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“Bro. Don’t you think you might be worthy of being chosen in spite of that?” Xavier asks.

I stare at the plate in front of me, unable to answer. I’d like to believe that I am, but the fear lingers anyway. “I wasn’t before.”

“Are we talking Selena?” Roarke snorts. “Who cares about her? She wasn’t good enough for you anyway.”

“Exactly. She only came back to mooch off you.” Gideon’s tone drips with disdain. “Otherwise, she wouldn’t have bothered to bid practically half a mil on you.”

Xavier nods. “Totally. I’d drop half a million if I could get several billion in return. That’s a great ROI.”

I roll my eyes at my brothers’ ridiculous cynicism.

“None of us are saying you can just sit there and expect to be deemed worthy,” Silas says. “But have some faith in yourself—and Max, too.”

I take a moment and process my brothers’ advice. Is Max’s reluctance and standoffish attitude my fault? Have I hurt her inadvertently in an attempt to insulate myself from pain?

Max’s pale face at the restaurant flashes in my mind. She looked away, lowering her eyes as though hiding disappointment and pain.

I ruined the moment by not telling her how happy I was over our baby. I should’ve hugged her and thanked her for the precious gift.

Goddamn it.How do I salvage this?

I can’t disown my parents. So I’ve got to convince her that I’m worth the drama and bullshit named Auric and Elita Kingswood. I need to prove to her I’ll be a good husband and father to our baby. I’ll never be another Auric Kingswood or, worse, a subhuman like Trevor Loomer. “What can I do to get her to take a chance on me?” I mutter.

Silas shrugs like it’s obvious. “Be yourself. So she can see what kind of man you are.”

“No.” When I was just “myself,” I lost the woman I thought I’d marry because of my parents’ behavior. A depressing thought lodges in my heart like burnt charcoal. “All I have is money.”

“Don’t be stupid,” Liam says. “You’re much more than your bank account. You’re one of the nicest, most loyal men I know.”

“You were the first person I called when I got into my car accident,” Gideon says quietly.

I remember that. He lost control and hit a tree not so long after he got his license. “I thought you called me after you called Jeremiah.”

He snorts. “Nope. She was getting paid to care, but you were always there for me,” he explains. “I knew you’d always have my back. You’re family—my brother.”

“I think we all called Rhys first when we got into trouble back then,” Roarke says.

“Yup. Even Mom and Dad. Remember the love hotel incident in Japan?” Liam says.

Finn shudders. “How could anybody forget?”

Silas turns to me. “Back to you and Max, she’s always known your net worth. Was she ever impressed by it?”

“Not really,” I say morosely. “I almost wish she were.”

Finn rolls his eyes. “If she were, you wouldn’t have liked her. Look, forget the money. Do something personally significant for her. Maybe she likes something…you know…homey. And, uh, emotional.” He looks to the others for help, but all he gets is squints and furrowed brows.

I heave a sigh. He’s right…but I can’t think of anything either. I love everything about Max—and it’s killing me that I might not be enough to be part of the future she wants. She doesn’t just want normalcy for normalcy’s sake. What she said about her mother’s bucket list… She isn’t just living for herself, really.

I lift my eyes heavenward. Would her mother approve of me? Enough to entrust her daughter’s happiness to my hands? Or would she say, “Sorry, kiddo, your family’s too weird for my precious daughter”?

Silas gives me a glass of brown liquid. “Here. Drink this. It’s my best bourbon. My thinking drink. It’ll help.”

I look at him. “Bourbon?” Silas has always seemed too staid to need alcohol to lubricate his brain.

“No freaking way.” Roarke stares at Silas in disbelief.

“What? Something about good bourbon gets my brain going.”