“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he muttered under his breath as he made his way to the bathroom.
How could he be so stupid? Thoughts of Vannah and all the time he’d spent chatting with her all week were rampant even as he took a quick shower. It’d been one fucking week. So, what if he’d fell asleep and woke up thinking of her every day. He had to move on—get over this already. She was just another carefree girl he’d made out with once and had more than numerous—okay, endless and all-night video chats. Some of which had ended with them falling asleep still on the line. It was just one week. But he could kick himself now because he’d known way back. He’d known it before he’d ever spoken to her. From the day he’d found himself banging his steering wheel over a girl whose name he hadn’t even known then; somehow, he’d known things would be different with her. And still, he went for it. Now look where he was. She’d been in his every thought all week and now the first flood of thoughts he was inundated with when he first woke were of her. Even when there was another chick in his bed, for the love of Christ!
Thankfully, Irma was up when Byron got back from the bathroom. “How you feeling?” she asked as soon as he walked into the bedroom.
“Surprisingly, not too bad.”
“Really? Because you were out of it last night.”
Byron smirked as he pulled a clean shirt out of his dresser. “That strain of weed Gus had last night was one I’d never had. Hadn’t smoked in almost a year either so.” He shrugged then pulled the shirt over his head. “I’m just glad it doesn’t feel like I’ll be hurting all day. I hate when that happens. You party too hard and ruin the entire next day.”
“You’re getting dressed.” It was more of a statement than a question.
Byron looked up at her. “Yeah, I gotta open up the shop. I’m already late.”
“But last night you said we’d finish today,” she sulked.
Peering at her, Byron tried in vain to remember what she was talking about. “Finish—?” He caught himself understanding what she was saying now. It was embarrassing but it made sense if he was that out of it. “We didn’t finish?”
“We never even got started.” She huffed playfully. “We’d just made it into your bedroom, started to undress and got in bed, but when your head hit that pillow you barely whispered the words; we’ll finish tomorrow, then passed out.”
Letting his head fall back as he buttoned his fly, Byron laughed feeling like a douche. “I’m sorry. I’d make it up to you now but I’m already late to open.” She was sulking again, so he explained further as he moved around the room quickly. “I probably have customers and employees waiting outside. I heard the phone downstairs ring and the door buzz earlier. Phone’s ringing again now. My brother doesn’t like when I open late.”
His cell phone rang distracting them both momentarily. Byron rushed to it knowing it had to be one of the guys. He just hoped it hadn’t gotten back to his brother that the shop was still closed. So, he was relieved to see Gus’s name on his screen.
Holding his hand up for Irma to give him a moment, he hit the answer button. “Dude, are you that hungover you’re not gonna open today?”
“Nah, I’m just running late. You here already?”
“Yeah, so’s the rest of the crew and some customers.”
“Cool,” Byron said rushing to the door that headed downstairs. “I’ll let you guys in and you guys can get things going while I finish getting ready.”
Irma heard him so he didn’t bother to explain where he was going. He didn’t even have shoes on yet, so he’d be back as soon as he let them in. Once he had the guys in, he rushed back upstairs to finish getting ready. Irma was already dressed and gathering her things together.
She gave him a coy look when he walked into the bedroom. “I’m sorry, sweetheart.” He smirked despite the heaviness he still couldn’t shake about Vannah.
It was the weirdest thing. It’s like even if his head could momentarily put it aside, something inside him was still feeling it. His heart? Nah, that’d be ridiculous. And he wasn’t about to spend another entire day dwelling on it either. But it gave him an idea.
“Tell you what.” He looked up as he put his shoes on. “Why don’t you come back tonight? We’ll continue where we left off—minus the booze.”
As expected, she smiled big and nodded immediately. “I can do that. I didn’t have any plans for tonight. Since I knew I’d be out late last night I didn’t think I’d feel up to it two nights in a row. But this is different. I can make you something. I’m an excellent cook, you know.”
