Triplets Make Five

Then, almost overnight, he just dropped the whole thing. He didn’t call. He didn’t come by the house. He just vaporized off the face of the Earth, even when he was still around.

I could kick him in the nuts for the way he dumped me like that. He didn’t even have the balls to say he didn’t want to see me again. I got really sad about it at the time. I always wanted to see if the thing between us would turn into something more, but he never gave it a chance.

I made the mistake of sending him a few friendly texts, just to ask how he was doing and if he wanted to get together sometime. He never even responded to them, the prick. That’s how much he cared about me. I was nothing but a hole for him to jack off in, a nice ass for him to stare at.

I thanked God Charlie never found out. He would have a guy’s nuts on a platter if he wiped his ass with his sister like that. Charlie couldn’t stand anybody being rude to me or not respecting me. He threatened guys with the shotgun if they looked at me the wrong way. He took the whole overprotective brother thing to the next level.

Maybe, just maybe, Charlie found out about us messing around. Maybe that’s what drove a wedge into their friendship, too. The more I thought about it though, the more I didn’t think that was possible. They stayed friends for years after Brady, and I stopped seeing each other. Their friendship sort of tapered off, but not until long after I left the picture. I was too proud to come right out and ask Charlie what was going on with Brady.

Brady probably found somebody else. He could have any girl he wanted with the snap of his fingers. He probably spotted some hot ass on the street and got distracted. He didn’t want to screw around with his best friend’s little sister anymore.

Well, screw him, too. I went out and jumped three other guys just to show I could. I forgot all about him—right up until I got that invitation in the mail. Then it all of the emotions I blocked came flooded back. I couldn’t stop thinking about meeting him in the hall outside his dorm room. He would check to see if anybody was around, but he couldn’t stop kissing me. He would hustle me into his room and pin me against the door.

I used to love the way his shoulders flexed under my fingers when I slipped my hands under his shirt. He used to suck his breath through his teeth when I raked my fingernails up his stomach. He used to grunt under his breath when he contracted his abs to shove his hips against mine.

Would he still be like that? Would he still be tall and big-shouldered and hot as hell? I would have loved to find out. I would have loved to see those magnetic eyes of his, just one more time. Not to do anything with him, of course. I could never do anything with him again after the way he treated me.

None of that was going to happen at the wedding. I could guarantee that. Charlie probably didn’t even invite him. Even if Charlie did invite him, Brady might not show up. He might not care about Charlie anymore. He might be so far out there in left field he could turn his back on his oldest friend and never blink twice.

If he did show up, I might have to stand around and watch him hit on some other girl. Chances were he went right back to not even noticing I existed. I would do better to ignore him completely. I made up my mind to keep my expectations low. Non-existent, to be exact. Then I wouldn’t be disappointed.

3

Brady

Charlie answered the phone. “Hello.” The minute I heard his voice, my heart started pounding. Same old Charlie.

“Hey, man. It’s me. It’s Brady.”

He exploded on the other end. “Brady! Hey, man! Dang, it’s good to hear from you.”

I struggled to keep my voice calm, but I couldn’t stop grinning from ear to ear. “I had to call to congratulate you, man. It’s wonderful news, and I will definitely be coming to the wedding.”

“You will? Wow, that’s great. I wasn’t sure if you would make it.”

“Of course, I’ll make it. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’m just sorry I’ve sort of fallen off the face of the Earth these last few years. I’m a putz.”

“Forget it, man. You’re coming. That’s the important thing. You’re still in town, aren’t you?”

“Yep, I’m here.”

“Good. Then you can come to our engagement party next Saturday.”

“I’d love to. Where is it?”

“At my uncle’s house in Silver Lake. You remember the place?”

“I remember.”

“Be there at two, and since you’re in town, I know its bit out of the blue, but I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind being one of my groomsmen. What do you say?”

You could have knocked me over with a feather. I picked my jaw up off the floor, and my voice wouldn’t work right. “Man! I’m stunned. I never thought....”

“You never thought what? You never thought you would still be my best friend after you’ve been a stranger all these years? I never stopped caring about you, man. You should know that.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I never stopped caring about you, either, man. You’ve never been out of my thoughts for more than a few hours in all the years. I’ve been wandering alone out here in the cold. I would be honored to be your groomsman, and I will definitely come to your engagement party. Thanks. I mean, really, thank you. You don’t know what this means to me.”

If he got as choked up as I did, his voice gave nothing away. “Great, and we’re having the bachelor party in Vegas, so I’m definitely going to need a good man in my corner for that.”