Stuck With Me: A With Me in Seattle Universe Novel

by Melissa Brown

  “No idea where it came from. My parents just liked it, I guess. My dad used to be a musician, so maybe it’s a play on the word lyric. I should really ask them, huh?” I said with a laugh.

  “Couldn’t hurt,” Craig said. “So, elephant in the room. You and Dev?”

  “We’re not dating if that’s what you’re asking. And didn’t you already kinda ask that earlier today?”

  He nodded.

  “We’re friends…I mean, kind of. We kinda drive each other nuts,” I said before taking my first sip of martini. The sugar tickled my tongue and the sweet taste of buttercream consumed me. “Oh my God, this is awesome. You have to try it.”

  “Wow, that’s good.” Craig nodded, his eyes wide. “Yeah, so about Dev, he’s, uh….he’s not the easiest guy in the world. I can see how you two wouldn’t exactly click.”

  “Our best friends are in love—we get thrown together a lot. He’s not a bad guy or anything, we just…we’re very different. They were supposed to be here with us, but they didn’t get in before the shit hit the fan.”

  Craig shook his head. “He’s a fool.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He’s stuck with you in a resort in the middle of a snowstorm. Enough said.”

  Taken aback and not sure exactly what Craig was implying, I pulled away. “What, like he should be trying to get laid or something?”

  “No, that’s not it. I’m sorry, I just think he’d be a fool not to be attracted to you.”

  “Oh.” I felt myself defrost slightly. “Sorry, I wasn’t sure what you meant.”

  “No, no, that’s on me. I can see how that sounded.” He cleared his throat. “I’m not trying to rag on the guy or anything, but he’s kind of a player.”

  “You’re kidding, right? I mean, he went a little crazy on Tinder last year, but that was only because he was so torn up about Trupti.”

  Craig paused, then raised both eyebrows, cocking his head to the side, stifling a laugh. “He cheated on her all the time…constantly. And I should know… I worked with a bunch of the girls he hooked up with. Usually when she was traveling for work.”

  “I…” I sat there, stunned, no idea what to say. I had no idea how to process Craig’s allegations. I met Dev several months after Trupti allegedly broke his heart. He was a mess, who couldn’t stop hooking up on Tinder. Was that new behavior, or was he just feeding a constant need for meaningless hookups. I felt sick to my stomach and a little bit angry, but I had no idea why.

  I need to talk to Maren.

  “Are you sure you two are just friends?”

  “Yeah,” I said defensively, pulling my head back. “Why?”

  “You look upset.”

  “Well, he’s my friend.”

  “Kind of.” Craig used my own words against me, and I wasn’t happy about it. I had no idea why this news about Dev felt so personal to me. Maybe it was because of Maren…because he was such a huge part of her life. Maybe it was because it was starting to feel like he and I could actually be friends without tearing each other’s heads off every time we shared six feet of space.

  “Right.” I said, taking a deep breath, getting my composure. “Look, it’s never nice to hear something like that about someone in your life. And he’s in my life, so maybe we should just drop it…talk about something else.”

  “Sure.”

  “What made you change careers?”

  “I wanted more freedom, more free time. I wanted to live and not just survive. I get paid to hang on a ski slope and help people. Pretty awesome.”

  “And being an EMT?”

  “Yeah, that’s okay. Long hours, lots of stress. More demanding than I’d thought it would be when I went back to school for it.”

  “That job seems like the epitome of stress and adrenaline.”

  “Exactly. It wears on you after a while.”

  “But it’s worth it, right? I mean, all the good you do…that’s gotta make you feel good. You save people’s lives on the regular.”

  “Sure, yeah. We lose a lot of people too, though. It’s hard.”

  I let his words sink in. “I hadn’t thought of that. That must be really hard.”

  “Who knows? I’m not sure if I’ll stick with it… Might just keep this gig, see if I can find something else to do at the resort.”

  “Don’t you think you’d miss it?”

  He shook his head. “Nah. I like switching things up, keeping ’em fresh. I get bored easily.”

  I smirked and let out a muffled laugh while taking another sip of my sweet drink.

