Priceless (Finding Love Book 5)

by Paris Hansen

  Holding his hands up, Braeden took a step back so he was a little further away from the couple’s fists. He planned on trying to keep his mouth shut, but there was no way he could promise it. Sometimes they threw up a softball, and he couldn’t help but comment on it. He’d spent years being the jokester of their group, and even though he was looking to be taken a little more seriously by his friends and Andi especially, he couldn’t just quit being who he was.

  By the time Oliver finished declaring his love for his wife there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Even Braeden found himself wiping at his eyes a time or two. He was ecstatic for his friends; they both deserved to find the love and happiness they shared. They’d been through so much in such a short time. Their story really showed that love could conquer all...at least in their case. Braeden wasn’t so sure it could in his, but he was damn well ready to find out.

  “Now that you’ve all ruined your make-up or cried for the first time in front of your friends, and no I’m not too manly to admit I just shed a few tears, it is time to pronounce these two husband and wife again. Oliver, you may now kiss the hell out of your bride.”

  Oliver pulled his wife into his arms, then dipped her backward, his mouth capturing hers. They kissed for a lot longer than Braeden expected, all while their friends and family whistled and applauded. Someone yelled ‘get a room’ which was followed quickly by Oliver’s mom yelling ‘yes please’ which made everyone laugh, including the two love birds. Oliver fixed Meghan’s lipstick, while she wiped some of it off of his face, then they turned to look out at the crowd of their loved ones.

  “We all know I didn’t do anything and I have no power at all since this shindig isn’t an official wedding, but I do get to be the first to announce something that is going to make Oliver really happy. If you’d like to check her driver’s license later you can. I saw it, and it has officially been changed. So for the first time ever, I would like to introduce you to Oliver and Meghan Brooks.”

  The room filled with the loud sound of applause as Oliver kissed his bride again. Pride and love and a bit of surprise were evident on his face as he pulled away from her before they got out of control again. Braeden clapped along with the rest of the crowd while he waited impatiently for Oliver and Meghan to be swallowed up by well-wishers so he could make a beeline for Declan. The minute they stepped off of the raised platform, he was off, pushing his way through the people milling about waiting for their turn to congratulate the couple.

  Braeden weaved through the tables set up around the perimeter of the stage. He knew precisely where Declan was and as he approached he realized he was too late. His heart sank as he watched Declan gather his and Brooklyn’s stuff together. Knowing he’d probably have to wait to have the conversation didn’t stop him from moving forward as it would have in the past. He wasn’t going to let any excuse get in his way this time.

  “Hey guys, you heading out?” he asked trying to sound as casual as possible but failing if the look on Brooklyn’s face was any indication.

  Declan nodded as he helped his girlfriend into her coat. “Brooklyn isn’t feeling well; the twins are doing a number on her tonight. What’s up?”

  “I was hoping we could talk, but it can wait. Get this beautiful woman home so she can put her feet up and you can take care of her.”

  Brooklyn smiled at him, but even through it, he could see she was exhausted. He could only imagine how difficult it was to grow a human being, let alone two human beings at the same time. He did not envy everything she had to go through to bring those babies into the world, but he did envy the fact that she and Declan were going to have a family soon. It was something he’d always wanted, especially after losing his dad and being on his own. Now he wondered if a family was just one more thing he’d never get.

  “Are you sure, Braeden?” Brooklyn asked a knowing look on her face. “I can probably wait if you need to talk to Declan.”

  Damn it, Meghan. She had to have blabbed to Brooklyn. They were best friends after all, and girls tended to share their secrets. As long as no one told Andi before he was ready, Braeden didn’t care all that much if they talked about him. It might make things easier for him if Brooklyn knew. She’d be able to keep her man from freaking out on him and rearranging his face when Braeden told him everything.

  “No, it can wait. Maybe I can come by tomorrow though. Would that work for you guys?”

  “Of course. Why don’t you come over around ten so you guys can watch the game while you talk,” Brooklyn suggested.

  She definitely knew what he wanted to talk to Declan about. Having football on would hopefully help Braeden’s case...or it could make things worse depending on how the game was going. Maybe going over there that early wasn’t the best idea. Braeden didn’t need any help making Declan angry. He was fairly certain telling the man that he’d been the one to deflower his sister when they were in high school was going to be more than enough to send him into a rage.

  Nevertheless, he wanted to get the conversation over with. He needed Declan’s blessing before he could talk to Andi, so he’d go over there in the morning and take whatever Declan had to dish out. Andi was worth everything he had to go through to make their future a reality even if that meant losing a limb to Declan’s anger.

  “Sounds good. I’ll see you two in the morning. I’ll pick up some doughnuts on my way over.”

  “I knew I liked you for a reason,” Brooklyn said before kissing him on the cheek. She grabbed Declan’s hand and let him lead her out of the reception hall.

  As Braeden watched them walk away, he realized that Declan hadn’t said a damn thing during their entire exchange except when he told him that Brooklyn wasn’t feeling well. After that, Brooklyn had been the one to steer the conversation and offer the invite to their house. Braeden wasn’t sure if Declan’s lack of dialogue meant something or if it was just Declan being his usual stoic self. Not that it mattered since Braeden was going to his house in the morning whether Declan liked it or not.

