Page 19
18
June
I t’s the twenty-first of June, and today is officially Mack and Griff’s big day.
Clasping the cuff links they got me as a groomsman present, I look out over the lake from where I’m getting ready in the boathouse.
It’s the perfect backdrop for the two of them to become husband and wife. This place holds so many special memories for them. Every summer when we were growing up, Griffin’s family would join ours on our annual Fourth of July trip, where we’d head up here for two weeks of uninterrupted time together. No matter how old we got or how busy our schedules became with sports, our parents made it a priority to take those two weeks off.
Even after Griff’s mom, Catherine, passed away from cancer when they were younger, his dad and my parents kept the tradition alive. The summer after our high school graduation was the first time we broke tradition and our parents didn’t join us for the full two weeks. Then, after Katie passed away, the tradition was officially broken when Griff and his dad moved to Boston.
This year will be the first time since Katie passed that we’re all back here together. Although, this year, we came up a few days early so we could get everything ready and have the groom’s dinner.
“Hey, Carse, you just about ready? The photographer said it’s almost time for your first look with Kenna,” Griffin interrupts my moment of reflection.
Clearing the emotion in my throat, I turn to find him watching me. “Yeah, I’ve just got to get my jacket on.” I move to the wall of windows where my jacket is draped across the writing desk I recently added to the space, hoping my little oasis could become a place of inspiration for Dakota’s writing.
“Here, let me help,” Griff says as he grabs the jacket from my hands. I slip my arms in the jacket and Griff smoothes the shoulders once I get it on. Turning to face him while I fasten the stop button of my black tux, I take a moment to soak in this moment with my best friend. Tears well in my eyes and I have to bite the inside of my cheek to stop my lip from quivering.
Griff hangs his head back and brings his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. “Ah, fuck. Don’t do this to me, Carse. You already know I’m going to be a goddamn puddle when I see Kenna.”
“I can’t fucking help it, G. You were like the brother I never had growing up. And today you officially become my brother for life,” I choke on the sob that threatens to escape.
Shit, I’m way too emotional for this. How in the hell am I going to get through Mack walking down the aisle?
“You’ve always been my best friend, Carse. Even when I was figuring out how to handle my grief, you and Kenna were never not on my mind.”
Griff pulls me in for a tight hug and we pat each other on the back, both trying not to lose it. When he pulls away, he gives my shoulder a squeeze. “McKenna and I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for you and Katie accepting our relationship in the first place. I’ll never be able to repay you for being there for our girls when I couldn’t be.”
My chin quivers and I swipe the knuckle of my pointer finger beneath my eye as a traitorous tear slips free. “You’ll never have to repay me for being there for the three of you. I’ve never been happier for my sister than I am today.”
“Knock, knock. Carson, are you ready?” the photographer’s assistant asks.
Blowing out a steadying breath, I nod my head and make my way down the steps and out to the gardens that Mack, Katie, Catherine, and my mom planted one of our first summers up here.
Once I’m standing beneath the archway in the corner of the garden, my chest fills with joy as I hear one of my favorite sounds. Cadence’s giggles reach me before she comes running into view. I scoop her into my arms and spin her around, taking in the way her face lights up and her brown eyes twinkle in delight. Her blonde hair is just past her shoulders now and is pulled back with a pearly headband. She looks like a little princess in her white dress with pearls on it. “Look at you, Cadey Cat! You are so very beautiful!” I exclaim.
“Alright, I’m going to have the two of you turn around and then when McKenna is ready, we’ll have her tap you on the shoulder and you can turn around,” the photographer explains.
Turning around, I bounce Cadence in my arms, earning me more giggles. I rest her on my hip again as I hear the photographer giving Mack directions. I hear the fabric of her dress move against the grass as she makes her way closer to us. When she taps on my shoulder, I turn around, tears already filling my eyes again, and take in my twin sister looking stunning in her wedding dress.
“Holy shit, Mack. Griff is going to die on the spot when he sees you walking down the aisle. And Dad is going to weep like a baby.” I turn to Cadence and tell her, “Look at your mama, Cadey Cat!”
“Mama so pwetty!” Cadence exclaims.
“Thank you, baby! Look at you—you’re so beautiful, baby girl!” Mack tells her as her own eyes glisten with unshed tears.
The three of us pose for a few portraits together before I turn to Mack. “It’s time to meet up with dad and walk down the aisle. Are you ready for this?”
