Cole sat frozen on the old couch, mouth hanging open like someone had just told him the sky was green. His eyes were wide, blinking slowly as he tried to wrap his head around what Raine had just dropped on him. The dusty apartment felt even smaller now, the weight of that one word “husband” pressing down on everything. Raine watched his best friend carefully, waiting for the explosion of questions or disbelief or maybe even anger. But Cole just stayed like that for a long moment, completely speechless.

Finally, Cole let out a long breath and rubbed both hands over his face. “Husband,” he repeated, almost testing the word....