That stopped Byron in his tracks and he almost let out a groan. He already knew no matter what she made him it wouldn’t even be close to Vannah’s cooking.
“What’s wrong?”
Glancing back at her after realizing he literally froze in place, he started up again. “I was uh, just trying to remember something.”
She smiled with a nod. “So, what should I make you?”
“Actually, I’ve been craving pizza. I’ll just order from Purgatory up the street. Haven’t had them in a while.”
Thankfully, she agreed without argument. The last thing he wanted was to spend the evening talking culinary shit. It was already exasperating as hell that he couldn’t get his mind off her.
Once Irma left, Byron went downstairs and got started on his day, determined to immerse himself in his work and keep his mind off of Vannah. He succeeded to for the most part. But he’d purposely asked Nine to schedule extra help that afternoon a few days ago, so he’d be free if Vannah was able to get the afternoon and evening off today.
When those guys came in for their shifts that would’ve relieved him had he made those plans, it was yet another reminder of what he was trying so hard not to think about. Even though he knew neither Beast, Nine, nor Orlando would’ve minded him staying on the clock when they were fully staffed for the afternoon, he called it a day.
Byron was in no mood to entertain Irma that early. They’d agreed on her stopping by any time after eight, so he still had plenty of time to sit around and dwell. He wasn’t having it, so he grabbed his gym bag and keys and headed out to 5th Street. If anything, he’d work off some of the pent-up tension that way, then get back and work it off some more with Irma.
Rolling the kink he’d been feeling in his neck ever since seeing Vannah at the restaurant yesterday, Byron walked into the gym with a purpose. As much as his head kept telling him to move the fuck on and stop dwelling on this shit, a part of him was holding out and it was making him crazy. So, she clearly hadn’t felt as besotted with him as he’d been with her. But the fact remained she still hadn’t responded to his last text. If this really was her thing to be dating multiple people at once then wouldn’t her MO have been to respond with at least an, okay, maybe another day? They’d been glued to their phones going back and forth all day every day for the past week. Now he makes one comment about spending time with another female, and she disappears? Something wasn’t adding up. Not that he was hoping she’d reach out. He still didn’t trust himself not to snap, and he didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of confirming just how much more she’d already begun to mean to him than he did to her.
Nine did a double take when he saw him and started toward him. “Hey man, you talked to your brother today?”
“No, not today.” Byron glanced down at his phone just in case he’d missed a call or text from him. “Why? What’s going on?”
“Nothing I just tried calling him earlier to ask about the part for that Cadillac. He said he knew a guy last week, but it’s been one thing after another and I’m having a hell of a time trying to land just the right piece. I had to come down to talk to Abel about a job I’m working on for him so I was hoping I might run into Beast.”
They stood there in the middle of the gym discussing the car Nine was talking about. They’d been at it for a few minutes when he heard it. That unmistakable giggle, then an all-out laugh. It’d only been a day since he’d been witness to the
nauseating sight of her kissing another guy, and already his reaction to hearing the laughter had changed. It didn’t do what it normally did to him. Instead, he went instantly taut with utter irritation. Turning around to the direction it was coming from, his eyes zeroed in on her as she latched both arms around the guy she was walking with and continued to laugh.
“I am not!” she laughed leaning into him.
This guy was a new one. Not the meathead he’d seen her here with before. Though he hadn’t actually gotten a good look at the one she’d been kissing yesterday, he wouldn’t be surprised if that was a different guy too. He watched as the dude she was with now rolled his eyes but laughed shaking his head.
Byron’s feet were already moving before he could even think on it. With every heavy step he took, Byron reminded himself to keep his cool. He just needed to get what’d been on his mind all fucking day yesterday and today off his chest, but it’d be done without cussing or making a scene. He could do this.
