Dylan felt like an addict who’d gone too long without a hit, with Serena as his drug of choice, and the withdrawals were kicking his ass and making every day without her a living hell. With every person who came through his mother’s front door for the casual engagement celebration being held in her and Charles’ honor, Dylan felt more and more anxious and on edge, knowing that at some point, it was going to be Serena who walked in.

The past week had been one of the most painful he’d ever endured, and the reason centered all around a beautiful blue-eyed blonde who’d turned his life upside down and inside out by walking out of his life. Even if he did agree that she was better off without him and his fucking mixed signals.

Needing a drink, he left the living room, where Charles and Grace were talking to a few of their friends who’d stopped by, and walked into the kitchen, where most of the family was hanging out. Not in the mood for idle chitchat and not caring for the intent way Leo had been eyeing him since he’d arrived, Dylan grabbed a bottled beer from the refrigerator, popped the top, then leaned against the counter. As he drank the cold brew, he watched his brothers interact with their significant others, feeling, for the first time, like the odd man out.

Both Leo and Aiden had found amazing women, who they’d married and were building their lives with. They had someone to come home to every night, someone to share their day with, and to wake up to every morning. Dylan always swore he didn’t want or need any of those things, that he was just fine being on his own . . . except he was coming to realize that he’d never been completely alone. No, he’d always had Serena around to share all those things with. She’d always been there for him, through thick and thin . . . and now she wasn’t.

As he watched his brothers interact with their wives, it was clear that those women were now their bests friends. The one person who was their everything. They shared inside jokes, finished each other’s sentences, and indulged in affectionate glances and knowing smiles. Dylan had only had that kind of bond with one woman in his entire life—Serena. And he only wanted those intimate moments with her, and the thought of never having that with Serena ever again sliced through him like a knife.

And then he heard her voice drifting in from the living room and everything inside him crashed in a jumble of emotions. Anxiety. Anticipation. Hope. And so many fucking doubts he still hadn’t figured a way to sort them all out.

A few moments later, she entered the kitchen, greeting everyone standing around the wooden island with hellos and a cheerful, radiant smile that made her eyes sparkle, especially when she cooed at Isabella. When she finally spotted him standing off to the side by himself, for the briefest, sweetest moment, he caught that genuinely candid happiness she’d always reserved just for him before she tensed and her expression fell into a polite, contained mask of civility.

She gave him an obligatory nod. “Dylan.”

“Serena,” he acknowledged, hating the gruff tone of his voice, the ache settling in his chest, and the mile-wide distance stretching between them when they were really only a few feet apart.

And that’s all he got, just a cordial acknowledgement before she turned back to Daisy to take Baby Isabella into her arms to talk and play with her while chatting with the other two women.

The hours seemed to drag on for Dylan. He visited with the family friends who came by, and ate the catered lunch his mother had provided for everyone. His gaze was constantly on Serena, and even a few times he’d caught her looking at him with what he’d swear was longing, but just when he thought about approaching her, she turned away again, and that stopped him cold every damn time.

“What’s going on between you and Serena?” Leo asked when Dylan had retreated to the back porch for fresh air, and also so he didn’t have to subject himself to seeing Serena or hearing her laugh at something someone else said.

Leaning against the railing enclosing the deck, Dylan kept his gaze averted to the landscaped backyard so he didn’t have to meet his brother’s too perceptive gaze. It was annoying enough that he’d felt that stare on him for most of the afternoon.

“Nothing is going on,” he said, keeping his tone neutral. “Everything is fine.”

Leo snickered sarcastically. “Oh, is that why the tension between the two of you is nearly tangible and you won’t get within touching or speaking distance of one another? Not to mention the way you keep looking at her like you’re a love-sick puppy?”

Jesus, he couldn’t even deny the unflattering comparison. “Don’t be a dick,” he muttered irritably.

“Then don’t be a fucking idiot,” his brother shot back, which finally made Dylan turn his head to look at Leo. “Clearly, something major happened, because I’ve never seen you two avoid each other like the plague. Serena has always worn her heart on her sleeve when it comes to you, but today, she looks like a woman who’s had that same heart trampled all over. It’s awkward as fuck and I want to know what you did to drive her away.”

Dylan huffed out a breath and dragged his fingers through his hair. “I didn’t drive her away,” he said, his tone gruff. “She walked away. It was her decision, not mine.” But in truth, he’d never given her a reason to stay. He could have most likely stopped her with the right words, but emotional verbiage was not his forte.

