Upside Down (Breaking the Rules #3) - A.M. Madden Page 0,15
chasing guys who were very much out of the closet. The problem was the four that I’d had a long-term relationship with were all players who tried to play me like a fiddle. Crazy as it sounded, having them cheat on me had me feeling more in control because it gave me the excuse to end it.
Cooper’s eyes again found mine before comically bouncing away, forcing another chuckle to erupt just as Marco came over and asked, “Tutto è buono?”
Even though most of the time he slipped into his native tongue without even realizing it, thanks to him, I now spoke the Italian language fluently.
“Yes, everything is great,” I responded to appease his question. But the narrowing of his eyes on mine meant he wasn’t convinced. Using his last name, I said, “Relax, Puglia, I have it covered. Have I ever failed at this?”
“No, Burrows, you never have,” he reluctantly admitted before following my focus. “Perché si sta rompendo le palle?”
“I’m not busting his balls,” I scoffed.
“Si, you are.” Marco gave me a stern expression, to which I waved an impatient hand.
“No, I’m not.” When he continued to stare at me, I asked, “What?”
“Rebecca seems to think now that he’s single, you’ll play matchmaker again and try to set him up. And since she mentioned doing the same for Cooper, and he shut her down, she doesn’t want you to upset him.”
“Tell your wife she’s delusional.” That traitor.
“Want to know what I think?”
“No.”
He ignored my response. “I think that you have a crush on him, and I worry that you’re wasting your time on a straight man again.” Fuck, that theory was worse than his wife’s.
“I feel sorry for him,” I blurted out. No way would I make this about my history.
“Why?” Marco asked before adding, “He’s good looking, kind, genuine. He’s a great guy. So he seems down. Give him a break. He just broke up with his ragazza.”
“That’s not—” I stopped myself from saying any more. This had nothing to do with him breaking up with his girlfriend, as Marco had just claimed. Still, it wasn’t my place to discuss Cooper’s issues or what I believed his issues to be. So, instead, I gave Marco a casual shrug and admitted, “He seems lost.”
“Weren’t we all at one time or another?” Marco asked, his accent as thick as his point. “It’s not your job to fix everyone, Ricky.”
“Are you sorry that I fixed you?”
“No.” His dark-brown eyes landed on his wife. “She’s the best thing that’s happened to me.”
“I’ll assume you mean besides meeting me,” I joked.
“I may not have met her if I hadn’t met you first.” Marco flashed that drop-dead-gorgeous smile of his. “And now I’m stuck with you forever because she loves you too much.”
I met his amused expression with an eye roll. “Gee, that’s such a heartwarming sentiment.”
“You’re welcome.”
After a long day of boisterously celebrating in the sun, the mood for the rehearsal dinner was a bit more subdued. Flickering votives and dim lighting created the romantic atmosphere that served as a backdrop to the divine cuisine made by one of the top chefs to have ever sailed the tropical seas.
Rebecca wanted it to be elegant, but did it have to be so dull?
Crystal, fine linens, a pianist, and at least a dozen suppressed yawns on my part. One large square table forced everyone to interact. Sure, I was thankful to be considered family, flanked by Rebecca on one side and her brother Griffin on the other. But I needed to call a spade a spade: the Stanton clan was boring as fuck.
Just as I considered cranking up my favorite party music playlist on the speakers to finally get this shindig started, the clinking of a glass being tapped by a fork quieted the operatic background music.
When Cooper slowly stood in place, all conversations around the table silenced, and I mumbled, “Oh no,” earning me Rebecca’s elbow to my ribs. “Ow.”
“Hey, it’s me again,” Cooper said with a sheepish wave, evoking an eternal groan from memories of his first toast earlier that day. “I promise this time it’ll be quick,” he added with a smirk, causing chuckles to filter around the elegant dining room.
Just as I began to push out of my chair to make an escape, Rebecca gripped my hand and gave me a scathing look.
“Ugh… fine,” I said before slamming back the rest of my wine and reaching for the bottle to freshen up my glass.