Collateral Damage: A Small Town Romance

by Lagomarsino, Giulia

  He leaned back in the chair and studied me. “What happened between you two back then? It never made any sense to me. You were head over heels for that girl and she was wrapped around your finger. And then one day, you were heading off to college and she was going to her aunt’s house.”

  “It doesn’t matter. It’s in the past.”

  “Apparently not. Whatever happened still lives with her every day.”

  “How can you be so sure? How do you know she hasn’t just changed?”

  He leaned forward, resting his arms on the desk. “Because a woman that is upset about something a guy does will eventually move on from it. It’s been thirteen years since you broke up. If she was over it, she would be able to have a civil conversation with you. She couldn’t wait to get out of here and away from you. Which tells me that whatever you did, you royally fucked up.”

  “Fine, I fucked up. We fucked up. I thought she didn’t want me around anymore.”

  “So, you just walked away and now you expect a second chance with her?”

  “Hell, I don’t know. I thought that I would do this really awesome thing and she would…you know, want to go out with me.”

  “What kind of car did you get her?”

  “A Toyota Camry.”

  He hissed in a breath and shook his head.

  “What? No good?”

  “Reliable, dependable…” He nodded his head from side to side. “I mean, it’s a good car, but it doesn’t scream I love you.”

  “It wasn’t supposed to. It was supposed to help her out.”

  “Well, you at least got her a new one, right?”

  I ran my hand along the back of my neck. “It’s twelve years old.”

  He stared at me and then burst out laughing. “Twelve… you got her a car that’s twelve years old and you think she’s going to just fall in love with you?”

  “It’s in good condition.”

  “Mr. Moneybags can’t even break out the cash for a new car? Oh my God. Wait until Ma hears this.”

  “She wouldn’t have wanted a new car,” I argued. “She doesn’t want help or handouts. I was trying to do something that she would be grateful for and accept.”

  “Jesus, when Kat moved out, I got her furniture and paid her rent. You got Anna, the girl you’re trying to win back, a twelve year old, reliable car.”

  “Stop busting my balls. I was working with what I know about her.”

  “Yeah, but women are never what you think they are. Let’s say you get her to go on a date with you. Knowing what you know about her, that she doesn’t want handouts and everything, are you going to take her to a soup kitchen for your date?”

  “You know, you’re a real asshole.”

  “It was a serious question,” he said incredulously. “She may not want you to spoil her, but geez, a twelve year old car? Why didn’t you just pay for the other one to be fixed up?”

  “Because it would have cost too much!”

  “So, you’re saying you’re cheap and went with the less expensive car that wouldn’t cost you as much.”

  I gripped my hair and squeezed my jaw shut to keep from shouting. “No, I’m saying I was trying to do what she would have liked!”

  He shook his head and pointed to the window. “Well, your date just walked out with another man. And I can guarantee that he’s taking her to an actual restaurant, where he’ll buy her food, and he’ll probably also pay for dessert, you cheap bastard.”

  “I was trying to be sensitive!” I shouted.

  “Well, you were just so sensitive that you friend-zoned yourself. Congratulations, you’re an idiot.”

  I headed for the door. “I’ll just go get her back.”

  “Whoa, you can’t just crash her date,” he said, standing suddenly.

  “I can do whatever the hell I want.”

  He ran in front of me, blocking the door. “And make yourself look like an asshole in the meantime. Trust me, if you go track her down and ruin her date, you won’t even be in the friend-zone.”

  “Well, then what the hell am I supposed to do? Let him kiss her, or worse, fuck her before I make my move?”

  His brows furrowed for a moment. “We’re having Thanksgiving together. That’s your shot.”

  “Yeah, and she’s bringing him along.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah, apparently, he invited himself along and she didn’t stop him.”

  “Hmmm, that does pose a problem.”

  “That’s more than a fucking problem. That’s a catastrophe!”

