Back To Us (Dare With Me #4) - J.H. Croix Page 0,54

her all kinds of promises. What a dumbass.”

A horn honked behind me, and I looked ahead to see the light had changed to green. I turned onto the highway, keeping my gaze on the road. I carefully considered my words. “Dad couldn’t be reliable. I’m sorry it affected you too. It doesn’t change what I said, though.”

“I know. I’m not scared to try again with someone. Not yet. I’m just a little nervous because Julian’s my friend, and I don’t want to screw that up.”

“Smart move. Things can get complicated with friends.”

“Since you brought it up again, can we talk about you and Gabriel?”

I bit the insides of my cheeks for a minute and sighed. “Fine. What do you want to talk about?”

“I think you’re making a mistake. I thought so before,” she said hurriedly.

“What are you talking about?” I was flabbergasted. I had not talked to anyone about my choice to break things off recently. That said, I knew undercurrents were rumbling. I felt them every time I was anywhere near Gabriel.

Cat’s ponytail bounced as she bobbed her head up and down when I glanced her way again. “Yes. I don’t think he knows how to be in a relationship. But neither do you,” she added softly.

My eyes stung, and my throat felt thick. My little sister was getting all grown up and giving me advice about my love life, and I didn’t know how to deal with it.

“Well, that’s a fact. I don’t know how to do relationships,” I finally said. “We’re figuring it out, I think.”

Cat wasn’t done with me yet. She pressed on. “I think he’s kind of freaked out by how he feels about you. He’s been awfully cranky since you broke up with him.”

“How do you know I actually broke up with him?” I countered, promptly revealing that I, in fact, had been the one to break things off. Again.

“Because I do. He didn’t say anything, if you’re wondering. I asked Flynn and Daphne if Gabriel said anything, and she said he was heartbroken.”

I groaned. “Oh, my God. I’m gossip at work.”

Cat cast me a wry grin. “That’s what you get for owning a business with your family. We don’t have to keep talking about it. I’m sure you hate it about as much as I hate you giving me advice right now. I’m just saying don’t ruin a good thing.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Gabriel

I shifted my shoulders and ran my finger along the edge of my shirt collar. I wasn’t accustomed to wearing a suit. Elias was getting married, and I was one of the groomsmen with Tucker, Flynn, and Diego. Elias wanted all of us to stand up with him. He insisted he wouldn’t have met Cammi if it weren’t for us because we were the reason he came to Alaska. I tried to slide out of it by pointing out that Flynn was the one who invited all of us to come work with him in Alaska.

Elias had scoffed and cuffed me lightly on the shoulder. “As soon as the ceremony is over, you can take off that suit and chill out in jeans and a T-shirt for the reception.”

“Seriously?” Diego had prompted.

Elias grinned. “That was my agreement with Cammi. She wants the whole deal for the ceremony, but she said she doesn’t care about what happens afterward.”

Nonetheless, wearing a suit wasn’t something I did often. I shifted my shoulders again, feeling stiff and uncomfortable. This day felt big, really big. In a weird way, Elias and I had bonded over never planning to get serious. We weren’t assholes, and we weren’t players. We had merely dedicated ourselves to being casual for years.

Elias was deeply content with Cammi, and I was so fucking happy for him. I was also still puzzling over the riddle of Nora breaking things off with me. I was trying to figure out why she was so upset. What did she expect me to say about my mother?

I felt a nudge on my shoulder. Diego’s tone was low. “We’re moving.”

I took a quick step forward, and we lined up. We had a cold snap last week, and Cammi had worried it would ruin their outdoor ceremony. Autumn in Alaska was fickle. Some days were cold and some warmer. The weather gods and goddesses shined down upon them, and we had a beautiful, if slightly brisk, sunny day for their wedding on the property where Cammi had grown up. Elias had snapped it up when the owners decided to put it