“I’m Devon Harris.”
“Morgan Drake.” He shakes my hand and motions for me to sit in the booth. I purposely position us so his back is to the door, and I’m facing it.
“Thank you for meeting me. I’m sure it was a shock to get my email. I really hope you don’t think Quinn and I are meddling in your business.”
He leans back in the booth, throwing one arm over the back casually. He scans my face and then blows out a breath. “The way I figure, it’s not meddling if you bring my Crys back. I’ve waited three years, three long years, for this day.”
“You have?”
“Yeah, I was an idiot to let her walk away from me.”
“Why did you?” I blurt out.
“How much do you know about our story?”
“Only what she’s told me. And that was heart-breaking enough for me and Quinn to contact you. Even if you’ve moved on, I think talking to her would help heal her heartache.”
“Move on? I’m not sure it’s possible to move on from the love of your life. That’s what Crys is to me. The love of my life. I let her go because I was a confused eighteen-year old, grieving my dad and trying to be the man of the house. Every day, my world was getting darker, and she was my light. Anger, hurt, devastation, denial—all of it was eating me alive. I saw her trying so hard, and when she offered to give up college, I knew in the back of my mind, she had to go.”
“That’s why you let her go.” Bryce’s words pop into my head. He was right. Morgan loved her that much.
“That’s why,” he confirms.
“I know we’re strangers, and it’s none of my business, but—”
“Graduation day. I was coming for her on graduation day. Lucky for me, she busted her ass and graduated in three years.”
“It takes incredible self-control to stay away from someone you love for so long. How’d you do it?”
He looks away and starts tapping his finger on the table. I watch him lick his lips and then scrub his hands up and down his face. When his eyes meet mine, they’re filled with the same emotion Crystal showed the day she told me about him. Torture.
“It was hell, Devon, and I almost broke my own resolve a few times. The day she drove away, I was there, watching. It killed me, but I stayed back and hid behind her neighbor’s house. It was obvious she was hurting. Mom told me they had a run in, and I felt guilty, so I was going to apologize. She left six weeks earlier than planned. I thought there was more time. My mind was hurt, but the more I thought about it, I knew the words she said weren’t her own. She never had a malicious bone in her body.
“The next day, her mom came to the shop. She asked me if I still loved Crystal. When I said yes, she made me a promise. Every week, she gave me an update on how Crys was doing—what her projects were, who she was hanging out with. In return, I agreed to stay back until she finished her degree. That is until your email. During that time, I’ve busted my own ass to build a foundation for us. If she’ll have me back, she’ll not only be hitched to a grease monkey, she’ll be hitched to a successful grease monkey who will give her the world.”
“You took a really big risk that someone wouldn’t snatch her up.”
“It wouldn’t matter. She was and always will be my Crys.”
“Oh my God! You sound exactly like my fiancé.”
His eyes slide to my ring finger, and he smiles widely.
“Engaged, huh? He’s a lucky guy.”
I open my mouth to refute that I’m the lucky one when Quinn and Crystal walk in the door. My eyes grow wide, and I reach across the table, giving Morgan’s hand a small pat. “She’s here. Good luck.”
He turns and stands slowly, facing their direction. When they get close, Crystal’s face goes completely white and then she freezes. Quinn tries to push her forward, but she’s glued to her spot.
“M-m-morgan?” she stutters so quietly, it’s almost silent.
“Hey, baby.” His voice is smooth as silk, but there’s a slight crack at the end.
“What’s happening here?” She looks between the three of us and sways slightly. Morgan reaches for her, but she recoils. Tears pool in her eyes as she turns her glare to me. “What did you do?”
“Please don’t be mad.”
“I thought we were meeting to discuss finals.”
“Being friends with us comes with its highs and lows. We’re nosy, we’re meddlesome, and we’re sometimes liars.” Quinn puts an arm around Crystal’s shoulders. “But we’re also loyal, fierce, and romantics at heart. And when you have a romance like yours, it’s fair play. You deserve your happy ending.”
