Caspian (Carolina Reapers 8)

I headed for the shade and slammed the Gatorade Maxim offered me as Chuck led Ryleigh off into the trees behind us. If memory served me well, there was a picture-perfect gazebo there, which would make the perfect backdrop for the epic apology he owed her. Fuck, they were probably making up right now.

My fingers crunched the empty bottle, distorting the shape.

“So…do you want to talk about it? Or just maim plastic bottles?” he asked, looking pointedly at the mess of plastic in my hands.

“You want to talk about it?” I challenged, letting the annoyance, the jealousy, the…anger of it all wash over me.

“What? The fact that I’m currently attending the wedding of my half-brother against the wishes of our father? Or the fact that the guy I was raised to loathe is marrying my best friend’s little sister?” He glanced across the field to where Mila looked to be holding court, at least five local boys all vying for her attention. Not that I blamed them. The girl was a stunner…but she was as close to being a sister as London was.

“Sure, let’s talk about that,” I offered, trying to pull my head out of my own ass. Of course, this week had to be all sorts of fucked up for him.

“Actually, I’m fine with it.” He smiled and took another drink. “I wouldn’t exactly call us friends, but I made my peace with my brother months ago.”

“I’m glad you came for him. You could have turned down the invitation.” He’d been close, but Maxim had never been the guy to turn his back on family.

“I almost did, just to make things a little easier at home, but Mila wanted to come.” He shrugged like his little sister didn’t mean the world to him. We had that in common. “I’m going to pelt that kid with the football if he gets one inch closer to her.” His eyes narrowed on Josh Carpenter—a jock from London’s class, who was openly flirting with Mila.

The younger guys were making utter asses of themselves, still in that age where they wouldn’t even know what to do with a real woman if they caught one.

“She can handle herself,” I assured him. We’d taught her how to throw punches before she’d headed off to college years ago.

“She shouldn’t have to,” he muttered. “At least Evelyn is ignoring them. Mila may have experience dealing with guys who are after just one thing, but I’m pretty sure Evie thinks life is one of her romance novels. She sees it through a romance-tinted lens.” Maxim turned back toward me.

As if hearing her name—which was impossible from our distance—Evie looked up over her glasses at us, her attention solely focused on Maxim. She rearranged the skirt of her dress over her knees like she was trying to disappear behind the fabric.

“And that’s bad?”

“It’s not good. She’s pretty much my little sister. The last thing I want is to see her get hurt.” Maxim shook his head.

Little sister? My eyebrows rose.

The blonde had the biggest crush on my best friend, and if he was too blind to see it, then that was on him. It was probably for the best. Maxim wasn’t exactly a commitment kind of guy, and he’d crush her without even meaning to.

“Shit, I think your plan is working,” Maxim said as he looked over my shoulder.

I turned and spotted the gazebo through the trees. Sure enough, Chuck had Ryleigh behind the white railing. Even from here, I could see their conversation was intense.

“He’s such a fucking dickhead,” I muttered.

Maxim laughed. “Tell me how you really feel.”

I let loose. “Fine. You know what? It’s bullshit that he did this to her. Bullshit that he put a deposit down on a house and let her build her dreams around him, and then tugged the rug out from under her feet. Bullshit that she ever fell for his…”

“Bullshit,” Maxim offered, a corner of his mouth quirking up.

“Exactly.” I threw my empty water bottle at my bag. And missed. “Even my fucking aim is off. She’s one of the good ones, Max. She’s smart, and she’s funny, and her heart is so damned big that she can’t see that she’s shoving it at the wrong guy.” Even if this worked and they got back together, Chuck would only end up leaving her later in life, when the cut would be deeper and the wound that much harder to heal. He was simply showing her his true colors now.

“And you’re the right guy?” Maxim asked.

My mouth dropped open, and I snapped it shut. “I didn’t say that.” Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to take a deep breath as Chuck moved closer to Ryleigh, less than a foot separating them. “I don’t live here. She does. She’s London’s friend and literally the girl next door. I might not be the right guy, but I know he’s not. Guy has a degree in criminal justice, and he’s bartending at his mom’s restaurant.”