She nods and dabs her eyes with a tissue she had wrapped around her bouquet. “How is he?” she asks. I don’t need to ask her to clarify who the “he” is that she’s referring to.
“Griff is fucking ecstatic to marry you so he can officially become my brother.”
Mack rolls her eyes but lets out a soft chuckle. “I’m being serious. I know each new milestone he experiences without his mom and Katie here is hard for him. Hell, it’s so hard for me too. But I know they’re here today.”
Shit. Just when I thought I had a handle on the tears.
Emotion clogs my throat, so I clear it before assuring her that he was good all morning when we were having breakfast and getting ready together.
Handing Mack off to my dad, I bring Cadence with me outside to where the rest of the wedding party is getting lined up. Griff is standing with his back to us with my mom’s arm intertwined with his.
I place Cadence on her feet, and she immediately runs over and crashes her body against Griff’s leg. “Daddy! Mama so pwetty,” she tells him.
Griff lets go of my mom’s arm and scoops Cadence into a big hug. “Oh my goodness, Little Ray. You look so pretty! I bet Mama looks like a princess if she looks as beautiful as you!”
Cadence nods her head and squeals in delight. “Mama a pwincess!”
I’m watching my mom begin to fawn over Cadence as someone hip checks me playfully. Out of my periphery, I can make out that it’s Dakota. If her short stature didn’t make it obvious, her signature jasmine scent would be a dead giveaway.
“You sure clean up nice, Golden Boy,” she remarks.
Turning to face her, my breath seizes and my heart stops in my chest as I take her in.
My dream girl looks bewitching in a lacy, black mid-length dress. The top looks like a corset and the skirt flows from her hips, making her look like a fucking goddess. Her hair is curled, falling just above her shoulder, and her caramel highlights shine beneath the sun’s beams. Dakota’s lips are painted a deep red, and the smoky eye shadow she did somehow makes her eyes even more mesmerizing.
She bites her lip to try to hide her amusement at what must be the awestruck look on my face. Standing on her tiptoes, Dakota reaches up to straighten my bowtie. When she’s satisfied with her adjustments, she slides her hands down the lapels of my tux jacket. I don’t hesitate to bring her into my arms for a hug.
“Austen,” I breathe her in, letting out a low sigh of contentment. “You look divine—fucking ravishing.”
“Thank you. You look quite debonair in your tux,” she declares.
Swiping my thumb across the bare skin of her upper back, I thank her.
She steps back, grabs the side of her dress and gives me a deep curtsy. “I must take my seat, my lord. I’ll see you after the ceremony.”
She looks so fucking serene standing before me like this. But this just won’t do. If either of us is to bow to the other, it will be me getting on my knees and bowing before her every fucking day.
When she rises to her feet, I tilt her chin up, and when her eyes find mine, my heart skips two beats one after the other. “Will you save a dance for me, my lady?”
Dakota licks her deep red lips and my eyes track the movement. “You may have them all.” Tucking her hair behind her ear, I brush my thumb across her cheek.
With our gazes locked, I pull her in and place a lingering kiss on her forehead. When we pull away, she walks down the aisle to her seat, but not before pausing to look back at me over her shoulder. A shy smile spreads across her face, and it’s like a slapshot straight to my heart.
I may have said that I hate to watch her go, but when it comes to watching her walk down an aisle, nothing has ever made me feel more euphoric.
Silverware clinking against glass rings out over the space in the backyard which has been transformed into a fairytale wedding venue. The A-frame paneling of the clear-top tent is strung with bulbed lights and chandeliers that, combined with the golden hour of the setting sun, gives Dakota an ethereal look to her as she sits beside Cadence at their table for dinner.
I don’t take my eyes off her as I clap mindlessly at what I’m sure is Griff and Mack’s tenth kiss since they sat down for dinner. I’m still staring in awe as Dakota throws her head back in laughter at something Cadey Cat said to my mom when the DJ walks over and hands me a microphone for my speech.
Shaking myself out of my haze, I clear my throat and chuckle. “That time already?” I ask.
Mack walks behind me and wraps me in a hug just as Griff gives my arm an assuring squeeze.
“You’ve got this, Carse,” Mack whispers to me.
“Of course I do. I’m about to captivate the hell out of this room all while embarrassing the hell out of Griff,” I tell her as I stand up and button my jacket before grabbing the mic.