“Does this have anything to do with the night the two of you spent together in Vegas?”

Dylan’s brows shot up in surprise. “How do you know about that?”

“Eric is my business partner. I work with him every single day,” Leo said, outing the other man. “Not only did he tell me that the two of you slept together, he also mentioned that you dragged him to trivia night and that you had the equivalent of a pissing match with her date.”

Dylan inwardly winced, knowing that hadn’t been one of his finer moments.

“So, what are you going to do about this situation with Serena?” Leo pressed. “Because you can’t let it go on like this.”

No shit, he thought in annoyance. “Did I ask for your opinion on the matter?” he snapped.

“No, you didn’t ask, but I’m going to give it to you anyway,” his brother replied, completely unfazed by Dylan’s grumpy attitude. “When are you finally going to pull your head out of your ass and realize that Serena belongs to you and the two of you were meant for one another?”

“She doesn’t belong to me,” he argued, glancing away again.

His brother smacked him alongside the back of his head with a loud thump, and not gently. The slap was hard enough that Dylan glared at Leo, a little pissed off. “What the fuck was that for?”

“To get your goddamn attention,” Leo stated impatiently. “And because I want you to listen to me and let this sink into your thick, nerdy brain before you really lose the best thing in your life. Have you ever wondered, really wondered, why Serena hasn’t already settled down with someone?”

Dylan smirked. The answer to that question was an easy one. “Because all the guys she’s dated have been dicks or assholes?”

“Okay, yeah, there have been a few of those,” Leo agreed with a laugh. “But I think there has always been a bigger reason that no man has ever been good enough, even the really suitable ones she’s come across. Has it ever occurred to you that maybe those guys don’t measure up to Serena’s expectations because they aren’t you?”

“The thing is, I don’t measure up,” Dylan replied, rolling his rigid shoulders. “She’s a woman who wants the whole entire fairy tale and happily-ever-after, and when have I ever been able to give that to any woman? Never, because it’s always been easier for me to let the relationship end.” Except for Serena, who, until now, had always been a constant in his life. “What if I try a real relationship with Serena and end up fucking it all up or hurting her in the long run?” It was thoughts like that that paralyzed him with fear.

“You’ve already done that, asshole.” Leo studied him seriously. “Look, there are no guarantees for the long run, Dylan, and there are going to be times that you screw up. And I get that giving someone all of your heart is not an easy thing to do, but have you looked around at our family lately?” Leo asked, glancing back inside the glass slider to the kitchen and the people they loved most mingling there. “You’ve got Aiden, who swore he’d never settle down, and now he’s married with a kid and already talking about having more. And if I can get dumped at the altar on my wedding day and still find the true love of my life with Peyton, then there’s hope for you, too. And then there’s Mom, who’s been through hell with Dad and her cancer scare, but has found a guy who treats her like a queen and is going to marry her and give her everything she deserves. She’s found love again, and it’s bigger and stronger than it ever was with Dad. Trust me when I tell you that you already love Serena, that she’s your forever girl. She always has been.”

“And what happens if I can’t give her what she needs?” he asked, not fully convinced because he wanted what was best for Serena. Forget about himself.

“For a guy who’s so intelligent, you’re incredibly stupid about some things,” Leo said with humor. “Dylan, you are what she needs. And you need her. You always have.”

Dylan couldn’t refute that, but it was difficult to squash the doubts that lingered.

“I want you to imagine something,” Leo said after a few quiet minutes had passed. “Imagine watching Serena walking down the aisle at her wedding . . . to another man. How does that make you feel?”

Like he wanted to puke. “Fine,” he forced out. “I’d feel fine.”

“And when that other guy puts a ring on her finger and she commits the rest of her life to him, until death do they part, how does that make you feel?”

Absolutely dead inside. “I’ll be happy for her. It’s what she deserves.” He forced the words out, because wasn’t that what he’d been telling himself all this time?

“Bullshit,” his brother muttered. “And what about what you deserve?” Leo pushed on. “Don’t you deserve a woman who makes you happy the way Serena does?”

Dylan shook his head and rubbed his hand down his face. “I don’t know what I deserve anymore. I just know I can’t keep hurting Serena, but not having her in my life is killing me, too.”

“Then put a goddamn ring on her finger already,” his brother said, clapping him on the back. “Trust me, you’re all she needs, but she needs all of you, not just a half-assed version of yourself that’s scared to put your heart on the line for her.”

