Page 132 of Wedlocked
“I thought you weren’t a morning person,” I yelled.
“It’s the middle of the night.”
Asshole.
Kruger nodded. “Thanks for the backup, bro.”
I realized then that everyone was listening at their doors. Nosy fuckers.
It didn’t matter who was listening, though. They could all hear. It’d keep me from having to say it twice. “I’m not trying to marry him behind your back, Ben,” I implored.
He made a face. “That’s Kruger to you, traitor.”
“I literally just asked him.”
Kruger was not pacified. “Prior proper planning.”
I didn’t plan for this. I followed my heart.
Raking a hand through my hair, I sighed. “I love him.” I just dropped it right into the room like he sometimes did. “I love Matthew, your brother, with every cell in my body. Even the cells that haven’t divided yet.”And then when they divide, it’s just more of me to love him.
“That’s deep, bro.” Kruger nodded. “But it ain’t good enough.”
I pushed him back and straightened. “I don’t need to be good enough for you. It’s Matthew I’m concerned about, Matthew I’mcommitted to. I want to make sure he knows that won’t ever change and it will always be me and him.”
“Trying to push me out?”
“If you don’t want people to call you a moron, then stop fucking acting like one,” I snapped.
Kruger’s eyes narrowed.
“We both know I’m not trying to push you out. I wouldn’t even be able to if I tried. The fact is you’re getting married. Talking about kids and life and family. You can’t honestly stand there and tell me that once you have kids and a wife, Matthew will be your number one.”
Kruger was silent.
“But he is mine. He always will be. No one will ever come before him in my eyes. So why shouldn’t I put a ring on his finger, a visual reminder of that promise for him to look at every day?” I shifted.
“He’s always going to be my brother.”
Pretty sure Kruger was saying that for his own reassurance and not mine.
I realized then that maybe Matthew wasn’t the only one trying to process the changes to his and Kruger’s relationship. Maybe Kruger was adjusting too.
“Yes.” I agreed. “You and he will always be family. That’s why I’m asking you for your blessing. So how about it, Kruger? It would mean a lot to Matthew if you stood up there with us while we made it official. And, ah, it would mean a lot to me too.”
“You’re giving him your name, aren’t you?”
“Oh, as fast as humanly possible,” I confirmed.
Another door cracked. “I brought that paperwork too. We can file it with the marriage certificate.”
Guess I had some backup too. “Thanks, Dad.”
Kruger sniffed. “No such thing as a private conversation around here.”
I stuck out my hand. “What do you say, Kruger?”
He looked between me and my hand and then shook his head, knocking it away. Before I could do anything, he plowed into me, hugging me hard. “You can call me Ben.”