“You are a good man,” she says with a dreamy smile.
I make my escape before the real chaos breaks out, and I find the room furthest away from the living room and kitchen. I suspect all the rooms have amazing views, but I still sink down onto the edge of the mattress and look out at the endless Mediterranean.
I’m a fun guy, young at heart, and I know I’m going to have a good time this weekend, but I still need a few minutes to myself.
“I am very lucky,”Nate declares loudly—a.k.a. drunkenly—over the blaring music in the second villa. He jumps up on the couch and sways dangerously before Ru steadies him with a hand on his hip. “I needed to choose between a bunch of people for my best man. I almost chose you, dude.” He points at me, and I’m shocked enough to sputter.
“You did?” I demand.
“Yup.” He nods firmly. “I knew you’d foot the bill for a kickass bachelor party.”
I can’t help but smirk at the little shit.
I know damn well Seth’s paying for all of this.
“Thanks for the ringing endorsement,” I grumble sarcastically.
“And you’d probably have made sure no one had to share rooms if you’d planned this.”He’s got that right. “I also almost made Noah my best man.”
When he points at the thin man with the wild curls and big glasses, I find myself yet again floored by how gorgeous he is.
I’d seen him before, of course, at the airport, on the plane, but now I’m really looking.
Too fucking young, Knightly.
Having my best friend’s voice in my head is pretty irritating, but yeah, Gab isn’t wrong. Sure, Noah’s not a baby by any means, probably in his early thirties or late twenties, but that’s still twenty years my junior. I look away purposefully, but I can’t focus on the rest of Nate’s speech.
Pictures of my lonely past flash in my mind, but somehow that pity party isn’t as painful as when the prospect of my lonely future makes an appearance.
I’ve got to get serious about dating again.
I’m not like Gab. In fact, I’m the opposite of her.
Idowant someone to share my life with, and I don’t want children. I’ve achieved almost everything I ever dreamed ofsince I left Boston behind. I’ve made sure my last name isn’t synonymous with failure and shame.
There’s only one thing left.
Well, two, if other people are to be believed.
“Chase!” Nate shouts, and snaps me the fuck out of that unnecessary mood. By the tone I don’t think it’s the first time he’s called for me, so I hurry over to the other side of the room where he’s standing with... yup, Noah.
“What’s up? Want to guilt me into paying for something?”
Pushing all sad and disgustingly entitled thoughts away is the only sane thing to do at the moment, and humor is the easiest path.
“I wanted to introduce you two,” Nate says with a roll of his eyes, still speaking way too loudly.
“I’ve met him, mate,” Noah says, in a tone that implies he’s begged Nate repeatedly not to do whatever he’s about to do.
“No, no,” Nate says stubbornly. “I need to tell Chase that you do the book thing.” He shakes his head twice. “Sorry, just realized how drunk I am. That you’re a literary agent,” he explains, looking up at me with earnest eyes.
And there it is, theother thing.
“Nate—” I start but he cuts me off.
“It’s been years by now, and you haven’t outright rejected any of the offers, and more keep pouring in. You have to make a decision and Noah knows his stuff. If you want to finally get people off your back, you should at least know every option you have.”
He then turns to Noah, meaning I’m stuck staring at the back of his head.