“Good evening, everyone, and thank you for being here to celebrate Griffin and McKenna on their big day. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Mack’s twin brother, Carson. I arrived two minutes earlier, which does, in fact, make me her older brother.” I pause as guests chuckle and Mack rolls her eyes at my antics. Shooting her a quick wink, I continue, “But I’m not just the brother of the bride, I also happen to have the great honor of being the best man, because this guy right here decided to marry his best friend’s sister.” I place my hand on Griff’s shoulder and give him a playful shove.
“Some of you might be wondering if that was weird for me, or if I ever got upset with him. The short answer to that would be: no. The longer answer is that I have a lot of feelings about the two of them being together. I have feelings of vindication that lead me to feel bittersweet all at the same time. You see, I, along with I’m sure many of you, knew that Mack was obsessed with Griff for a very long time before Griff eventually got a clue.” That earns me a chuckle from Griff.
“I also had a years-long bet going with Griff’s little sister, Katie, or Kitty as I liked to call her. Kitty and I both knew for years that our siblings had crushes on our best friends, and we made a bet as to which would crack first, and another side-bet to see when it would happen. I thought they’d cave earlier and become high school sweethearts. Katie bet otherwise, and of course won. When did we make this bet, you ask? Let me set the scene for you in a way that Kitty would be proud of,” I say as I move to pick up a remote control clicker from beside my place setting and aim it at the projector screen in the front corner of the tent where a picture of me, Katie, Mack, and Griff in our pre-teen phase lights up the screen.
“It was the summer of 2012 when nine-year-old Katie and Mack were in our basement watching their favorite movie for the hundredth time. Meanwhile, an eleven-year-old Griff was playing an intense game of knee hockey with me. Just a typical day in the Wilder household, until Katie and Mack begged us to act out a scene from their favorite movie with them. Now, Griff and I were pretty great brothers growing up, we didn’t get annoyed by our sisters very often, but this time crossed a line for me.”
I click to the next slide where a movie poster for Hannah Montana: The Movie takes up the screen. “ This was their favorite movie, and the particular scene they wanted to act out was the ‘Hoedown Throwdown’ dance. I didn’t want to be embarrassed in front of my teammate and best friend, so I refused to do the dance. At least, I did until Griff walked over and picked up a sequined scarf and wrapped it around his neck and told the girls he was only doing it once and they better make it quick. I was stunned. The cool-as-hell guy I idolized was willing to do a dance just because his little sister asked nicely. And he didn’t just go through the motions—nothing Griff does is half-ass, especially when it came to making Katie smile.”
My voice cracks and I take a deep, quivering breath just as Mack uses her dinner napkin to dab at her eyes. She gives Griff a watery smile, and he wraps his arm around her, rubbing his hand up and down her own.
“Naturally, Griff gave it his all and got into the dance. I mean really into it. But I don’t feel like my words can really do it justice, so I thought I’d show you instead,” I say as I press play on the next slide where a grainy video of the four of us is displayed.
“Oh my god. I’m going to kill your brother,” Griff murmurs as he hides his face in Mack’s neck. Mack’s face lights up as she takes in the video. While it isn’t the greatest quality, you can clearly see me and Griff wearing sequined scarves and cowgirl hats that barely fit on our heads as we stand beside our sisters and reenact the ridiculous dance.
The guests laugh as they take in the video clip that ends with Griff spinning Mack into his arms and dipping her low. I pause the video and turn to them. “Let’s hope your first dance tonight goes a lot better than this one did,” I explain, pressing play on the video where Griff drops Mack onto her back mid-dip.
The guests erupt with laughter, and when I can finally catch my breath between the laughs, I go to stand behind the two of them.
“In all seriousness, I learned a lot about Griff that day. I learned that suddenly his cheeks turned pink any time Mack talked to him. I learned that he couldn’t dance for shit. And I learned that he would do just about anything for not only his little sister, but mine too. Suddenly, the list of reasons why I idolized him grew from beyond just hockey.”
I sniff and quickly swipe my thumb under my eyes. “Griff is a protective, loving, and caring guy, and I promised myself that if one day he and my sister finally realized their feelings were mutual, I’d never be someone to stand in the way of their relationship. Today was predestined.”