Leo’s words stayed with Dylan for the rest of the afternoon, rolling around in his head and giving him the time he needed to build up the courage to take that leap of faith. As the party finally came to an end and everyone was gone but immediate family, his mother, Grace, came into the kitchen, where everyone was gathered, along with Charles, and placed an old-style photo album on the island counter.

“What a day,” his mother said, all smiles and beaming radiantly.

“We’re all so happy for both of you,” Peyton said, giving Grace a warm hug. “You two are clearly meant for one another.”

“I do have to say that love has been so much sweeter the second time around,” Grace said with a content sigh as she stared into Charles’ eyes. “I can’t wait to marry this man of mine.”

Charles drew her close and placed an affection kiss on her temple. “The honor will be all mine, sweetheart.”

Aiden groaned. “Okay, you two, if you don’t quit, we’re going to have to insist you get a room.”

A bright pink blush stained Dylan’s mother’s cheeks, and she turned back to the photo album she’d brought into the kitchen. “I came across something while I was going through old boxes that brought back some fun memories and made me smile. Dylan and Serena, come here. I want to show you this.”

Serena reluctantly moved next to Grace, and Dylan stood next to Serena, close enough that he could inhale the floral scent of her shampoo and feel the warmth of her body next to his. His fingers itched to touch, but he didn’t dare give in to the temptation.

“This is a scrapbook I made of the two of you growing up,” Grace said, flipping the book open to the first page, which showed pictures of Dylan and Serena as toddlers playing in a plastic pool together, splashing each other and having fun.

He caught Serena’s melancholy smile, while Daisy and Peyton crowded around to get a better look and awww’d in unison. His mother turned the page, revealing images of them a bit older, around four, eating cupcakes Grace had made and smearing frosting in each other’s face. Everyone laughed and made jokes but Serena, who seemed to be trying very hard not to show her emotions.

More pictures as they grew up together . . . with Serena all frilly in a princess outfit that his mother had made for her to wear for Halloween, and him in a Disney prince costume, which he did not look happy about getting stuck with—and his brothers were currently teasing him about. He clearly remembered wanting to be a superhero villain instead, but the sweet, adoring expression captured on Serena’s face as she looked at him was pure infatuation, and her crush on him had started around then, which Dylan had been oblivious to at the time.

His mother had captured a photo of the two of them lying in the grass in Dylan’s backyard, their heads close together as they stared up at the clouds and pointed out all the different shapes and images they’d found—with him holding her hand as if she’d belonged to him even then. More fun, casual pictures through middle school, with Dylan’s arm slung over her shoulder and those pretty blue eyes once again gazing up at him as if he’d hung the moon and stars for her.

Yes, it was clear for everyone in the room to see that Serena had worn her heart on her sleeve for him. And he’d been a clueless kid.

The album ended just as high school began, and that significance wasn’t lost on Dylan, because that’s when his feelings for Serena started to change, when he’d become aware of her as more than just his best pal, and desire and teenage lust had him noticing the new, shapely curves of her body. When the urge to kiss her became too unbearable, he’d focused on other girls instead. He’d deliberately spent less time with Serena and firmly kept her in the friend zone because of his fear of losing her.

Now, he realized he’d fallen in love with her back then, and years later, those feelings had only grown stronger and deeper, despite his attempts to keep them tucked away, always to protect Serena from himself. But the truth was, nobody could ever compare to her, and nobody ever would.

His mother closed the book and pushed it toward Serena. “I thought you might like to keep this, since it’s pictures of you and Dylan.”

Serena bit her bottom lip, which quivered slightly, and shook her head. “I appreciate the gesture. I really do. But I think Dylan should take it,” she said, her voice husky, as if she were holding back tears. But then she exhaled a deep breath and pasted on a smile. “It’s been a wonderful party, but it’s getting late and I really should go.”

Dylan recognized her abrupt departure for what it was—an excuse to put distance between them, to lessen the pain she was so obviously feeling. It was a Saturday evening and it wasn’t as though she had to work the next day. He watched as she made the rounds, saying goodbye and hugging each person in the family . . . except him. Hell, she wouldn’t even look his way, and when she walked out of the kitchen and down the hall to the guest room, where the girls had left their purses, his brother Leo shot him a look that said, It’s now or never.

It was definitely now. With everyone staring expectantly at him, clearly waiting to see what his next move would be, he followed the direction that Serena had just taken.