Crystal’s face swings between Quinn and me then lands on Morgan, who has opened his arms toward her. Like a magnet, she rushes to him and lets out a heart-piercing wail. He immediately wraps her into him and buries his head into her hair. She vibrates so hard with quiet sobs that my own heart hurts.
Quinn grabs my hand, and we both soak in the beauty of this reunion. Then, in true Quinn fashion, she finds a way to ease the emotional tension.
“I know this is a life-changing moment, but can we discuss the fact that Crystal’s man is seriously fucking hot?” She tries to whisper but fails miserably.
There’s no stopping the snort that escapes. I bend over, trying to stop, but nothing works. Crystal’s cries stop and are replaced with her own giggling. Morgan’s eyes find Quinn’s, and he gives her a panty-dropping smile, dimples on full display.
Finally, I gather my composure and wave my hand between them. “Quinn, Morgan. Morgan, Quinn.”
He gives a chin jerk in recognition. Finally, Crystal turns, and I hand her a napkin. She wipes her cheeks then straightens her shoulders, focusing on Morgan. “What are you doing here?”
“Claiming back my girl. It’s been long enough.” He tugs her back to him, and she has to look up to his face.
“I was such a bitch to you. I said horrible things.”
“No, your dad said horrible things that you repeated. I know why you did.”
“You do?”
“Yeah, babe, I’ve known since about three days after you walked out of my garage. But guess what? In some ways, he was right. You needed to come to college. The experience was invaluable. Now, you can do exactly as you always wanted. But he went about it the wrong way. I’m not going to drag him through the mud, but let’s just say, I’ve used this time to build a business that even he can’t destroy by eliminating his referrals.”
“Don’t you hate me?”
“How can you hate the woman who owns your heart?”
Her breath visibly hitches at his declaration. Another tear falls down her cheek. “I thought you’d moved on.”
“Not even for a second. It’s always been you.”
They stare at each other for a long while, and I nudge Quinn that we need to leave and let them talk. She nods in agreement. We start to back away, but she turns and launches herself at us. We all three hug for a few seconds, and more tears are shed. I catch Morgan watching us with a shimmer in his eye. He mouths the words ‘thank you’, and I smile.
Crystal finally has her man back.
*****
Bryce is waiting outside when we drive up to his townhome. Before Quinn can put the car in park, I’m out and running to him. He catches me easily and steals a quick kiss before putting his head in my neck.
“Missed you.” I lean back and frame his face in my hands. “That was a really long two weeks.”
“Tell me about it. But at least now we have our own space.”
“Hey, loverlord, are you going to get our bags or what?” Quinn walks up and pinches him as he sets me down.
“Loverlord?” He raises an eyebrow at her.
“It’s a new word I’m trying out. Not sure I like it.”
I cover my mouth to hide my snicker. The last thing I need to do is encourage her. Bryce grabs our bags, and we follow him inside. Nate gets up to greet us when we walk in, and I i
nstantly feel a sense of familiarity. They only brought a few of their personal items since the place had all the essentials, but this is more them. They’ve set up the entertainment system with their large screen TV and gaming systems similar to how it was at the apartment in Knoxville. Pictures are scattered around the room with the addition of some new ones with Tommy, Rick, and a few other guys they work with. I only saw their base housing once, but this place has one-hundred percent more personality and warmth.
“I love it here!” I declare and throw myself on the sofa. “Believe it or not, this sofa is more comfortable than the one you had. Quinn will sleep like a queen on this thing.”
“Actually, she can have my bed tonight,” Nate tells us. “I’m working.”
“Cool. What time do I need to be up tomorrow morning?” she asks.
“Nine should be fine. But if not, I’ll crash on the couch.”
Bryce reaches down and pulls me to my feet easily. “Let’s give you a tour, then we need to hit the store.”
“Is this the kind of tour where I can join, or the kind that results in the horizontal tango?” Quinn smirks then snorts at her own stupid joke.
“Horizontal tango? Really, talk about throw back. What? Are we going to start using the term bump and grind too?”