My voice cracks again, and I swallow past the lump in my throat. “The kind of love Griff and Mack share is once-in-a-lifetime—it’s a love written in the stars. But I think even if you two didn’t find your way back to each other, Katie and Catherine would’ve intervened—I mean, who’s to say they didn’t?”
I take a deep, steadying breath as I stare down at the two of them as they stare at each other with stars in their eyes.
“And while their love is unlike any other, so is the bond the four of us shared growing up. I’m fucking ecstatic to officially be able to call Griffin my big bro. And I know with everything in my heart that Kitty is here with us today.”
Reaching around Griff, I grab my glass of champagne.
“I ask on behalf of the maid of honor, who is joining us from above, that you raise your glasses to the happy couple. Let’s have a great night of dancing and celebrating love. Cheers to the beginning of your forever, I love you both,” I tell them as I raise my glass in the air.
I’ve barely set my glass down on the table with the mic when Mack throws her arms around me in a tight hug. “I love you so much, Carse. Thank you for being the best brother and uncle in the world.”
Backing out of her arms, I look at Griff and say, “I learned from the best.” Griff pulls me into a hug that has both of our shoulders shaking with emotion.
“I love you, brother,” he tells me, and fuck if that doesn’t put the biggest smile on my face.
“I love you too, you two-left-footed fool. Let’s hope you took some dance lessons in the last two months,” I tease.
Dakota
There wasn’t a dry eye during Griffin and McKenna’s touching ceremony. It was perfect from the thoughtful ways they memorialized Katie and Griff’s mom, Catherine, to the adorable way Griff couldn’t help but steal a kiss before Bennett, who officiated the ceremony, told them to kiss, to the meaningful vows they wrote and exchanged.
I couldn’t keep count of how many times my gaze strayed to Carson. He was holding on to Cadence for the majority of the ceremony until she wanted to be put down and raced over to sit between me and her gaga Liz. The next time my eyes wandered toward him, he was already staring at me. The wink he shot my way made my stomach swirl in anticipation.
I’m snapped out of the haze I was in when the guests cheer and whistle as Griff successfully dips Kenna and kisses her during their first dance.
Jackson is up on the stage singing Restless Road’s “Growing Old With You” while Bennett plays guitar and harmonizes with him.
The whole scene playing out in front of me is straight out of a fairytale love story. And that includes watching Carson dance with Cadence in his arms off to the side of the dancefloor where I can tell he’s choking back his emotions.
Kenna’s blinding smile makes my chest tighten, but it’s the single tear that drops down Griff’s face that cracks my chest wide open. Maybe being a recent divorcée should make me cynical when it comes to love and marriage, but the two of them prove that true love can persevere even in the darkest storms. The love reflecting in their eyes is so different from the feelings I felt on my own wedding day with Aaron.
Griffin loves and cherishes McKenna in a way that every girl dreams to experience one day. And he better, or I’m sure Carson would never stand for it. My chest aches at that thought—knowing Brody would never have stood for what Aaron did to me either. I want to come clean to him and tell him what happened, but I don’t know where to start. Of course Brodes and my mom know I’m divorced, but they have no idea about the abuse or my hospitalization. I’m worried that when he finds out I hid it from him for so long that he’ll be hurt I didn’t tell him right away.
Jackson and Bennett sing the last line of the song, and as the music begins to fade, Griff picks Kenna up and twirls her around in his arms as she tosses her head back in joyful laughter.
Walking over to the bar, I spot Bennett getting a refill.
“Whiskey, neat, please,” he tells the bartender who then looks at me, waiting for my order.
“Oh, um, I’ll have a tequila sour, please.”
Unsure of what to do, I ask, “Who knew the karaoke night wasn’t a one-off?”
Bennett turns toward me, quirking a skeptical brow.
“Good job up there. I didn’t know you could play the guitar.” I’m trying to make polite conversation, but something tells me he isn’t the kind of guy to make light conversation with an essential stranger.
“Thanks,” he murmurs.
Right. So not a fan of small talk.
“Hey, Benny. Isn’t that the girl you were drooling over at Griff’s bachelor party?” Carson asks, thankfully saving me from this awkward moment.
I look to where Carson is nodding across the other side of the bar and notice a woman standing with her back to me. Her long, auburn hair flows to the middle of her back, just above the hem of her backless navy dress.