Within seconds, he was in front of them blocking them from continuing to walk. Her reaction to his blocking her from walking was as expected, a bit startled. But also, and infuriatingly somewhat confused. As if she hadn’t a clue why he might be standing there looking ready to spit. “I know you said you had friends but just how many of them? I was last week, there was King Taco dude yesterday, and now this?”
Byron glared at the guy whose brows had begun to furrow in question now too. He looked as young as her—maybe younger. But of course, given her stature he towered over her at nearly Byron’s height. As if sensing how ugly this could get, she placed her hand on the guy’s shoulder. Instead of diffusing the situation, it only heightened the tension because the dude looked ready to get in Byron’s face now. Clenching his fists, Byron stared him down with even more conviction, silently imploring the stupid fuck to make a move.
“Do I know you?”
Feeling his entire body flinch, Byron jerked his face away from the guy and in Vannah’s direction. She peered at him looking genuinely befuddled. As if his insides weren’t already on fire, Mrs. casual-dater-with-no-strings-attached was going to play this card to cover her ass?
He peered into those eyes. Despite what they did to him—this was bullshit—he couldn’t believe how fast he’d gotten sucked in. “You’re fucking kidding me with this shit, right?”
Fifteen
Bombshell
Vannah
The eruption of voices sounded like maybe a large group of people had entered the gym suddenly. The gym was loud to begin with, what with the music playing and all the clanking of weights and such. It’s why neither Vannah nor her dad thought anything of it at first. Until they heard Nena trying to calm her brother, followed by Taz’s booming voice. Both Vannah and her dad turned immediately and saw the commotion. Nena and another guy were holding her incensed brother back. Vannah and her dad immediately bolted in their direction.
“Where the fuck do you get off—”
The rest of what her brother was ranting about, warped in Vannah’s ears as she froze in place. Nine, Byron’s business partner, one of the other guys he referred to as his brothers, was struggling to hold an equally enraged looking Byron back from going at it—with her brother.
“What in the world . . .” she whispered as her heart pounded against her chest.
Reminding herself to walk, she started up again toward her dad who was already there holding Taz back. “This fucker—”
“Alright! Alright!” Vannah’s dad said trying to calm Taz down. “Relax, son.”
“If it doesn’t matter, then why the act?” Byron barked at Nena just as loudly.
Suddenly beginning to understand what the situation might be, Vannah scurried toward them, her heart at her throat because both her brother and dad looked ready to burst and pummel Byron, she practically sprinted. “Byron!”
Byron glanced her way quickly, turned back to Nena just as quick, then jerked his face back to Vannah. His eyes bulged wide, and he looked as confused as she completely understood he would be.
“She’s my twin,” Vannah explained as she made her way through the parting crowd. “Nena and I are identical twins.”
“I thought. . .” He gasped, as Nine let him loose since he’d instantly calmed.
Though the nosey crowd didn’t immediately disperse. Some stuck around gawking and listening to how this would play out.
“I saw you—” Byron stopped and turned to Nena. “Was that you at King Taco yesterday?”
They all turned to Nena as she thought about it for a moment then nodded. “I was there yesterday.” She smiled coyly glancing at her dad and brother. “I always go there when I’m in town.”
Now the crowd began to dissolve slowly since things had begun to calm. “I . . .” Byron shook his head, his earlier blood-red face and neck going pale fast. “I’m sorry. I saw you with that guy at King Taco yesterday and I thought it was Vannah. Then today—”
“It’s okay,” Vannah said incredibly relieved because his text and his anger now were suddenly making more sense and if her dad and brother weren’t there she’d jump in his arms. “I should’ve mentioned I have a twin.” Turning to her dad, she smiled softening his hardened expression instantly. “Daddy, this is Byron, a friend of mine.” She turned to her brother next. “Taz,” she said in her sweetest voice and squeezed his arm. “You big silly. He was just confused because he thought she was me, okay? I don’t know what he said that got you so riled up, but I know it doesn’t take much.”
