After Madi and Hunt had gotten married, Brett didn’t call her as much as he used to or text or come by—which had been easier when they were in Denver. Once they’d moved home to Atlanta, he’d been there and, of course, had seen her almost daily at the complex over these last five years, but he’d tried very hard to give her and Hunter the space they deserved. Brett had always felt Hunter’s subtle jealousy of his and Madi’s relationship, despite his and Hunter’s own closeness.
To say that Brett and Hunter had a hot and cold relationship would be an accurate statement. But how could another man really love the man who coveted his wife? Even if they had been like brothers. Hunter’s intolerance of Brett’s infatuation with Madi had become more and more evident as time had gone on, causing Brett to be even more cautious with her this past year.
Now, Brett could have a clean slate, with Hunter gone. He and Madi could go back to the way things had been, before Hunter… but they couldn’t, not really. Not with Hunter’s shadow always hanging over them both…and Brett realized that was the real problem here.
Even with Hunter gone, he’d never be truly gone.
And Brett hated that he hated that.
“Maybe it’s me who should be committed,” Brett stated and covered his face with his palms, misery etching his heart.
“Aww c’mon, man. Don’t say that. He was your friend. He’d give you his blessing where Madi’s concerned. What kinda selfish prick would he be if he didn’t? I mean he could be a prick, but—”
“He did,” Brett confessed, “give me his blessing, I mean. On his death bed. He knew, all along he knew. And yet he was still my friend. Fucked up, right? Could you be friends, no best friends, with me even if I was head over heels in love with Skyla? Tell the truth.”
Travis gritted his teeth, air hissing through as he pulled in a breath. “Yeah, I’d probably wanna beat the living hell out of you, honestly.”
“Exactly!”
“But you knew Madi before he did, so he kinda didn’t have a choice in the matter. If he hated you, it wouldn’t have made a difference, Madi was your BFF first. He had to accept you.” Travis shrugged, his logic sound enough.
That was probably true. Madi had chosen not to cut Brett out of her life when she and Hunter hit it off, so Hunter had to accept Brett’s relationship with her. Knowing Hunter, he’d kept Brett close out of necessity. What was that old saying about keeping friends close but enemies closer? Even still, Hunt could’ve forced Madi’s hand—maybe he did at some point; but their friendship never seemed to suffer during Madi and Hunter’s relationship of seven years, despite the imposed distance between the two of them. Perhaps it was Madison that bridged the gap, the glue that kept them all linked. It didn’t much matter now, either way. Brett simply had to be glad that Hunter cared for him despite his secret love for the man’s wife.
Brett remembered Hunter’s dying words, “I knew, and yet I was still going to have her.” Did that make him selfish? Yes. Hunt had known, and he hadn’t cared. He’d known Brett was the right match, too—he’d said that also. Brett had Hunter’s blessing, so why was he still so tore up about moving in and doing what he should’ve done all along?
“Know what I think?” Travis asked quickly as he saw the girls coming out of the water toward them arm-in-arm, laughing. Brett’s brows arched in question. “I think you need to take Hunt completely out of the equation. He’s gone now, buddy. Do what you would’ve done had he not been here. Because he sure as shit would’ve done the same if it had been you who’d died instead.”
As much as Travis was right, it stung. Hunt, as much as Brett loved the jerk, was a selfish dick. If Brett had died and the roles had been reversed, there wouldn’t be anything stopping him from taking what he’d always wanted if he were in Brett’s shoes.
“That’s true, but there’s one thing you forget, Ares,” Brett grated.
“What’s that, Zeus?”
“I’m nothing like Hunter. I’ve always put my queen first, and I always will.”
“Marcel, another delicious feast. I must say, I think I’ll kidnap you and take you home with me,” Madi cooed to their talented chef.
Marcel laughed and kissed Madi’s cheeks, getting a giggle from her. “Muchas gracias! You flatter me, señora McFadden.”
Damn that sounded good, Madison McFadden, but Madi was blushing. “Oh, no, I— were not…”
“You no married?” Marcel looked surprised even as Brett’s big palm rested on Madi’s back. “You two are perfectos juntos.”
“Right. I said the same thing, amigo.” Travis winked at them, and Brett rolled his eyes at him.
“Oh, you too, señor Redmond—pájaros del amor.” Marcel pointed to Travis and Sky getting a blush out of them. He blew them kisses and moved back to flip the fish for their next round of tacos.
The food here was as amazing as the view and Madi had indulged on several skinny margaritas tonight, feeling her lips starting to numb. It was perfect outside with the warm, Caribbean breeze blowing as they listened to the sound of fresh fish charring on the grill, the ocean lulling them in the distance.
Madi smiled up at Brett who returned it. He seemed lighter too now that