“Bumping uglies.” She rocks her hips in a piston motion.
“Get your freak on!” I thrust my own hips at her.
“Hidin’ the salami,” she shoots back.
“Banging!”
“Can we stop this crazy fucking conversation? Bad enough I have to know it’s happening. Don’t need this shit running through my mind,” Nate spews. “Swear to God, sometimes I think you two are still sixteen.”
“Touchy, touchy… Maybe Nate needs to get previsto,” Quinn teases.
“Actually, Quinn, I’m pretty sure Nate’s getting laid frequently,” Bryce informs us.
Nate’s head snaps up, his eyes growing wide. “You did not say that in front of my sister.”
“Hey, man, I was sticking up for you.”
“Who is she?” Quinn questions, and Bryce grins, shrugging.
“Okay.” I throw my hands up. “This conversation is over. No more.”
“Agreed,” Nate mutters.
My phone vibrates in my pocket with an incoming text. It’s from my mom.
Mom: Want company this weekend? Michelle and I found an incredible deal on a flight. Thought we’d make a girls weekend… Game on Saturday, dinner and drinks Saturday night… Dress shopping on Sunday???
“Quinn, think our moms are invading this weekend.” I flash my phone to show her the message.
“Tell her we’re busy,” she jokes. “See how quick she calls in a panic.”
“Babe, Karen’s been talking to my mom about dress shopping for weeks. Even pressuring me to talk to you about it. Don’t fuck with her,” Bryce says in my ear. “Besides, I like the thought of you getting the dress. It’s one more thing done.”
I nod and text my mom back.
Me: Sounds terrific. We just got to Norfolk. Let me know your flight info so we can be there in time. Nate and I will call you tomorrow. Love you!
Mom: You too, honey.
“Only our moms would want to go dress shopping days after Thanksgiving,” Quinn huffs.
“I guess instead of bringing desserts, we could make a big salad.”
Both of us scrunch our noses at the same time and shake our heads.
Bryce leans down and whispers, “You don’t need to worry about burning calories. I’ve got that covered.”
A thrill shoots through me, and I lean into him. “I’m counting on it.”
Quinn starts humming the tune to “Let’s Get it On” by Marvin Gaye, and I shoot her a dirty look.
I can’t wait until next time Dean visits. She’s gonna pay.
Chapter 22
Quinn was right; our mothers are crazy. Dress shopping is going to be a mistake after this meal. I watch Nate, Tommy, and Bryce shove cake in their mouths and feel a little woozy. Nicole sits next to me, and I grunt as the sofa dips, bouncing us.
“It was delicious. Thank you again,” I tell her.
“My pleasure. Besides, I was worried that Bryce would come out of his skin if he went much longer without seeing you.”
“The feeling was mutual. I’m glad he finally has a place. It’ll be easier on us both, especially next semester. My Fridays will be free.”
“That’ll be nice. Even if he has shift, you can come over and hang with me and TJ.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
We stay silent for a minute, watching Quinn through the back door as she paces, talking to Dean.
“So I heard my brother may have met someone. Do you know anything?”
“Very little. Tommy said it’s new.”
“I wondered if it was Dani but haven’t had time to ask Bryce.”
“No, she’s only a friend. We all love Dani; she’s sweet, but I doubt she’d date anyone on her ship. I asked her to come today, but she had plans. There’s a chance she may stop in later.” She gives me a look, and my stomach sinks.
“With Liza?”
“I’m assuming.”
“Please tell me that Liza wasn’t invited today because of me.”
“Actually, she was asked to join us. The whole crew was invited, but she declined. Then Dani said she also had plans.”
“I guess I need to apologize to Liza even though I don’t want to.”
“It’s none of my business, but I think you did the right thing. No apology needed. There’s always going to be a Liza lurking around. It’s good to stand your ground and stake your claim, especially with the aggressive ones.”
“That’s the thing. She never seemed aggressive in the true term. She’s always been indifferent in her tone, but also condescending, like she was looking down on me. And then there was that picture I found.”