  “Well, you’re just going to have to remind her of the good times. We’ll all help you out. We used to hang out with her. We can all help her remember how good the two of you had it together.”

  I nodded slightly. “That could work.”

  “Of course it will work. What the hell could go wrong?”

  I looked up at him sharply and blew out a breath. “Why the hell would you say that? Now everything will go wrong.”

  “What did I say?”

  “What could go wrong? That’s like stepping on a crack on a sidewalk or saying piece of cake. Or crossing your fingers for the winning goal. You don’t do that shit!”

  “What, are you twelve? Don’t tell me you believe that shit.”

  “Well, I didn’t before, but now I do! You just screwed me over, and when this all goes south, you’re the one to blame.”

  “Yeah,” Eric snorted. “Because I’m the one that screwed up your life, gave your ex-girlfriend a job, and have been buying her donuts to keep her happy for the past year!”

  “Exactly!” I shouted.

  “That doesn’t make any sense!” he shouted back.

  “I know!” I shouted as I walked out the door and slammed it behind me.

  Anna

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” I asked Carter as we pulled up to Eric’s house.

  “Of course,” he grinned. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

  “Why do you say it like that?”

  “Like what?”

  “Like you know something is going to happen.”

  He looked at me with a wink and a grin. “Now, what could I possibly know that’s going to happen?”

  I had no idea, but the way he seemed so relaxed made me think there was definitely something going on that I didn’t know about.

  “I’m not even sure why you agreed to come along. You know, the more I think about it, the more I wonder what’s in it for you.”

  He shrugged slightly, his hand resting lazily over the steering wheel. “Things can go one of two ways tonight. I’m really hoping things go in my favor, but if not, it should be quite the show.”

  “What show? You’re talking in riddles and I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  He grinned and nodded to the house. “Should we get inside?”

  I realized in that moment that I wouldn’t be getting any answers out of him. I flung my door open with a huff and jumped out. I was wearing the only nice dress I owned. Scratch that, the only dress I owned period. It was black and I suppose a little sexy, but more just a nice black dress for any semi-formal occasion. And since I couldn’t remember the last time that I went to an actual holiday meal at someone’s house, I figured that I should look nice. Carter was dressed nice in dark jeans and a nice button-down. He had shaved, which only made his sexy grin more prominent.

  He took my hand and led me toward the porch. I wasn’t going to lie, I was sweating like a pig and I really wished that I had brought a spare deodorant with me. I wasn’t even sure why I was doing this other than the fact that Carter had already told Robert we were coming, and apparently, I was a glutton for punishment.

  Carter knocked on the door and when it swung open, Kat answered with a grin. “Hey! I’m glad you came.”

  “Really?” I asked in confusion.

  She rolled her eyes and dragged me inside. “You have no idea what it’s like to have all the brothers here for the holidays. Well, Derek could
n’t make it. Some kind of emergency at work.”

  “Have you met him yet?”

  “Well, on the phone and when he came out for Angel’s funeral, but honestly, I don’t remember very much about it.”

  “So, they’re all going to be here?”

  “Yeah, and you know how these brothers get when they’re together.”

  “Yeah,” I said with a hesitant smile. “Sounds like loads of fun.”

  I had a lot of memories with these brothers, but we were all a lot younger then. The only one I really knew these days was Eric, and he was my boss, so this was really weird to be here.

  Carter went into the living room, just abandoning me after he dragged me along. Booze was calling his name and it must have been more important than me at the moment. Kat poured me a glass of wine and clinked my glass. I stood there awkwardly, not sure what to do. I didn’t know Kat and what I remembered about his brothers was just boys that wanted to chase girls and have fun. This was so awkward.

  “So, what’s the story with you and Robert?” she asked curiously.

  “Um…nothing. We used to date and then we broke up.”

  She snorted. “Yeah, that’s like saying that Eric and I met in a bar, dated for a while, and then broke up.”