  Interesting tidbit, Craig.

  “Professionally, I mean.”

  “Sure,” I said, giving him a wink. I felt my body relax as the alcohol coursed through my veins. It was obvious to me that Craig and I would be a terrible match. I was determined, steadfast in my goals. He was relaxed and easily bored. At every turn, our conversation tilted toward the uncomfortable, leaving us both grasping for ways to change the subject or make things more pleasant.

  Not gonna happen, Georgie-Boy.

  With one last large sip, I drained my drink. Reaching into my wallet, I dropped a twenty on the table. “Listen, I’d better get upstairs. It’s been a long day and the patient might need me.”

  “He could’ve texted you, right? He didn’t.”

  “Craig,” I said with a sigh, as I rose to my feet. “It’s time to say good night.”

  “Ahh,” Craig said, his face tightening, “got it.”

  “Have a good night.”

  “Yeah,” he said with a scowl. “Give my best to Dev.”

  “Sure.”

  As the elevator climbed, I contemplated whether or not to tell Dev about Craig’s cheating comments. He was hurt, vulnerable—the last thing he needed was to feel attacked by the person who was supposed to take care of him. I still couldn’t shake the nerves in my stomach, though. The thought of Dev being a serial cheater really bothered me. I thought I knew the guy—even if he drove me crazy. I still thought that at the core of him he was a decent human.

  Was I wrong?

  Chapter 7

  Dev

  I never should have picked up the phone. But as soon as Lyra left with that nutsack, Craig, I felt stir-crazy and restless. I didn’t want to think about them all cozied up by the fire, sipping cocktails. The thought of Craig making his corny-ass jokes and wooing Lyra made me sick. Lyra drove me crazy, yes, but she could do way better than Craig. Way better.

  My problem with Craig was simple. He was flippant about everything: jobs, women, friendships. Nothing seemed to really matter to the guy. Nothing was sacred; nothing was special. And after working with him for more than three years, it was terribly obvious to me, and probably to everyone else around him, that he didn’t really care about anyone or anything once you got below the surface. In fact, I imagined there wasn’t much to Craig below the surface at all.

  Lyra deserved someone of substance, someone who cared.

  And so, with my mind on Lyra sitting next to that jackhole, possibly laughing at his jokes or, even worse, gazing at him like he hung the damn moon, I needed a distraction. Checking social media didn’t do it for me, and I had deleted Tinder as soon as Trupti came back into my life. So, realizing that she’d texted me several times that day with no response, I decided to call her.

  Of course she screened my call…but called me back ten minutes later.

  “What’s wrong with you?” Trupti asked. “You sound weird.”

  “I had an accident today…on the ski hill. No big deal.”

  She chuckled, and I almost went through the roof. I wanted to throw my phone, but instead, I drew a fist with my empty hand and pounded it into the mattress.

  “I just told you I had an accident and you fucking laugh? What the hell is wrong with you?”

  “No, it’s just… What were you doing trying to ski? Who were you trying to impress?”

  “No one.”

  She laughed again, only this time it was clipped, ven
omous. “Riiiight.”

  I could feel anger bubbling inside me. It was a low simmer at the moment, but Trupti had the ability to bring me to a boil and I knew it. And once I started to boil, look out because there was no turning back.

  “I wanted to give it a shot, okay? And it didn’t go very well. I’m fine, by the way. Thanks for asking.”

  “I mean, I figured you were okay. You’re calling me.”

  “Wow, you’re such a delight, really.”

  “Where’s She Who Shall Not Be Named?”

  “Lyra, you mean?” I asked. “She’s downstairs on a date.”

  “That didn’t take long.”

  “You’ve met him, actually. Remember that guy Craig I used to work with?”

  “Oh, I remember Craig.”

  My eyebrows jumped up and my eyes widened at her comment—especially at her tone. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “Look, I didn’t say anything because we broke up soon after, but Craig hit on me at the Christmas party. It wasn’t a big deal.”

  “What the fuck, Trup? Why the hell didn’t you tell me?”

