Lifting my glass to my lips, I take another sip of my whiskey. “Yeah, yeah. The pact. Trust me, you’re all doing a stellar job of being annoying as shit.” Dilynne’s laugh from the other side of the room pulls my attention toward her, providing yet another thing to add to my list of annoyances tonight. There’s a twitch in my body below the belt, but I desperately try to ignore it as I turn back to my friends. “But I’m okay. Seriously. Fletcher and Laney are family, and I’m happy for them. They have what it takes to make their marriage last.” Lifting my glass toward Rhonan, I add, “And that’s why tonight isn’t bothering me as much as you two might think, so just leave it be and let’s enjoy the party, okay?”
Henley and Rhonan share a look before Rhonan nods. “Sounds like a plan. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some important business to attend to.”
Henley and I watch him cross the courtyard over to Vienna. Henley laughs. “Yeah, business, my ass. A hundred bucks says he’s about to take her to some place in this winery that you and I don’t even know exists and have his way with her.”
I shake my head and drain my glass. “At least someone is getting lucky.”
Henley drops his eyes down to my crotch and then back up. “How’s the dick piercing healing?”
“I’m gonna pretend like your question is normal right now, but if anyone else overhears this conversation, you know that’s not going to come off very well.”
Henley shoves at my shoulder. “You’re the one who’s been overly concerned about your dick. I’m just trying to be a supportive friend.”
A while back, as the concern for my lack of desire for the female population began to freak me out, I had a crazy idea to get my dick pierced to see if it would encourage me to put myself back out there. You know, having a new piece of hardware to show off might spike some urgency and push me to finally sleep with someone new.
Honestly, the healing has been the worst part, besides wondering if I’ll ever get the courage to show it to someone of the opposite sex.
The corner of my mouth tips up. “Things are healing well. Should be good to go in a few more weeks.”
Henley lifts his beer to his mouth. “I still can’t believe you let some woman stick a needle through your penis.”
“Well, one day, some woman will be very grateful that I did.” My eyes land on Dilynne without thinking, but I quickly look away. The last thing I need is her brother growing suspicious of these tumultuous feelings I’m fighting to ignore.
Henley slaps my back. “I really hope you find someone who appreciates it, Elliot.”
“I hope I find several women who do.”
Shaking his head, he says, “Yeah, but I don’t think that’s what you want.”
His words catch me off guard as I twist to face him. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”
He tilts his head to the side, pursing his lips. “I mean, now that you’ve experienced sex with someone you care about—or at least, someone that you used to care about—you’re honestly telling me you want to go back to the casual shit?”
“Just because you, Fletcher, and Rhonan have all been hypnotized by your women and are happy about it, doesn’t mean that I want that shit again. Look where that got me.”
“That’s only because Tori wasn’t the right person.”
“And I have no desire to put myself through that again with the potential of the next one being the wrong one too.”
A heavy sigh leaves his lips. “I don’t blame you for being jaded, man. But when you were happy?” Our eyes meet again. “I don’t know. I felt like that version of you was who you were always meant to be.”
“Wow. Thanks for being so vague.”
He laughs. “I just meant, I’ve watched you change over the years as life hit you with shit. Hell, we all have. But when you felt like you had a partner? Someone to lean on through the rollercoaster?” Shrugging, he continues, “I’d never seen you like that.”
“Delusional? Irrational? Out of my fucking—”
“Grounded,” he interjects before I can be more self-deprecating. “Purposeful. Like you knew who you were and not some version of Elliot Thorne people expected you to be.”
I drag my tongue across my teeth. “Well, that’s rich since I literally went through with the big wedding spectacle because that’s what my parents wanted. And I agreed to have kids with Tori even though I never really saw myself being a dad, so not sure that’s an accurate assessment.”
“Yeah, well I didn’t see myself being a dad either until I was one. And the person who ultimately helped me realize how important it was to figure out who I am and what I want…was Elodie.”
As if he summoned her, his nanny-turned-girlfriend approaches in a floor-length violet gown, her face lighting up the second she spots Henley.
“There you are,” she says as she reaches him.
His arms encircle her waist, drawing her into his chest. “I didn’t know you were looking for me.” He leans down and presses a soft kiss to her lips.