Read Online Bound to Be His (The Archer Family Book 2) by Allison Gatta - Free Book Online
Authors: Allison Gatta
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happiest Andy had ever been in all the years they'd known each other, and Shay had known her for a very long time.
Still, as overjoyed as she was for her friend, a part of her stung with jealousy every time she took in Andy's smiling face. Shay wanted to feel that way, too. To have a reason for privately laughing to herself or getting lost in memories of a torrid love affair.
Or, one very specific torrid love affair.
"How long has it been since Matt had a serious girlfriend?" Shay asked, hoping the buzz of alcohol would dull the suddenness of her question.
Andy let out a long whistle. "Probably never."
"Never? Not one?" Shay raised her eyebrows.
"Who are you to judge? I can't say that I remember seeing you with anybody serious in all the time I've known you."
"I..." Shay swallowed.
That couldn't be right. She'd dated, after all. She'd dated plenty. There was John and Paul and... and...
George and Ringo?
She had nothing. Because as many dates as she'd been on over the years, not one of them seemed to have staying power in her memory. There was one guy, she guessed, back when Andy still couldn't admit she was into Logan, but that too had been another fling.
Another distraction from what she was slowly realizing she'd known for a long time now.
"I guess I have sort of played the field."
"You guess? You two are a match made in heaven," Andy said, and Shay stared back at her friend blankly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Shay asked.
"Come on, the girl who doesn't believe in love and the guy who doesn't commit? That practically writes itself."
"What are you—"
"Then add to that the disenfranchised youth. The mother problems—"
"Andy—"
Andy let out a long breath. "I'm just saying you could do worse. And if you think I don't see the way you look at him, then you're really fooling yourself."
"I think you mean the way he looks at me," Shay shot back, mostly because it was all she could grasp hold of to say. Andy couldn't be serious. After all this time, all the careful planning and avoidance—Andy knew?
"The way you look at each other, more like."
"What happened to my shy, lovesick friend?" Shay asked.
Andy's mouth tilted into a smile as she sipped her beer, and then she said, "She got tired of watching you avoid the one thing you've always been meant for."
"That's a little dramatic, don't you think?"
"No," Andy said simply. "But if you think it is, that's fine."
"So... you're what? Giving me your blessing?"
"Honestly, I can't think of what else to do. I tried to foist his case on you to get you two to realize—"
"You what ?" Shay nearly sprayed her beer across the stage.
Andy only rolled her eyes. "Don't be so shocked. I only did it because I asked myself what you would do in my shoes. Remember how you were with Logan?"
"I remember saying you should give it a try, but I never—"
"You forced me to go to that photoshoot. You forced me to face the facts," Andy cut her off.
"What if the facts are that I don't want anything serious? Did you ever think of that?"
"Fine, then don't do anything serious. Just do something ."
Shay surveyed her friend for a long minute and then thought over the way Matt had been for the past few days. The way he ignored her. The way he barely looked at her.
"What if he's not interested anymore?" she nearly whispered.
"Only one way to find out." Andy waggled her eyebrows.
----
L ogan's bachelor party was not the usual fare.
Then again, Logan wasn't a usual kind of guy. Instead of the crowd of men chugging back drinks and sticking dollar bills down G-strings, Matt had opted to take his friend to the one place his sister had insisted he'd like. It had taken a lot of doing, of course, but to see the way Logan's face lit up when they walked through the stadium doors had totally been worth it.
Now, an hour later, Matt was huddled in the dugout with his older brother and Logan, shooting the shit while they all stared out into the lit-up field. It was perfectly green, just
Still, as overjoyed as she was for her friend, a part of her stung with jealousy every time she took in Andy's smiling face. Shay wanted to feel that way, too. To have a reason for privately laughing to herself or getting lost in memories of a torrid love affair.
Or, one very specific torrid love affair.
"How long has it been since Matt had a serious girlfriend?" Shay asked, hoping the buzz of alcohol would dull the suddenness of her question.
Andy let out a long whistle. "Probably never."
"Never? Not one?" Shay raised her eyebrows.
"Who are you to judge? I can't say that I remember seeing you with anybody serious in all the time I've known you."
"I..." Shay swallowed.
That couldn't be right. She'd dated, after all. She'd dated plenty. There was John and Paul and... and...
George and Ringo?
She had nothing. Because as many dates as she'd been on over the years, not one of them seemed to have staying power in her memory. There was one guy, she guessed, back when Andy still couldn't admit she was into Logan, but that too had been another fling.
Another distraction from what she was slowly realizing she'd known for a long time now.
"I guess I have sort of played the field."
"You guess? You two are a match made in heaven," Andy said, and Shay stared back at her friend blankly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Shay asked.
"Come on, the girl who doesn't believe in love and the guy who doesn't commit? That practically writes itself."
"What are you—"
"Then add to that the disenfranchised youth. The mother problems—"
"Andy—"
Andy let out a long breath. "I'm just saying you could do worse. And if you think I don't see the way you look at him, then you're really fooling yourself."
"I think you mean the way he looks at me," Shay shot back, mostly because it was all she could grasp hold of to say. Andy couldn't be serious. After all this time, all the careful planning and avoidance—Andy knew?
"The way you look at each other, more like."
"What happened to my shy, lovesick friend?" Shay asked.
Andy's mouth tilted into a smile as she sipped her beer, and then she said, "She got tired of watching you avoid the one thing you've always been meant for."
"That's a little dramatic, don't you think?"
"No," Andy said simply. "But if you think it is, that's fine."
"So... you're what? Giving me your blessing?"
"Honestly, I can't think of what else to do. I tried to foist his case on you to get you two to realize—"
"You what ?" Shay nearly sprayed her beer across the stage.
Andy only rolled her eyes. "Don't be so shocked. I only did it because I asked myself what you would do in my shoes. Remember how you were with Logan?"
"I remember saying you should give it a try, but I never—"
"You forced me to go to that photoshoot. You forced me to face the facts," Andy cut her off.
"What if the facts are that I don't want anything serious? Did you ever think of that?"
"Fine, then don't do anything serious. Just do something ."
Shay surveyed her friend for a long minute and then thought over the way Matt had been for the past few days. The way he ignored her. The way he barely looked at her.
"What if he's not interested anymore?" she nearly whispered.
"Only one way to find out." Andy waggled her eyebrows.
----
L ogan's bachelor party was not the usual fare.
Then again, Logan wasn't a usual kind of guy. Instead of the crowd of men chugging back drinks and sticking dollar bills down G-strings, Matt had opted to take his friend to the one place his sister had insisted he'd like. It had taken a lot of doing, of course, but to see the way Logan's face lit up when they walked through the stadium doors had totally been worth it.
Now, an hour later, Matt was huddled in the dugout with his older brother and Logan, shooting the shit while they all stared out into the lit-up field. It was perfectly green, just
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