I smiled. “To be honest, I’m pretty amazed at how well you paid attention. It was insanely sweet how you surprised me with all my favorite things—”
“Though I hate to interrupt your Landon-praise, I should probably come clean about this.” He leaned against the kitchen counter and crossed his arms. “That was all Colby. I should have known and I’m sorry I didn’t, but Colby was the one who told me your favorite color and food and all that stuff. He even told me what to write in the card. I’m sorry, it feels like such a cop-out now, but I just didn’t know.”
“That was him?” Oh my god. That night. The texts.
Choose the one who pays attention when no one else is watching. Your favorite color, your favorite food, the words to make you smile…
“Because he’s the one who loves me,” I murmured.
“Well, yeah, isn’t it obvious? Colby’s so in love with you. Told you that the other night.” Landon chuckled. “The thing about Colby is he spends too much time trying to make everyone else happy. But in the process, sometimes he misses the mark. I think it’s time you took control of the situation.” He winked. “He needs someone like you. You know what you want and aren’t afraid to go after it. Like nursing school, and the way you tackle life. You have direction and motivation. He’s on the straight and narrow, always has been, but he’s floundering. Needs some passion or something. He needs some Isla.”
Landon was right. Colby responded better to me when I wasn’t too wrapped up in my own head. He was stuck in his own enough for the both of us.
“Hey, don’t overthink it. Be you and it will all work out.”
I nodded. “Be me. Yeah. You’re right. I’m going to be me.” I smiled up at him. “Can you be my life coach?”
He laughed. “If it means you and Colby get this shit figured out, I’ll be whoever you need me to be.”
I wrapped my arms around his waist and squeezed him up in a big hug. “You. Are. The. Best.”
“You’re really laying on the praise today.” He hugged me back. “Maybe you should be my life coach.”
“Like you need anyone to help you call the plays—you’ve got life all figured out.” I pulled back and thought I caught the tail end of a frown, but his mouth quickly pulled up in a grin.
“Fake it ’til you make it, right?”
I rolled my eyes. “Nothing fake about it. You know you’re like every girl’s dream guy.”
“Except yours.”
I winced. “Ouch.”
“Had to,” he said, looking completely unapologetic but totally playful.
I shook my head and forced back my smile. “I’ll give you that one.”
He chuckled again. “I’m happy for you and Colby. And I better be best man at that wedding!”
“Oh my god.” I hushed him.
I was still fighting back a smile as Colby walked in. “Good morning.” He set down the white Lucy’s bakery box. “Feeling better?”
“Oh yeah. My headache is gone.” I smiled. “Thanks for letting me sleep in.” I tugged at the oversized shirt. “And the change of clothes.”
“No problem.” He opened the lid. “Are you hungry?”
“Actually, I am.”
“Good, because I got your favorite.”
Which he knew, because of course Colby would, not Landon.
Landon walked by just then and plucked a croissant out of the box, then paused and grabbed a second. “Going on a long run later. No judgment.”
Colby laughed and threw up his hands in surrender. “None here.”
I watched the way he genuinely enjoyed his brother—he always had, and I felt guilty for not respecting that more. Though I hadn’t been convinced Landon ever had true feelings for me, Colby had and that was a tough spot to be in. But it seemed we were past that. Or at least I hoped.
Then again, what if last night had been an in-the-moment thing again?
“You okay?”
I snapped out of my thoughts. “Yeah.”
He studied me, seemingly not buying my response. So I smiled to assure him I was okay. But he still didn’t seem convinced.
“I want to know what you’re thinking,” he said.
I half laughed because how many times had I wondered exactly that.
“It’s this look you get. Kind of far-off, kind of focused. I’ve always wondered what’s going on behind that.”
“Overthinking,” I offered, with a smile because that was the truth. If there was a far-off stare on my face, it was probably because I’d fallen down the rabbit hole of insecurities and overthinking.