  “Like I said, it wasn’t a big deal. Don’t make a big thing out of it.”

  “A big thing? Are you kidding me right now?”

  “Dev, you always do this.”

  “Do what?”

  “Get jealous when you don’t need to be.”

  “You said yourself you broke up with me soon after. How do I know Craig wasn’t the reason?” I paused for a beat. “Wait. Did you hook up with him?”

  “Don’t insult me.”

  “Why? He’s a good-looking dude.”

  “I had no interest in Craig then, and I have no interest in him now. Period.”

  I believed her. Maybe I was an idiot for doing so, but I knew her tone. She was as serious as a damn heart attack. Still, I pushed her anyway. I was fuming, and I was not about to drop anything—not yet.

  “Then why did you even tell me just now? Why did you drop that bomb?”

  “I don’t know. I guess I thought it was safe. It was so long ago—”

  Seething, I interrupted her. “Trupti, the dude is downstairs with my friend right now. If it wasn’t for my foot, I’d already be on my way down there.”

  “Friend?”

  “Yeah.” I said, perplexed at her need to clarify the term.

  “So, Lyra’s your friend now? I thought you couldn’t stand the bitch.”

  “Don’t call her that, okay?”

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t know.” I shifted on the bed, suddenly uncomfortable. “We have a truce, okay?”

  “Well, I don’t. And last we talked, she was not your friend.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Whatever.”

  “Dev, is something going on with you and Lyra?”

  “Have you seriously lost it? I just told you she’s on a date right now with Craig Fucking Wyndham.”

  “Yeah, and look how pissed you are.”

  “Because he hit on you when we were going out. Hell, he hit on you right before I proposed! Of course I’m pissed.”

  “Right, but you were pissed before you even picked up the phone. This isn’t about me, and you know it.”

  “Bullshit. This is about you… You’re always keeping secrets, Trup, always dropping bombs. Sometimes I think you live for the damn drama.”

  She sighed into the phone. “Fine. Forget it. You’re so extra right now, and I’m over this entire conversation.”

  Right, because I hit the nail on the damn head. Fucking drama queen.

  “Yeah, well, maybe I’m over it too.” I huffed with a sneer. “Maybe I’m over everything.”

  “You don’t mean that.”

  “Maybe I do.”

  “So just be a man and say what’s really going on here. You caught feelings.”

  “What?”

  “For Lyra.”

  “You could not be more wrong.”

  “I don’t believe you, Dev.”

  “I don’t have feelings for Lyra.” I huffed. “We have a truce. We’re being civil—that’s it. She has nothing to do with this.”

  “What then?”

  “Look, I’m all hopped up on painkillers and I need to go to sleep. I never should have called you, I’m sorry.”

  She sighed into the phone. “Yeah, you shouldn’t have. Get some sleep. We can talk tomorrow.”

  “Actually, maybe we should wait until I get home.”

  “Oh. Are you sure?”

  “It just seems like we should talk in person. We have a lot of shit to sort through, and we’re not making any headway over the phone. If anything, it’s just making things worse. Don’t you think?”

  “Yeah, I guess.” Her voice was soft, nervous. And it broke my heart. I never wanted to hurt Trupti, but I knew our end was near. As much as part of me wanted to fight for us, most of me was exhausted. I wasn’t the kind of guy to end a relationship, especially one with the woman I thought I’d spend my life with, over the phone. She deserved more than that, and so did I.

  I didn’t want to admit it to myself at the time, but Trupti was right…at least slightly. The minute Craig showed interest in Lyra, my guard was up. I was pissy and a little unglued and I couldn’t understand why the hell I was feeling that way. I just knew that I wanted Lyra back at the room…without Craig.

  I fell asleep waiting up for her, but when the door popped open, I heard her voice. I held my breath, waiting to hear if she was alone. Seconds later, she appeared at the door.

  “How you feeling?” She gave me a closed-mouth, concerned smile. For the first time in more than a year, I noticed how sexy her curls were as they spilled down her tan shoulders. She was wearing a dress, and I could no longer deny how hot she looked, how hot she was. Trupti was beautiful, yes, but there was something about Lyra. She was effortlessly sexy in everything she did, from the way she walked across a room to the way she wore the hell out of that dress.

