Something or someone has pissed off Afton’s best friend.
“Luke.”
That’s all I need to hear to know that I’m the bastard that’s put him in this mood. I’m guessing that has to do with the last time I saw Afton. She was in my home when Brooklyn knocked on the door.
The timing couldn’t have been worse.
I was just about to declare my love for the woman I want to spend my life with when the one I want little to do with showed up.
“I’m looking for Afton,” I say as soon as I’m within a foot of Joel.
“She’s busy.”
I don’t take the curt tone personally because he loves her and wants to protect her. Little does he know that he needs to get in line behind me because I’m leading that charge.
I’d do anything for Afton. Absolutely, fucking anything to keep her safe and happy.
“I need to talk to her,” I press on. “It’s important.”
He glances to the left. “Leave her be, Luke.”
“Leave her be?” I repeat his words back with a forced chuckle. “That’s not happening.”
His arms cross his chest. “If you ever cared for her at all, save her the sorrow. She knows what you need to say, and she can’t take it.”
He’s wrong. There’s no way in hell that she knows what I want to say to her. I’m fucking afraid that it’s going to send her running in the opposite direction, but I have to do it. I need to do it.
“If I cared for her at all?” I repeat back those words, realizing how goddamn ludicrous they sound leaving my lips. “I love her.”
His hands fall to his side. “What?”
“I. Love. Her,” I say each word slowly and with all the intent of what my heart feels behind them. “I want to marry her.”
“Hold on.” He takes a step back. “What about the ex? And you’re a baby daddy now. Well, not a baby daddy. From what I hear, you’re the daddy of an adorable bespectacled boy child.”
“A what?”
There are a thousand different ways to describe Auggie. That’s not one that I’d ever come up with.
“It’s a line from a role I’m auditioning for in an hour.” Grinning, he shakes his head. “It seemed to fit.”
“Auggie is a cute kid who wears glasses, so it fits.”
“Afton’s trying to get out of the way of that.” He moves closer to me. “She wants you to have the family you’ve always wanted. Brooklyn, the cute little boy, all of it.”
“I want Afton,” I say with conviction. “I want my forever to be with her.”
“You need to fucking tell her that.” He drops his hands on both of my shoulders. “I’ve never seen her so torn up, Luke. She overheard you and your ex the other day, and her world collapsed.”
What the fuck?
“When?” I spit the question out.
“The day she was meeting Marti.” He glances at his watch. “She forgot her laptop at your place. Marti gave her the keys, so she let herself in and overheard you and Brooklyn planning a life.”
I absorb every single word he’s saying. “She didn’t hear it all.”
“She heard enough.” He scratches his chin. “It sent her into a tailspin. She decided to play the role of the martyr and dump you with a lie about needing space and time.”
That’s why she scooted out of my reach before I could embrace her at my apartment the other day.
“I told her to fight for you, but Afton kept talking about you and Auggie.” He smiles. “She wanted you to have the future you always dreamed of.”
“The only future I dream of is with her,” I admit. “I need to tell her I bought a ring. I want to…”
“What?” Joel shrieks. “You bought a ring? An engagement ring?”
Shit.
I could try and backpedal so Afton hears about it first, but it’s out there now, and judging by the look on her brother-in-law’s face, he’s going to tell her before I get a chance to drop to one knee.
I look him in the eyes. “Promise me you won’t tell her about the ring.”
He rakes me from head to toe. “That’s a big ask.”
“Promise me, Joel.”
He shoves a finger into the middle of my chest. “I just held a secret from Afton for four months. I can hold onto this one for at least a few days, but ask her soon. I’m in the mood for some stellar champagne from our wine closet.”
I start work in an hour. The second I clock out, I’ll track Afton down and ask her to be my wife.
Chapter 51
Luke
There is no way in hell this is happening.
Fear grips me in a way it never has before as my gaze lands on the red tote bag on the sidewalk. It’s next to a camera case with a butterfly sticker near the zipper. A phone is nearby.