Fever (Breathless #2)(40)

“Do you need my help?” Gabe asked.

And there it was. The unconditional friendship that had existed since they were in college. Always there, at each other’s backs. They’d taken some knocks, no doubt. Gabe’s relationship with Mia had been the most recent threat. But not even the fact that Gabe was f**king Jace’s baby sister and that he’d broken her heart in the process had been able to destroy the bonds of friendship that existed between them.

Gabe had made things right with Mia. He’d made them right with Jace.

Jace sighed and then his hands relaxed, his fingers uncurling from the tight fists they’d formed.

“No, man, but I appreciate it,” he said in a low voice. “I’m not crazy. I’m not obsessed.” Okay, maybe he was, but it sounded a hell of a lot creepier than it was in reality. “This is something I have to—need to—do. Bethany’s different. She’s special. And I don’t even completely understand why or how. But I saw her and things changed. Everything changed. And I have to go with it now or spend the rest of my life regretting it.”

“I get that,” Gabe said slowly. “Believe me, I get that.”

“Yeah, I guess you do. Mia,” Jace said by way of saying he understood.

“Yeah. Mia.”

“Then you get why I just need some space and time to deal with this my own way.”

Gabe nodded. “I get it. Ash would too, if you just explained. He’s pissed, Jace. Not because of Bethany. Not because you’ve seemingly gone off your hinges. He’s pissed because he’s worried about you and you’ve shut him out. You more than anyone know he’d do anything in the goddamn world for you.”

Jace briefly closed his eyes as guilt sludged through his veins. “Yeah, I know.”

Fuck it all. He hated it when Gabe was right. Smug, superior bastard. Even now he had that knowing glint in his eyes.

“I gotta get out of here. I left Bethany at the apartment. She’s taking Mia’s old place.”

Gabe lifted an eyebrow in clear confusion. “Surprised you didn’t lock her up in your place. Ash said things were pretty . . . intense.”

“How the f**k would he know?” Jace muttered. “I wanted to give her some space. Some time to adjust before I just take over. And you know that’s what will happen. Me taking over. It’s inevitable and I want her secure and confident in herself—in me—before this turns into something else entirely.”

Gabe nodded. Yeah, he’d understand better than anyone. Except Ash. The need and desire for control was a trait all three shared. Not just in certain aspects. In everything. In and out of bed. But yeah, especially in bed.

Bethany had seen nothing of the way things would be with him and she was already so fragile, so damn unsure of herself and her place in the world, that Jace was extremely reluctant to move things too fast. If he scared her shitless and she ran, he’d never forgive himself.

“Work this out with Ash,” Gabe said quietly. “You know it’ll eat at you both until you do. And before you bitch because I’m getting too personal, this affects the business too. We can’t afford f**k-ups because you and Ash are at f**king odds. And if you won’t think of me, the business and your own self and the fact that you’ll feel like a complete ass**le for throwing away a nearly lifelong friendship, think what it will do to Mia. She loves you both. Think what it’ll do for Bethany if she ever finds out she drove a wedge between friends and business partners.”

“Jesus, you’re a manipulative bastard,” Jace said in disgust.

Gabe’s mouth quirked up at one corner. “Mia has said that about me a time or two.”

Jace shook his head. Then he changed the subject because he was tired of having his personal life dissected by his best friend.

“Decided on a wedding date yet?”

“Fuck me,” Gabe muttered.

Jace’s eyebrow went up and he laughed. Then he laughed harder. “Wish you could see yourself, man. You look like you swallowed a lemon. What the hell is my sister doing to you?”

Gabe ran a hand through his hair. “Look. I just want to get married. I want my ring on her finger, her last name to be mine, her signature on a marriage certificate. Everything else is inconsequential. I’d do whatever she wanted, whether it was holding the mother of all weddings, the likes of which this city has never seen, or eloping to Vegas.”

Jace winced. “Uh, if I get any kind of vote, can we not go with ‘the likes of which this city has never seen’? That sounds all kinds of f**ked up.”

“Tell me about it,” Gabe muttered.

“So what’s the problem? Sounds like you’re being uncharacteristically accommodating.”

Gabe ignored the ribbing. His expression was utterly serious when he responded. “I love her. I’d do whatever the hell it took for her to be mine. This wedding is for her. I’ve been there, done that, didn’t want to do it again at all until her. The problem is, she hasn’t decided what she wants. And until she does, the wedding is on hold. I don’t know the date because there is no f**king date. Part of me wants to lay down the law and tell her we’re getting married at New Year’s but the other part of me wants this to be special for her because it’s the only goddamn wedding she’s ever going to have.”