  “Honestly, I’m not even sure what I’m doing here. Eric invited me to get back at Robert and then Carter invited himself along.”

  “Were Carter and Robert enemies or something in high school?”

  “Not really. There was always this rivalry there, but I wouldn’t say that they were enemies. I know they both wanted to do something with the law.”

  “Well, I’ve seen Carter in his uniform and it’s sexy,” Kat gushed right as Eric walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

  “Who’s sexy?”

  “Carter,” she said, not caring at all what his reaction would be.

  “Really, Kat? I’m standing right here.”

  “I know, and you’re so pretty,” she said, patting his cheek.

  “Okay, now I’m officially offended. He’s sexy and I’m pretty?”

  “You know exactly what I think of you,” she said, making me feel like I was on the verge of watching some kind of porno.

  The back door opened and Robert walked in carrying a case of beer. When he saw me, he stopped and a growl appeared on his face. He shut the door harshly.

  “Did you bring Corduroy?”

  “Who’s Corduroy?” Kat asked.

  “That’s Robert’s nickname for Carter,” I said, giving her a pointed look. “And yes, I brought him.”

  “Hey, babe,” Carter said, walking into the room, completely ignoring Robert. I was shocked by the nickname, but what surprised the hell out of me was when he walked up to me and pulled me into him, kissing me hard on the mouth. I was too conflicted to know if I should like it or not. On the one hand, I was extremely attracted to Carter, but my ex-boyfriend, who I still had tinglings for was standing right there. But when his hand slid down to my ass and gripped it tight, I yelped and wiggled out of his grasp.

  His lips settled on my neck for just a moment before he whispered, “Just go with it.”

  I looked at him in confusion. Go with what? Carter wrapped his arm around my waist, turning me so we were both facing Robert. I could feel the way he was holding me possessively, his hand resting on my stomach. Robert’s eyes narrowed in on his hand and he fumed, his face turning red with rage. I had the feeling this was not a great idea. I wasn’t sure what Carter was trying to accomplish, but causing a fight on Thanksgiving was not what I had in mind.

  “Robert,” Carter grinned. “It’s good to see you, man. Where’s your date?”

  Robert just stared at him, his anger coming off him in waves. “You have your hands on her,” he growled.

  “Um-“

  I was cut off by Carter’s chuckle. “I’m pretty sure if she was with you, she would have come with you.”

  Robert grinned at him slightly. “Yeah, I’m guessing that was your first kiss with her. She didn’t look too into it. Let me guess, you thought you’d push my buttons by kissing her.”

  I glanced at Carter, trying to gauge his reaction, but his face was perfectly neutral.

  “I don’t need to push your buttons,” Carter said. “If you really wanted her, you wouldn’t be over there being a pussy. You would come take what you want. But since I’m the one holding her, I’m guessing you don’t have the balls to go after her. Just like thirteen years ago, am I right?” he grinned.

  I stepped back in shock. What the hell was he doing? Did he know?

  “What happened thirteen years ago?” Eric asked.

  “Yeah, this sounds important to the story,” Kat nodded. “Is this one of those times we should be doing what they did to us?”

  “Facebook?” Eric asked.

  I flushed bright red and shook my head. “This is not a Facebook moment.”

  “What’s not a Facebook moment?” Will asked as he came into the room.

  “Robert was just about to tell us if he was going to fight for Anna or walk away like a coward, just like thirteen years ago.”

  “Robert, a coward?” Will snorted. “I think you’re talking about someone else.”

  “What’s it going to be?” Carter asked.

  I spun in Carter’s arms and put my hand against his chest. “Whatever you think you’re doing, you need to stop,” I said urgently. I had never seen Robert so pissed off before.

  “Why? Are you telling me his family doesn’t know?”

  My heart rate picked up and I felt like I was as red as a lobster.

  “What don’t we know?” Joe asked as he walked in with Andrew.