Bennett’s head whips around surprisingly fast to where Carson is pointing. I watch with rapt attention as the girl turns around, and Bennett’s mouth hangs open when he recognizes her.
“How is she here right now? I mean, only family, close friends, and teammates were invited. Does McKenna know her? She has to, right? I mean, why else would she be here?” Bennett rattles off.
Carson shrugs. “I don’t know. Maybe she lives on this lake, and that’s why she was at the bar that night, and now she’s . . . I don’t know, wedding crashing or something? I have a good idea—why don’t you go ask her?”
Bennett shoots an unamused glare at Carson. “Funny.”
“Well, if you’re not going to shoot your shot, I’m going to at least shoot mine,” Carson says, and my stomach sinks at the thought of him approaching her.
Instead, to my surprise, Carson turns toward me with an outstretched hand and asks, “May I have the honor of this dance, my lady?”
My chest warms and heat floods my cheeks in both relief and embarrassment for being jealous when I have nothing to be jealous of. The way Carson is looking at me—with a twinkle in his eyes as if I were the beginning and end of his whole world—should give me all the reassurance I need. He likes me . He wants to pursue me . And I’m getting so tired of coming up with reasons why we wouldn’t work, why this shouldn’t happen.
So, I decide to take a step toward him, willing myself to explore what it might be like to be the woman Carson Wilder spins around the dance floor. When I place my hand in his, the smile that eclipses his face is otherworldly.
We’ve just gotten out on the dance floor as a song the DJ was playing comes to an end. Instead of playing another, he announces that there was a special request. Jackson takes the stage again, this time picking up the guitar Bennett was playing earlier. He sits on a barstool and lowers the mic before strumming a few chords on the guitar. A moment later, I recognize the opening chords of Morgan Wallen’s new version of “Spin You Around.”
“I love this song,” I tell Carson as he pulls me into his embrace. Resting my head against his chest, I listen to his racing heart for a moment before admitting, “Everytime I hear it, it makes me want to dance in the kitchen with you.”
This little bit of vulnerability is more than I’ve shown him when it comes to returning any sort of feelings for him. Too nervous to peek at his face, I keep my head where it is. That is, until I feel the deep rumble of his laughter. Looking up, I find Carson peering down at me with a bewildered expression.
“What are you laughing at?” I demand.
He shakes his head. “Nothing. Well, no, that’s not true. It’s you. I’m laughing at the fact that we’ve lived together for over five months, almost the exact timeline of when this song came out. And we’ve cooked together in the kitchen—”
I cut him off, “Correction, I cook in the kitchen, and you stand there and look pretty.”
His eyes glimmer in amusement before he continues, “I’ve been in the kitchen with you while you’ve cooked more times than I can count, and not once have you ever mentioned wanting to dance with me.”
Feeling bashful, I try to look away but Carson guides my face to look back at his with his hand beneath my jaw.
“Don’t shy away from me, Austin. Not when I feel like you’re finally letting me in.”
My pulse hammers against his hand as he holds my stare. I could lose my head in the enchantment that is Carson’s turquoise eyes.
The way he stares at me as if I’m the only person he sees sends a thrill down my spine, it’s intoxicating.
Wetting my lips, I watch him shake his head again at me.
“Don’t do that,” he softly pleads.
“Do what?” I ask because I genuinely don’t know what I did.
“Don’t make me want to go against every rule I set for myself,” he replies.
Carson must see the question on my face because he clarifies, “I’m not kissing you tonight. Not like this, not until you’re ready. Because once I kiss you, Austin, I know I’ll never be able to let you go. There’s not a chance in hell once I’ve tasted your sweet lips that I’ll ever be able to go back to pretending I’m okay with being just your friend. It won’t be enough at that point.”
Why do I have the inclination that it isn’t enough now? For either of us.
“So I’m going to be a good boy and pivot this conversation to something I’ve been dying to know.”
I let out a long sigh. “And what would that be?” I ask.
“What inspired you to write your book?”
His question catches me off guard, so much so I find myself blurting out, “You.” I purse my lips together, cursing myself for admitting that out loud.
“How so?” he counters, his brows lifting in surprise.
“I should actually thank you for inspiring me.”
“Me?” he asks incredulously.
Nodding my head, I reply, “Yeah. It’ll probably sound silly to you, but watching you live out your dream and coming alive out on the ice made me really question what I’m passionate about enough to bring me that much joy day in and day out.” I pause, wondering how much I want to divulge. Deciding to go for it, I explain, “The more I thought about it, the answer always stayed the same. Writing. Storytelling. Crafting something that is completely my own.”
