Brendon (Alluring Indulgence #8)(73)
Author: Nicole Edwards

“Hey, y’all,” Sawyer hollered. “I’ve got some news.”

Everyone’s attention turned to Sawyer as he stood on the fireplace hearth, adding several inches to his already-tall frame.

“Spit it out, then,” Zane yelled.

“I’m happy to announce that Kennedy and I have set a weddin’ date.”

The room erupted in applause and shouts, followed by numerous requests to know what the date was.

“December nineteenth,” Sawyer announced, his gaze sliding down to Kennedy, who was sitting next to Jessie. “That’s the day.”

Cheyenne glanced across the room at Braydon. His forehead was creased, his eyebrows downturned. She wondered what was going through his head. There’d been discussion that Braydon and Jessie would be the next to marry, since he had proposed long before Sawyer had, but it appeared that wouldn’t be the case.

Brendon’s hand tightened around her waist and she peered at him over her shoulder. He obviously noticed Braydon’s response to the news as well. She wondered if that would encourage Brendon to finally have a conversation with his twin, the one that involved him telling Braydon how he really felt and truly encouraging Braydon to move forward.

Surely he had to see that his twin was having a hard time, even now, when—on the outside—it seemed Brendon had made a complete one-eighty.

Still, deep down, Cheyenne had to wonder just where Brendon was with everything that was going on.

Chelsea and Reilly went on to tell everyone about the salon they were officially opening, using Kylie’s office building and taking out a loan to have it remodeled to work for them.

Once the cheering and encouraging words dissipated, all attention turned to the little ones in the room. People were cooing over Kate, others were playing with Mason and Derrick, and Cheyenne was content to sit by and watch. She’d never known anything like this, not until she met the Walkers.

For a brief instant, she could imagine what her life would look like if things worked out with Brendon. As much as she wanted children and animals, she couldn’t help but wonder whether or not that was in her future. She missed being onstage, performing for her fans, but she knew when she went back to that, she would miss this, too.

The problem was, she no longer knew which one she wanted more.

BRENDON COULD PRACTICALLY feel Cheyenne’s mood shift as she leaned against him, her butt resting on his knee. He’d noticed Braydon at the same time she had, seeing his twin’s disappointment warring with his happiness for their brother when Sawyer announced his wedding date had been set. Braydon was supposed to be next, but clearly he and Jessie hadn’t set a date yet. As much as he wanted to pretend he didn’t know what that was, the truth hurt. Braydon and Jessie had postponed their future for him.

And he didn’t know what to do about that.

He remembered their heated conversations:

“Bray, I’m gonna be fine,” Brendon told Braydon, wishing his brother would stop hovering.

“I fucking know that,” Braydon snapped.

“I’m going to Mom and Dad’s today.”

“Good,” Braydon told him. “You need to.”

Brendon rolled his eyes at his brother’s snarky comeback. “I’m not gonna do anything stupid.”

“You’ve said that before,” Braydon countered. “Look where that got you.”

“Fuck off.” The fight had drained out of him entirely. The words lacked the heat he meant for them to have. “I get it. I fucked up.”

“What the hell is wrong with you? You keep saying that. Do you think it makes things better? That it excuses your actions? Do you think we can look the other way because you said you fucked up? You obviously haven’t learned from your mistakes, Bren. You’re still fucking up.”

Brendon knew that he’d royally screwed things up for Braydon. Starting when he had attempted to take Jessie for himself, even while thinking they were much better friends than lovers. It hadn’t mattered to Brendon at the time. He’d wanted to punish Braydon for finding what Brendon had always wanted.

He thought he’d told them as much, but apparently Braydon and his fiancé hadn’t been listening to him. It was definitely time to sit down and have another chat. Whatever he could do to fix this for Braydon, he was willing.

Oddly—and he doubted anyone would actually believe him if he said it aloud—Braydon’s happiness meant more to Brendon than his own.

chapter TWENTY-THREE

“Where do you want this thing?” Brendon asked Cheyenne when the furniture delivery guys stepped into the house first thing on Monday morning.