  “Why don’t you leave,” Robert said with controlled calm. “This isn’t your family.”

  “Yeah, I know that, but I’m here for Anna.”

  “Really? Because it kind of feels like you’re just here to stir the pot,” I shot at him.

  “This asshole doesn’t deserve you,” he said, his anger showing for the first time. “I was serious, Anna. I like you and I want to be with you, but if he’s what you’re looking for, then tell me now.”

  “I don’t understand,” I snapped. “Why did you insist on coming here today?”

  “Why doesn’t someone just tell us what the hell is going on,” Will said, turning to Robert. “What the hell is he talking about? Why is he calling you a coward?”

  Robert looked to me, and I knew he was trying to find the answer. What was he supposed to do in this situation? Obviously, Carter somehow knew our secret, but why was he so insistent on having everyone else know? And it was clear that Robert was not okay with being called out.

  “I feel like I should have my phone out to capture the big reveal,” Andrew whispered to Joe.

  “How did you even find out?” Robert asked quietly.

  Carter glanced down at me and for the first time, I saw a hint of regret that he had brought this up. “When you were gone, your mom got pretty drunk in town more than a few times. My dad had to make sure she got home alright.” He shrugged slightly. “Turns out, she can’t keep a secret as well as she thought.”

  I slowly dragged my eyes from his face over to Robert. He was staring at me with something close to shame in his eyes. This whole thing was mortifying and out of control. I never should have come here tonight. I should have known that Carter was only going to cause trouble.

  But he had no right to call out Robert for what happened. That was between the two of us, and it was no one else’s business. Besides, what Robert and I had was something good. We were just too young to really understand how life worked.

  “Carter, I think you should go,” I said quietly.

  “Well, I guess that’s my answer,” Carter said, clearing his throat. He bent down and kissed my cheek. “Be careful with him,” he whispered. “He’s not good enough for you.”

  He stood tall and smirked at Robert as he passed. “Good to see you again, Bob. Oh, and hey, if she t
akes you back, try not to knock her up this time.”

  Kat gasped behind me and my hand flew to my mouth to cover my own gasp. Robert’s eyes flamed with rage. One second he was standing in front of me and the next, he was tackling Carter, shoving him through the screen door.

  “Damnit, I just replaced that,” Eric muttered, rushing past me. The rest of the brothers raced out of the house to catch the fight. After a second of shock, I ran out onto the porch, just in time to see Robert toss Carter against one of the trucks and slam his fist into his face. Carter ducked when he swung again and landed a punch right to Robert’s side.

  “Go do something,” I shouted at Eric.

  “He’s got this.”

  Carter hit him right in the face hard and he stumbled back, tripping over something and hitting the ground hard.

  “Are you sure?” I shrieked.

  “Totally.”

  Carter got on top of Robert and hit him several times in the face.

  “Really? Because he doesn’t look like he’s got this!”

  “Eh,” Will shrugged. “It’s fifty-fifty.”

  Robert tossed Carter off him and landed another punch.

  “See? He totally rebounded,” Joe grinned.

  “Carter doesn’t have his gun on him, does he?” Andrew asked.

  “What?” I shrieked. “Are you serious right now? Go help him!”

  They both went tumbling to the ground, and at this point, I couldn’t tell who was kicking whose ass. There was a lot of grunting and what looked like blood flying. They were beating each other to a pulp.

  “He’s a little rusty,” Andrew grunted. “You would think he would have a few more good moves in him.”

  “He’s fighting a police officer,” Joe reminded him. “They train for this sort of thing.”

  “So, then Robert really is doing pretty well,” Eric nodded.

  “I can’t believe it!” I shouted. “You’re his brother. Go be his brother!”

  “I am,” Eric said. “If he’s in trouble, we’ll break it up.”

  “What does it take for him to be in trouble? Does someone need to get a crowbar?”

  Joe snorted. “Nobody carries crowbars anymore.”