn’t the innocent party here either.”

“How much space?” Aiden asked. He needed them to spell it out for him. The idea of abandoning his efforts—giving up control—was terrifying, but a tiny spark of hope lit in his chest.

“All the space,” Marco said.

“No texting, no presents, no nothing,” Gio added.

Aiden covered his eyes for a minute trying to wrap his head around the idea of giving up and hoping for the best. It went against everything in his DNA to leave things up to chance.