  “Pretty good,” I said with a weak smile, surprised at how Trupti was drifting away from my mind with each second I spent with Lyra.

  What the hell is wrong with you, man?

  “It’s almost time for another pill. I’ll get you some water.”

  “Thanks.” She left the room and I gritted my teeth, looking up at the ceiling, realizing that Trupti may have been onto something.

  What if I’d caught feelings for someone who didn’t and wouldn’t ever feel the same about me? Was I only pissed off about Craig hitting on Trupti? Or was this all about Lyra? Lyra. The girl I couldn’t stand, my sworn enemy, and literally the last person on Earth I ever thought I’d want to be with. I had to get myself in check, had to figure this out before it was too late.

  Get your game face on, motherfucker.

  “So…” she said, reappearing at the door, “You were right about Craig. He’s kinda…”

  “Vapid?” I asked, raising one eyebrow as she placed a pill in my hand and passed me a glass of water with the other. She sat on the edge of the bed and crossed her legs toward me—her ridiculously hot, tan legs.

  “Yeah.” She wrinkled her nose. Her perfect, petite nose. She had one little freckle on the side of her nose—if it was any bigger, it might look like a tiny nose ring. She’d probably look damn good with a nose ring.

  Jesus! Get it together. This is Lyra. You. Hate. Her.

  “You are back kinda early,” I said, gesturing toward the clock with both eyebrows raised. Lyra shrugged.

  “What’s the point of wasting his time? I know I’m not interested.”

  “If only more girls were like that,” I said with true appreciation for her direct philosophy. My eye contact lingered a little more than normal, and she cleared her throat, looking away for just a second. “And it was time for your pill.”

  “You didn’t have to come back for me,” I said, tilting my head to the side just a bit, impressed that I’d even been on her mind at all. Two days ago, she probably would have used any excuse to stay away from me
that she could. And I would have done the same.

  There’s a disturbance in the force…and maybe it’s not just me.

  Lyra paused and pressed her eyebrows together as she shrugged. “Nah, you were a good excuse. No big deal. Don’t let it go to your head. ”

  “Well, you know that’s impossible,” I said with a flirty wink. I hadn’t tried to flirt with Lyra in over a year. It felt new, yet familiar…and I had to admit that it freaked me out a little. I wasn’t the kind of guy to flirt when attached. I was overly loyal in that way.

  “You’re impossible,” Lyra scoffed, tucking her hair behind her ear and rolling her eyes.

  “Hey, I thought we had a truce?”

  “We do,” she said matter-of-factly. “I’m here getting your pill, aren’t I?

  “Good point,” I said with a nod before draining the rest of the water. “Thanks for that.”

  “Sure thing,” she said, rising to her feet.

  Don’t go. Not yet. I really gotta figure this out.

  “Well, I’ll let you rest,” she said, patting my thigh as she lingered next to the bed. “You’ve had a long day. Hopefully tomorrow will be much better.”

  “Yeah,” I said, swallowing hard. “Night.”

  Lyra smiled and closed my door on her way out of the room. I flopped onto my side and stared at the oak door, stunned and in disbelief.

  My world was shifting, and I had no idea how I felt about it…or how to stop it.

  One thing was certain. Everything made much more sense before Craig Fucking Wyndham thrust himself back into my life.

  Motherfucking Craig. Thanks a lot, asshole.

  Chapter 8

  Lyra

  It was late afternoon when it happened. Dev and I were lounging in the living area of our suite after returning from a late lunch down at the bar. Dev had managed to get downstairs on the crutches from Dr. Ashlynn and had switched to Advil for his pain, abandoning the rest of his Percocet. He was cozied up in the fluffy armchair with his injured foot resting on the ottoman, his earbuds popped in. I could hear Jay-Z blaring from his ears as I attempted to get back into my book, rereading the same paragraph over and over again. Finally, in a huff, I slammed the book shut and tossed it to the side. Dev raised an eyebrow as I reached for the television remote.