“Yeah, man. I’m sorry.” Byron shook his head again holding up his hands in front of him. “I, I had no idea. I just assumed I’d seen her with one dude yesterday and then today—” He stopped and turned to her dad when her dad cleared his throat. “We’re friends, sir, but . . . we’ve gone out and we’ve been talking—”
“It’s fine,” Vannah jumped in to save him from saying anything else that might have her dad scowling. “I should’ve told you I had a twin sooner. This is my fault.” Turning to her dad and siblings she smiled again as she slipped her hand into Byron’s. “Can you give us a few? We need to talk.”
Without giving them time to respond she pulled Byron along with her and hurried away.
“Savannah.” Vannah winced at her father’s rigid tone but slowed and turned to him. “You’re joining us for an early dinner before we leave.” She nodded, glad it wasn’t anything more demanding. Then he added, “Bring Byron.”
Turning to Byron she was relieved to see he was already nodding. Vannah nodded as well looking down at her watch. “We won’t be long. Meet you out front in about a half hour?”
Her dad nodded and as expected Nena smirked knowingly. Vannah would never hear the end of this but it didn’t even matter. What she’d tried so hard to make sense of all day yesterday and had ruined her entire day, made total sense now.
The moment they were around the corner and out of her family’s sight she stopped, pulled her hand out of Byron’s and jabbed his chest with her finger. “Do you really have an overnight date tonight?”
His eyes widened and her stomach dropped for a second when she thought maybe it was true. “No.” He shook his head adamantly. “No! I, uh . . . I just said that because your sister was sucking face with some dude yesterday and I thought it was you. Why didn’t you tell me you had a twin?”
Smiling big and feeling suddenly emotional, Vannah brought her hands over her mouth for a second trying to hold it together, then did what she’d wanted to earlier and jumped in his arms. She didn’t even care that he might think her pathetic. She was just so incredibly relieved.
Byron groaned against her neck as he squeezed her tight then pulled his face away. “Was that you I saw a few weeks ago here at the gym working out with some dude?”
Vanna immediately shook her head. “No. When and if I ever work out it’s with Xochitl. But my sister was here a few weeks ago when she passed through from Santa Barbara. She said she’d be meeting up with the guy she’d met when she’d stop
ped to get the free pass on the way up to Santa Barbra. Met up with him again yesterday. That’s probably who you saw her with at King Taco.”
His shoulders visibly slumped as he exhaled and buried his face in her neck again and swooped her up in his strong arms. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me you had a twin sister, Savannah?”
For now, she’d spare him the real details of why she’d recently stopped telling people first thing about her twin but shrugged. “I figure people will find out soon enough. Being a twin doesn’t define me. Especially being the boring one.”
Pulling his face back to look at her again he shook his head, his expression souring. “There’s not enough flattering words in the world to describe you, babe. But boring sure as fuck isn’t one of them.” He leaned his forehead against her exhaling sharply. “Except you’d think having a twin is a pretty significant detail about yourself you would likely let others in on. Especially when it might make for a sticky situation. You saw what almost happened today.”
“I know,” Vannah winced. “I’m sorry but I figured since she doesn’t live in Los Angeles it probably wasn’t that big a deal. I just hadn’t counted on the possibility of you running into her without me.”
“Yeah, well I have.” He hugged her tighter and kissed her, then nipped her bottom lip. “More than once now and it was infuriating each time.”
Feeling her heart double over, Vannah smiled even bigger. “So, you’re free tonight? They’re headed home after dinner and after that I’m free for the rest of the night.”
“Hell, yeah.” Byron kissed her long and deep again. When he finally pulled away, he let his head fall back. “Jesus Christ, Savannah.” He inhaled profoundly then exhaled with exaggeration shaking his head. “You don’t even know.”
“You don’t even know.” She nudged his stomach playfully. “So, you think it’s me you see kissing another guy and you decide telling me you’ll be spending the night with another girl is fair play?”
Not Even Close (A New Generation) Page 14