Carson pulls me into a tight hug, resting his chin on top of my head.
“Tell me more about your book. I want to know everything you’ve got planned so far,” he implores.
So I do. I tell him how the male main character gets assigned a new assistant, who happens to be the female main character. The unexpected change upsets the MMC because he was close to his former assistant until she decided to retire so she could spend more time with her grandbabies. I tell him he doesn’t realize the new assistant is his life-long rival’s daughter, who was born when he was only in high school due to an accidental pregnancy.
When Carson asks more about the setting, I tell him it takes place in the MMC’s off-season and he finds out he has to fly to Italy for some endorsement deals and photoshoots. The kicker is, his former assistant was supposed to go with him. But now this new, younger assistant, who he finds himself far too attracted to, has to go with him instead.
“This sounds awesome. What part of Italy are they going to?”
“Well, you see. That’s the thing. I’m still debating if they just stay in Milan the entire time, or if they decide to extend their trip and go to all of the places I’ve only dreamed of going.”
“Only dreamed of going?” he questions.
“Well, yeah. I mean, I haven’t been there, but I’ve always dreamed of going. Who knows, maybe if this book is a success, I’ll be able to go there one day.”
“Wait, hold on. Are you telling me you’ve never been to Italy?” He pulls his head back to look at me.
Pursing my lips, I roll my eyes at him. “Look, just because I haven’t been to Italy doesn’t mean I can’t write a book that takes place there.”
He snorts. “Duh, I know that. J.K. Rowling wrote a whole series that takes place at Hogwarts without ever having been there.”
I can’t help but throw my head back laughing at how adorable he is with his random references to Taylor Swift and Harry Potter . “You’re right. But J.K. Rowling wrote a fictitious fantasy series. Not a contemporary romance novel.”
That earns me a scoff. “Rude. Harry Potter is magical realism, not fantasy.”
“That’s beside the point,” I gripe. “I’m perfectly capable of doing enough research to do my novel justice without having been there.”
Carson nods his head eagerly. “And I don’t doubt your capabilities at all. But why would you do that when you literally know and live with someone who is going to Italy in two and a half weeks?”
Now it’s my turn to scoff. “I am not inviting myself to join the three of you in Italy.”
Completely ignoring me, he adds, “As long as I keep up my workout regimen, I can be gone for probably four to six weeks.”
“Weeks?” I squeak. “Don’t you mean days?”
“I said what I said, Austin. Weeks. You’re going to need a few weeks immersed in the culture to get a better understanding of the culture for your book, right?”
“Carson, that’s too much. I can’t—we can’t. What about Cadence and McKenna? I’m supposed to watch Cadence while the three of you are gone.”
“They have Griff now, and it’s his off-season too. They’re fully moved into their new house. If they need someone to fill in for you, my mom would be ecstatic to watch Cadence. She’ll love the extended snuggle session with her granddaughter.”
Shaking my head, I say, “I don’t want to impose. It’ll practically be their honeymoon.”
That makes him rear his head back. “And you think I want to be a third-wheel on my sister’s honeymoon? Come on, you’ll be doing me a favor. They’re going to be in the literal honeymoon phase, and if you don’t go I’ll be the pathetic single brother tagging along.”
“I couldn’t afford it.”
“You wouldn’t have to. Griff already purchased a fourth ticket to the concert. And I’ll cover everything else.”
“He purchased that ticket for Katie. Not for his daughter’s nanny to tag along, uninvited , might I add.”
“I’m not sure how you can say you’re tagging along. I invited you. Hell, I’m begging you to come with us at this point. Do you have a current passport?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Then it’s settled.”
I practically growl at the man as I ask, “What is settled?”
“You and I are going to Italy together for the next month. I’ll have everything covered. I will ensure you’re immersed into the culture for your book, along with providing you the eye candy and male main character inspiration you need.” He winks at me, but I glare back, unamused as he continues, “And you will eat, pray, love the shit out of Italy every day before typing your fingers to the bone each night. This is going to be great, Austin. I can feel it.”
What he needs to feel is my knee to his groin. Maybe that will snap him out of his delusional spiral. “Listen to me very closely, okay? I’m. Not. Going.”