“We do. We just call them galas. I’d be more than happy to take you to one.”
“It’s not the same.”
“You’d be surprised. Everyone spends hours dressing up so they can dance with people they don’t even like because politics. And don’t even get me started on the matchmaking.”
I laughed. “I thought your parents don’t care who you marry.”
“Believe it or not, that does nothing to stop women from trying to seduce me.”
“Oh, the horror. Having women throw themselves at you sounds like your worst nightmare,” I said with heavy sarcasm.
“They want a ring and babies.” Miles shuddered dramatically. “And the killer part is, they don’t even want the babies because they’re babies; they want them as a way to trap me.”
“I’m sorry,” I said more seriously. “And if it makes you feel any better, I promise I’ll never want your babies.”
“That’s a relief even if it did sound vaguely insulting.”
“What about Jessica?” I asked.
“What about her?”
“Does she want your babies?”
“Not like that. Or anytime soon, but I’m hoping I can convince her someday.”
I grinned up at him. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m so happy for you. Are you sure she doesn’t mindthat you spend time with me alone and watch romance movies?”
“I’m sure, and if she did, that would be a sign that we weren’t meant to be. I’m not ditching my best friend for a girl who’s too insecure to trust me.”
“I just don’t want to get in your way.”
“You’ll never get in my way, Dani.” Miles pressed a kiss to the top of my head. It was a habit he’d started while Hayden and I had been dating because he knew it pissed his brother off.
Now the action was bittersweet. On the one hand, I liked that our friendship had stayed the same even without Hayden in the mix. On the other, it felt like it was missing something now that Hayden wasn’t here to growl at his brother and shove him away from me.
FIVE
Hayden
I’d always hatedmy father’s office, mostly the fact that he’d always loved it more than his family, but also because every time I went in there, he told me something I didn’t want to hear.
But today took the fucking cake.
I stared at the man I’d always loved even when I thought it would be easier if I didn’t and tried to process the information I’d just been given.
He was dying, he’d been given six months, and if I wanted to inherit his estate and shares of the company, I had to get married in the next month.
I waited for some kind of emotion to hit me. I should be upset. Sad, angry,something.
Maybe the news hadn’t sunk in yet, or maybe I really was that broken and didn’t feel anymore.
To be fair, my father wasn’t showing any more emotion than I was. His face was impassive, as if tellingme about his terminal cancer was simply another thing to check off his to-do list.
“I went over things with my lawyer this afternoon,” my father continued, not bothered by my lack of a response. He reached into the drawer of his giant mahogany desk and pulled out a thick stack of papers. “I’ll update the will after your wedding, and you will inherit my company shares and all my other assets upon my death under the condition that you are married.”
