Twisted Hate: An Enemies with Benefits Romance
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Twisted Hate by Ana Huang
Ah, fuck. If I teared up over something Alex said, he’d never let me live it
down. But I knew how hard it must’ve been for him to admit that. Alex was as sentimental as a porcupine was cuddly, but for all his faults, he was a good friend in the only way he knew how—loyal, unquestioning, and willing to burn the world down for the people he loved. “Fuck, man, you should’ve warned me you were going to get all sentimental and shit. I would’ve brought more Kleenex.” The words came out more choked than I would’ve liked. A small smile graced his mouth. “It’s facts, not sentimentality. On that note…” He reached into his pocket and retrieved a small velvet box. “I’d like to formalize the relationship.” Were my ears deceiving me, or I did detect a touch of nervousness? I stared at Alex blankly. Part of me knew what he was hinting at, but my sluggish brain couldn’t catch up in time. “Formalize what relationship?” “The family one.” He snapped the box open and nearly blinded me. Holy fucking crap. The ring nestled against the velvet cushion gave the Wollman Rink a run for its money in terms of size. I didn’t know much about diamonds, but I knew this one had to cost at least five figures. It blazed like a fallen star in the dying late afternoon light. Smaller diamonds dotted its platinum band and threw rainbow prisms across the room, and the silver letters stamped on either side of the ring cushion read Harry Winston. “I wanted to tell you before I proposed.” Alex closed the box again, saving my retinas from being seared right off. “You know how I feel about Ava, so I won’t bore you with a regurgitation of the facts. I also despise the outdated tradition of asking permission to marry. That being said, I know how much she values your opinion. I do too, and while I don’t need your permission…” He swallowed hard. “I would very much like to have it.” Silence rang in the wake of his words. Alex. Proposing to Ava. So he would be my brother-in-law. The disjointed yet connected thoughts tumbled through my head. Holy fuck. I’d known Alex and my sister would be endgame since the day I learned he gave up his company for her. He got it back after she forgave him, but for him to even consider doing something so drastic, he had to be in deep. Yet I never could’ve imagined the proposal would come so early, or that he would ask for my permission. Alex never asked for permission from anyone. “I didn’t want to propose until after you and I…sorted through some of our issues.” Alex watched me with sharp eyes, his features taut with tension. “I didn’t want to put either of you in that position.” I finally found my words through the well of emotion in my chest. “My sister’s rubbing off on you. You actually sound human.” “I’m good at imitations.” There was a moment of stunned silence before a laugh burst from my mouth. “Shit, Volkov, don’t kill me with shock before the wedding. Ava will be pissed.” Alex’s lips curved. “Is that an implicit blessing?” “Don’t get ahead of yourself.” I sobered. “You’re right. We have very different worldviews, and we hit a bit of a, ah, rough patch over the years. I still think you’re an asshole eighty percent of the time. But you…you walked my sister home every day for a year like a psycho Romeo. You always put her safety and well-being ahead of yourself, which for you is saying a fucking lot.” I swallowed hard. “Ava is my only sister. My only real family. I’ve always taken care of her growing up, and I don’t trust her with just anyone. But I trust her with you.” If there was one thing I was certain of, it was that Alex would lay his life down on the line for her. He may be an asshole to everyone else, but I could always trust him to take care of Ava. I clapped him on the back as the tightness in my chest intensified. “So yeah, you have my fucking permission. Just don’t kill her with the ring, because that shit is bright as fuck.” A suspicious brightness glowed in Alex’s eyes before he blinked and it disappeared. He let out a relieved-sounding laugh. “She’ll be okay. She’s tougher than you.” “That’s true.” Despite her sunny optimism and what some would call naïveté, Ava had always been a survivor. I shook my head in my disbelief. “Can’t believe I’ll be stuck with you forever as my brother-in-law.” I didn’t doubt Ava would say yes, but having Alex Volkov as my brother- in-law…Lord help me. “Lucky you.” A small smile remained on Alex’s mouth, but his eyes turned serious again. “Speaking of which, I also have a proposal for you.” “Alex.” I clutched my chest. “Ava’s not gonna like it if you propose to me too. Bigamy is illegal in D.C.” “Funny.” He walked to the bar and poured two glasses of whiskey, one of which he handed to me. “If Ava says yes…” “She’ll say yes.” An uncharacteristic hint of nerves coasted through Alex’s eyes before it vanished beneath cool green ice. “When she says yes, I’ll need a best man.” He rubbed his thumb over his glass, his tense shoulders at odds with his casual tone. “Since you’re my best friend, and one of the few people I can stand to be around for more than five minutes at a time, consider this my official ask to you.” Download 1.63 Mb. Do'stlaringiz bilan baham: |
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