  The man who’d been his best friend growing up had been difficult to read since they’re relationship had changed. Braeden knew it was his fault. He was the one who pushed Declan away and treated him like he’d done something wrong by having a child at seventeen. He was the one that severed their friendship because he blamed him for Andi choosing her brother over him.

  Tomorrow he’d have the chance to clear things up. Not just about his feelings for Andi, but why he’d turned into such an asshole and turned his back on his friend when Declan needed him the most. It was finally time for Braeden to not only get his girl back but to get his friend back. He just hoped it wasn’t too late in either case.

  ✽✽✽

  Braeden - 18 Years Old

  It was time.

  It didn’t matter that he was just barely eighteen or that they were both still so young. He’d known she was the one since he was thirteen and he was made even more sure of that the day he told her he loved her when they were sixteen. Now that they were graduating from high school, he knew it was time to tell the world how much he loved her.

  He hated the fact that no one knew about their relationship. That they’d spent almost two years together as a couple without anyone realizing it just showed how self-absorbed their friends were. Sure, Declan had a lot going on. Knocking up his girlfriend hadn’t been a part of his plan. Neither was becoming a single father at seventeen. But still, Braeden had no idea how he could have missed how insanely happy he and Andi had become since they made it official.

  Of course, things had become chaotic the minute Declan told his family about the baby. His parents weren’t pleased to learn that he planned on keeping it. They were certain Declan was ruining his life by bringing a baby into the world. Braeden didn’t agree. Sure, he was probably too young to have a kid, but there was no way she could ruin Declan’s life.

  Braeden didn’t change his mind even though he rarely got to see Andi by herself since the baby was born in March. When they got to hang o
ut she either had her niece with her or the guys were around. When the twins turned eighteen, their father threatened to kick them out of the house, which made things a hell of a lot more awkward. With her brother giving up baseball to take care of his child, Andi never had the house to herself and Declan’s neediness made it difficult for her to sneak away to see Braeden.

  Now that they were done with high school none of that was going to matter. They could go on with their plans to go to the University of Washington together. He had dreams of becoming a lawyer, while she was going to study statistics. He never understood her love of numbers and collecting data, but it made her happy, which was all that mattered to him. They would get a little apartment near campus and not have to worry about Declan coming between them.

  While Braeden hated what his friend was going through with his parents, he was starting to resent Declan for always being in the way. For years no one gave a shit about what Andi was doing. Now her parents were harping on her for siding with her brother and her brother was constantly asking for her help. Braeden tried to stay out of it, tried to hide his anger when he was around Andi and Declan, but it was getting harder and harder as time went on.

  That was another reason why he’d decided it was finally time. He needed to make it known that Andi had someone else looking out for her, that she had someone else that needed her. Braeden wanted her to know it was okay to finally choose him over her family. It was Declan’s fault they never came clean about their relationship in the first place. Andi had always been too afraid to piss him off, then the news about the baby came, which threw everyone off their game. Then the shit really hit the fan when Declan refused to give the baby up for adoption. Andi never wanted to create waves, which Braeden had understood for the most part. But now he wanted waves.

  Now he wanted to rock the fucking boat.

  Shaking his head, he scanned the crowd around him. The graduation ceremony had ended more than a half an hour earlier. He’d gone off to find his dad in the crowd knowing it would be a while before Andi was ready to go. She’d been on the stage the entire ceremony as valedictorian of their class. Her speech had been inspiring and surprisingly emotional. He couldn’t wait until he could get her alone so he could congratulate her. He looked forward to finally having her in his arms for the first time in days.

  His dad left as soon as they exchanged a longer than usual hug. Never one for a big speech or really much emotion at all, the hug from his dad had been surprising. Braeden had grown up knowing how much his dad loved him, but the way he showed it was more subtle than other parents. Braeden sometimes wondered if that was because his dad was afraid he’d leave him just like his mom did. Of course, Braeden had no plans to leave his dad behind, which was part of why he picked a college in Washington to go to. It helped that his friends, aside from Declan, were planning on going to UW as well.

  Finally, he spotted her walking toward him. As his eyes focused on her, everything else seemed to fade away. Andi was the most beautiful girl he’d ever laid eyes on. The most beautiful person he knew, inside and out. Every time he looked at her, he fell more in love with her. He knew he was the luckiest guy in the world getting to have her in his life. She’d given him everything and in return, he’d given her all of him. He wanted nothing more then to slide the ring in his pocket onto her finger.

  Braeden knew everyone would say they were too young to be engaged, but he didn’t care. All he cared about was her and what she thought. He’d call the ring whatever she wanted to call it, promise ring, engagement ring, random graduation present, whatever, as long as she wore it every day knowing that someday they would be husband and wife.

  “Hey baby,” he said as she approached.

  He didn’t care who heard him or who saw him pull her into his arms even though he should. The area where they stood was nearly empty at the moment, but that didn’t mean there weren’t people lurking around who would run off and tell her brother before he got a chance to.

