Page 134 of Rush

He chuckles too, but there’s something in his eyes—something unspoken. A flicker of thought or longing that passes too quickly for me to catch, but lingers all the same.

“You know,” he says, guiding me gently across the dance floor, “being married to your best friend is probably the right way to go about it. If you were to get married.”

I raise a brow, lips curving into a smirk. “Well, in that case, sign me up. I’d marry Riley in a heartbeat.”

Broderick grins, the dimple in his cheek making an appearance. “Would it be a Boston marriage or…” he trails off, wagging his brows suggestively.

“Wouldn’t you like to know.”

We sway for a moment, nothing but the sound of our breathing and the swell of music between us.

“So no to marriage?”

“Not at present.” I brush my fingers over the lapel of his tux, a distraction.

“But not at all?” he presses, eyes narrowing slightly, searching for something in my answer.

I sigh, pulling back just enough to look at him. “I’m twenty-three. This is the first time I’ve ever lived out of home. Marriage is the furthest thing from my mind.”

It’s not a lie. But it doesn’t feel like the full truth either.

“That’s fair,” he says, nodding. “And kids?”

I glance away, out toward the dance floor like maybe the answer might be hiding there. “I’m not opposed to it,” I admit. “In the distant future.”

I catch a glimpse of Natalie at the edge of the dance floor. Would he be better off with someone like her? The thought annoys me more than it should.

I sigh, resting my head against him again. “What about you?”

Broderick doesn’t even hesitate. “Yes to both,” he says with certainty. “With the right person.”

His words land heavier than I expect.

That could never be me…and before the thought settles, he dips me, one strong arm steady at my back. The world tilts and my heart lurches—not from the motion, but from the look in his eyes as he brings me back up.

For the right person.

Philippa’s words echo through me, lingering like a chorus I didn’t mean to memorize.

And for a fleeting second, I wonder—about those what-ifs.

But I can’t let myself.

Because one thing is certain: in my experience, marriage ends in one of two ways.

You either live long enough to watch the person you love die...

Or you end up resenting them and running away.

Either way, you lose them.

And I can’t lose Broderick.

Chapter 16

Shameless

After the wedding festivities—I spent a couple days showing Jack New York before he returned to Australia.