“What do you mean?”
I tell her about the picture on Nate’s phone and never mentioning it to Bryce.
“Devon, I trust Tommy with my life. It’s other women I don’t trust. We’ve had countless conversations about the way women flirt with him, and I’m not only referring to the Navy women.”
“Great.” I throw my head to the back of the couch and focus on the ceiling. “More reasons to feel insecure.”
She pats my hand lightly. “Whatever you’re feeling, talk to Bryce. I’ve seen relationships crumble under the pressure. Don’t become a statistic.”
“What are we talking about now?” Quinn plops down.
“The fact that women are ruthless creatures, and Bryce will be faced with easy temptation all the time.”
“Hmmm, sounds like a worthless conversation. Women may throw themselves at him, but it’s useless on their part. So can we talk about something that won’t set your nerves on edge?”
TJ wobbles in the room, covered in chocolate, and Nicole gets up to grab him. Quinn and I lean into each other, and I struggle to keep my eyes open. The bliss only lasts a few minutes before I hear Tommy answer his phone and then tell the crowd that Dani’s on her way. Quinn and I both tense, knowing that she’s probably not alone.
Thirty minutes later, when the kitchen is almost clean, Liza and Dani come through the back door. Dani instantly gives us a warm hug. Liza acknowledges us with a small wave then walks directly into the living room. Within a few seconds, Bryce is at my side with a worried expression.
“You ready to go?” he asks.
“Right now?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s kinda rude to leave so soon after eating or when other guests just arrived. Don’t you want to watch some of the game?”
“Not really,” he mutters unconvincingly.
Quinn gives me a knowing look then walks out, leaving us alone. I lean into him and kiss along the underside of his jaw.
“If you’re worried about Liza being here, don’t be. I’m
fine.”
His eyes scan my face, and he relaxes, slipping his hands into the back pockets of my jeans. “Staying until halftime then we need to leave. Four am alarm is early, no matter what time we go to bed.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me. The bed’s lonely without you.”
His eyes grow soft, and he leans down, pressing his lips against mine in a sweet kiss. A throat clears behind us, and he straightens. His face hardens.
“Sorry to interrupt, but I need to talk to you for a minute, Bryce.”
I turn partially and see Liza moving to a barstool. She doesn’t give me a second glance.
“What’s up?” he asks.
“We need to talk about Shawn. Had another incident you should be aware of.”
“No, if we talk about Shawn that means we’re talking about work, and I don’t want to talk about work on my day off.” He looks at his watch and then frowns. “I’ll be on base in less than thirteen hours. I’m positive this can wait.”
“It really can’t. Give me ten minutes. Let me brief you then decide if it can wait. If so, we’ll connect tomorrow morning.”
He reluctantly agrees by giving her a small nod. She slices her eyes to mine and waits silently. I start to feel uncomfortable and glance up to Bryce.
“Do you need privacy? Is this a confidential issue?”
“Yeah, babe, give me ten minutes and I’ll join you back in the living room.”
“Devon, this may take longer. Warning you now, Bryce, you’re going to want to hear all of it.” She looks between the two of us, and for once, I don’t feel threatened. Her expression is all business.
Bryce must sense this too because he blows out a deep breath and utters, “Shit,” before kissing me on the forehead and stepping back. I pat his chest and try to give him an encouraging smile then leave them alone.
Liza was right. It didn’t take ten minutes; it took an hour. Nate joined them for a little while then came back looking pissed. He sunk back on the sofa and chugged his beer. Tommy, Nicole, and Rick noticed but kept quiet.
When Bryce finally walks back in, Quinn is asleep on my shoulder, and my mind is spinning with possibilities of what took so long. His mouth is in a firm line as he runs his hands through his hair. Liza follows him out, hands him a beer, and then sits on the edge of the sofa, close to him. His eyes land on mine, and my heart falls. He looks so apologetic and torn; my mind clears of the earlier bitterness. Obviously, it was a real problem.
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