a word ever after.
“Isn’t that crazy about Amy’s dad? Zack? Zack! Hey, you still there, bro?”
“Yeah, sorry. I’m here.”
“Hey man, you okay? You’re not all here, like, at all. That property deal is really running you for your money, huh?”
“Yeah, I guess so… It’s fine though. I’m just working late hours.” Drinking away his sorrow late into the night for two weeks straight was hitting him hard. But drowning in a liquor-induced coma felt better than doing nothing—and female distractions weren’t even an option. Thinking or looking at a woman who wasn’t Isabel made his stomach rage, so the idea of sleeping with one near killed him. In fact, the only sex he’d had over the past weeks was with himself while fantasizing about Isabel, and that was torture enough.
“Well, just get focused and be ready to have a blast when we get down there. Like I said, it’s my one wedding, bro, and you are, like, one of the most important parts of it.”
Zack cleared his throat again. “Just get your whipped ass down here so I can get it whipped for real.” Zack dug up the ability to laugh, trying hard to get into the spirit of things for his brother. “I hear The Inferno has got some great S&M girls. You should be more careful about what you wish for, little brother.”
“I’ll be fine, man! No need to worry about me,” Darren defended. “Oh, hey, listen. Even though Amy has the wedding planner handling the airport pickup with limos and all, I want you at the airport too. This shindig has got to start with seeing you first thing, dude! First thing!”
Zack smiled at his end of the phone. “Yeah, sure, brother. I’ll be at the airport.” A warmth that only Darren could strike in his heart rose up and got caught in the throat. “And by the way, Darren, I’m really happy for you. Really damn happy.”
“I know it brother…and thanks, for everything.” Two beats of silence followed. “So, see you then?”
“With fucking garters, titty tassels, and bells on!”
“ Abso-fucking -lutely! Later, Zack.”
Zack hung up, tossed his phone on the bed, and stared up at the ceiling. His kid brother was getting hitched. A crazy thought. An insane fucking thought.
And then an even crazier feeling surfaced—unfamiliar, unidentifiable, uncomfortable. It made his shoulders tight and his jaw clench. This nagging emotion had visited him a time or two before, most recently…when? At the condo closing! Yes, that was it. When he’d seen his attorney, Armando, with his son, Juan. Juan was joining the Sanchez firm, and the pride in Armando’s eyes had been undeniable, glowing. Their camaraderie, the mutual respect, it had been obvious and solid. Zack had everything in the world, but he didn’t have that. Not from his own father. And he never would.
Envy. It was goddamn envy, and it burned.
And now he envied his little brother, who had found and grabbed the love of his life. Never, ever before had Zack wanted that for himself. But now that he knew of Isabel, his potential match, his missing, floating puzzle piece…that she even existed on Earth was a goddamn miracle.
He hadn’t felt whole before or since meeting Isabel.
But Zack couldn’t find her anywhere, and even if he did find her, she wouldn’t want him. She thought he was a total asshole. And he was, or at least he had been! But he’d changed. She had changed him. And he had to find her and show her. His only focus was Isabel.
But, shit !—Darren’s bachelor party. He was so not looking forward to the task his brother had just put to him. A cramp sparked up on his right side just thinking about it. Then he heard the minibar calling.
No! He had to get this shit done. The expectations of his kid brother were just that much louder.
He reached for his cell and dialed Armando. His lawyer never stopped bragging about his one client who owned the major strip club in town, a quicker ticket to a party-in - a-box , way less hassle.
Zack needed
“Isn’t that crazy about Amy’s dad? Zack? Zack! Hey, you still there, bro?”
“Yeah, sorry. I’m here.”
“Hey man, you okay? You’re not all here, like, at all. That property deal is really running you for your money, huh?”
“Yeah, I guess so… It’s fine though. I’m just working late hours.” Drinking away his sorrow late into the night for two weeks straight was hitting him hard. But drowning in a liquor-induced coma felt better than doing nothing—and female distractions weren’t even an option. Thinking or looking at a woman who wasn’t Isabel made his stomach rage, so the idea of sleeping with one near killed him. In fact, the only sex he’d had over the past weeks was with himself while fantasizing about Isabel, and that was torture enough.
“Well, just get focused and be ready to have a blast when we get down there. Like I said, it’s my one wedding, bro, and you are, like, one of the most important parts of it.”
Zack cleared his throat again. “Just get your whipped ass down here so I can get it whipped for real.” Zack dug up the ability to laugh, trying hard to get into the spirit of things for his brother. “I hear The Inferno has got some great S&M girls. You should be more careful about what you wish for, little brother.”
“I’ll be fine, man! No need to worry about me,” Darren defended. “Oh, hey, listen. Even though Amy has the wedding planner handling the airport pickup with limos and all, I want you at the airport too. This shindig has got to start with seeing you first thing, dude! First thing!”
Zack smiled at his end of the phone. “Yeah, sure, brother. I’ll be at the airport.” A warmth that only Darren could strike in his heart rose up and got caught in the throat. “And by the way, Darren, I’m really happy for you. Really damn happy.”
“I know it brother…and thanks, for everything.” Two beats of silence followed. “So, see you then?”
“With fucking garters, titty tassels, and bells on!”
“ Abso-fucking -lutely! Later, Zack.”
Zack hung up, tossed his phone on the bed, and stared up at the ceiling. His kid brother was getting hitched. A crazy thought. An insane fucking thought.
And then an even crazier feeling surfaced—unfamiliar, unidentifiable, uncomfortable. It made his shoulders tight and his jaw clench. This nagging emotion had visited him a time or two before, most recently…when? At the condo closing! Yes, that was it. When he’d seen his attorney, Armando, with his son, Juan. Juan was joining the Sanchez firm, and the pride in Armando’s eyes had been undeniable, glowing. Their camaraderie, the mutual respect, it had been obvious and solid. Zack had everything in the world, but he didn’t have that. Not from his own father. And he never would.
Envy. It was goddamn envy, and it burned.
And now he envied his little brother, who had found and grabbed the love of his life. Never, ever before had Zack wanted that for himself. But now that he knew of Isabel, his potential match, his missing, floating puzzle piece…that she even existed on Earth was a goddamn miracle.
He hadn’t felt whole before or since meeting Isabel.
But Zack couldn’t find her anywhere, and even if he did find her, she wouldn’t want him. She thought he was a total asshole. And he was, or at least he had been! But he’d changed. She had changed him. And he had to find her and show her. His only focus was Isabel.
But, shit !—Darren’s bachelor party. He was so not looking forward to the task his brother had just put to him. A cramp sparked up on his right side just thinking about it. Then he heard the minibar calling.
No! He had to get this shit done. The expectations of his kid brother were just that much louder.
He reached for his cell and dialed Armando. His lawyer never stopped bragging about his one client who owned the major strip club in town, a quicker ticket to a party-in - a-box , way less hassle.
Zack needed
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