  She hugged him back, but the gesture lacked enthusiasm. Something was wrong. He felt it immediately. When she took a step backward so she could look at him, he knew what was coming.

  “Braeden…”

  “No.”

  “We have to talk.”

  “No. Damn it, Andi. No.”

  He knew exactly what she was going to say, but he didn’t want to hear it. Didn’t want to acknowledge that his worst fear was coming true. She was choosing her brother over him. His heart was starting to splinter into a million pieces and she hadn’t even said the words yet.

  “I’m sorry. You know this isn’t what I want, but he needs me. They need me,” she said quickly. “Dad officially kicked them out this morning. He has a week to find somewhere to live. I have to go with them, Braeden. I have to help them.”

  “What about us? What about me? We had plans, Andi.”

  He hated to see the tears fill her eyes, but it didn’t make it any easier on him knowing she was hurting too. He rubbed at the spot in the middle of his chest where it felt like he was being stabbed repeatedly. Part of him wanted to show her the ring. Wanted to show her that he’d been planning for forever. It wouldn’t do any good for her to see the proof. It wouldn’t change her mind.

  “I know. God, I’m so sorry Braeden. I wish things were different. I wish we could move forward with our plans, but I’d never be able to forgive myself for leaving my brother to fend for himself. And that little girl...how could I leave her behind?”

  “But you can forgive yourself for breaking my heart?” Braeden asked anger lacing through his voice.

  He didn’t want to be mad at her, but it was better than showing her how much she’d hurt him. He’d break down when he got home. At the moment, he didn’t think she deserved the right to know just how badly she was breaking him.

  “I’m breaking my own heart in the process if that helps any,” she said meekly knowing full well it didn’t make anything better. Andi was anything but stupid.

  “I’ve gotta go.”

  “Braeden, please. Don’t go.”

  “I can’t stay here talking to you Andi. I can’t look at you right now, okay. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to look at you again without remembering this moment. And the really shitty thing is, I have no one I can talk to about how much this fucking hurts. For the rest of my life, I’m gonna have to be around you while pretending that everything is okay. I’ll have to pretend that you didn’t rip my heart out and I didn’t lose my best friend.”

  “We can still be friends Braeden. One day you’ll realize that I was just the girl you loved in high school. There will be other girls, one you’ll love more than you ever loved me.”

  “You can’t truly believe that.”

  He couldn’t believe the words coming out of her mouth. There was no way he could love someone more than her and there was no way they could be friends. Not after everything they’d been through. She couldn't honestly believe what she was saying. The tears spilling down her cheeks told him she was hurting just as much as he was. The fact that she wouldn’t look him in the eyes told him she didn’t really want to do this. Yet she kept speaking nonsense.

  “I truly believe we’ll always be friends, Braeden. And yes, someday, you’ll find someone new. Someday, you’ll forget all about what we had.”

  “Bullshit,” Braeden growled. “That’s all a bunch of bullshit. If you believe that crap, then there’s no way you ever loved me as much as I love you. There will never be another you. You’re the one for me and if we’re over, then that’s it. Just know I will never stop loving you.”

  He looked at her one last time before turning to walk away. He couldn’t stand there any longer and not break. Tears pricked at the corners of his eyes, but he refused to cry in front of her. She called after him as he strode away, but he didn’t turn around. Instead, he straightened his shoulders and walked as quickly as he could out of the stadium. He waived at a few of his classmates as he made his way to his car, thankful as fuck that none of
them had wanted to stop and chat.

  By the time he made it to his car, the dam had broken. Tears spilled down his cheeks as he hit the steering wheel over and over. When he finally calmed down enough to drive, he maneuvered his way through the parking lot and out onto the road. His head filled with thoughts of Andi, until he forced them out.

  He was never going to love someone the way he loved her. He knew that with every fiber of his being. Maybe someday he could convince her that they were meant to be together, but that someday was not going to be anytime soon. Instead of focusing on her, he was going to focus on his future. He was going to put everything he had into becoming the best fucking lawyer he could be. Then maybe he’d work on convincing Andi she’d made the wrong decision.

  ✽✽✽

  Andi - Present Day

  The evening had been magical. The air filled with love. It was everything Andi wished she could experience for herself but wasn’t sure she’d ever have. The vows Oliver and Meghan exchanged had been beautiful and heartfelt. They’d made everyone laugh and cry. Even the men in the room had shed tears, most of them because they could relate to the words being said. Almost everyone at the party was part of a couple, very few were there all alone, like she was.

  During the vow renewal, Andi looked around at the other happy couples as they held their loved one close, placed a kiss on their temple, their forehead, their lips. She longed for the day she’d be one of those couples, nearly oblivious to those around them, love shining in their eyes. Her day was coming. That’s what she kept telling herself; manifesting her destiny and all that.

  Looking around the room, she found her friends on the dance floor. Savannah, Kerrigan, and Meghan all looked at their husband’s adoringly, and the men looked at their wives like they were their reasons for breathing. She knew if her brother and Brooklyn hadn’t left early, they’d be out on the dance floor looking just like the rest. Although they weren’t married yet or even engaged, there was no doubt in Andi’s mind they were headed that way fast.