“In Atlanta. I’m a city girl through and through.”
I smile. “Cool. I moved there when I was eighteen.”
“Really?” she asks, grabbing the suntan lotion. “By yourself?”
I nod. “Yep. Just me.”
“That must have been scary.”
“It was. But I met my best friend, Claire, the same day, so it wasn’t scary for long.”
“You two seem really close,” she says.
“We are. She’s more like my sister.”
“That’s nice. I had a close friend like that in college.”
“What happened?” I ask, flicking a bug away from my arm.
“Grew apart. Different career paths.”
“What is it you do again?” I take another sip of my beer as she picks hers up from the cement. I’m sure Jace has told us, but I can’t for the life of me remember.
“Librarian.”
“That’s right.” I remember now. “You’ll have to come by my shop, Mugs & Books, and check out my collection. I support Indie authors.”
“Really? That’s cool. So, you sell their books there?”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll definitely come by and check it out.” She drinks from her bottle before placing it on her cheek. Even in the spring it’s hot and I know summer will be scorching this year, but what’s new?
It’s Georgia.
“So, tell me about you and Bryce,” she says, looking over at me.
“What do you want to know?”
“How did y'all meet?” she asks.
“Well, we first saw each other at Red, the nightclub he owns. And then he and Jace stopped by the shop one morning, and that’s when we actually first spoke. He was an asshole,” I tell her with an eye roll. "Jace was as friendly as ever, of course.”
She laughs. “He’s a great guy, right?”
“Yeah, he is,” I agree.
She smiles and looks down at her beer for a moment, seeming to be at war with something as a deep line forms between her brow.
“You all right?’ I ask her.
She looks over at me. “Oh, yeah. I’m fine.” She clears her throat and smiles before gazing back at the pool.
“How did you and Jace meet?” I ask her.
She grins. “Grocery store, oddly enough.”
“Really?” I ask.
“Yeah. We just hit it off,” she says with a shrug.
“Jace is easy to get along with,” I say.
“That he is,” she replies, taking a sip of her beer.
I like this girl. I’m so happy for Jace. The boy has been so lonely, and now he’s got someone who’s interesting and smart.
As the afternoon passes, we talk about her growing up in the city and what college was like for her while we hear the sound of Bryce and Jace on their bikes, zipping through the woods.
She asks about Red a good bit, and I’m sure to leave any parts out about the activities that go on below it.
We drink a few beers and have a few laughs, and I think this girl and I could be great friends.
I hope Jace doesn’t break her heart.
Chapter Thirty-One
Bryce
I hit the trails with Jace while Kat and Michelle swim and lie out by the pool. The day is hot, but the trees shade us as we ride. We climb over rocks and broken tree branches until we hit the hill that leads up to the clearing where our bench is.
Once on top, I remove my helmet, loving the way the breeze feels as it brushes through my soaked-with-sweat hair.
I need to shave this shit again, but Kat seems to like it.
“So, what’s up with you?” I ask Jace as he grabs his smokes from his pocket. He takes a seat and removes his helmet, too. I look out at the land below us before inhaling a deep breath.
“Shit,” he says, lighting his smoke.
“You seem to like this Michelle chick.”
He rolls his eyes. “You going to start, too?”
“What do you mean too?” I ask.
“Everyone’s freaking out because I brought a girl home. No one got into your shit when you brought Harrison here.”
I smirk. “Umm, pretty sure, they did, and you were one of them.”
He grins, blowing smoke from his mouth. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
He flicks his ashes. “I don’t know, man. Something is different with this one. She isn’t like the other girls I’ve messed with.”
I agree, “No, she isn’t.”
“She’s gorgeous, but in a simple way. Not like all those bottle blondes with layers of makeup. They always surprise the fuck out of me the next day. Half that shit is smeared off, and then you really get to see who you fucked the night before.”
I laugh, knowing exactly what he’s talking about. Hell, I’m glad I don’t have to deal with that anymore.
“I like this girl. A lot.”
“Good,” I say, flicking a piece of lint from my riding suit.
“It’s scary, though, ya know? I mean, I had girlfriends in high school, unlike you,” he tosses out.
I roll my eyes, ignoring his dig at me. I didn’t want girlfriends. I slept around with the ones willing to sleep around, but I didn’t care to have any girl wearing my class ring or keeping her shit in my car.
I wish I would have known Kat back then. Damn, what was she like as a teen?
I know she didn’t have a normal life, but I wonder if she would have been like the popular chicks, walking around with their noses in the air. Or would she have been with the book nerds, bumping into people because her face was always in a book?
Nah, she wouldn’t have been like any of them. She would have been the girl everyone loved. The girl who bounced around from click to click.
She would have been mine back then, too. I would have given her my ring and every fucking thing else she wanted.
Jace continues, “But I never felt for any of them the way I’m starting to feel for her.”
I look over at him. “You going to marry this girl, bro?”
He shoves my shoulder. “Fuck you.”
I laugh, kicking my feet out and crossing my ankles. I shove my hands into my pockets and shut my eyes for a moment, just breathing and enjoying time with my brother.
“So, you never heard anything about that shit that went down, huh?”
“Nope.”
“Good,” he says. “Good.”
________________
The ride back down is quick, and once we put up our riding gear and park the bikes in the shop, I search for my girl. The pool is empty when I get there, so I assume she’s back at the barn house. When I walk in, I find her laughing with Michelle.
Fucking hell.
Is this going to be a problem?
K’s got shorts on and just a bathing suit top. She’s preparing them lunch and I get a little jealous.
Shit, I’m hungry, too.
“Hey,” she says as I shut the door. I look from her to Michelle.
“Hey,” I slide my hat on backward and walk to the fridge to grab a beer. “Have fun at the pool?” I ask her.
“We did,” Michelle cuts in. I dart my eyes over to her. I didn’t ask her. I asked K.
“You’ve got a great girl here,” Michelle says.
“I know,” I reply before taking a sip of my drink.
“Bryce, don’t be rude.” Kat gives me the eye.
I look right back at her. “I’m not being rude. I’m agreeing.”
She looks me over before dipping the butter knife into the mayo container.
“You going to make me one, too?” I ask.
“Is that your way of asking?” She lifts her brow.
I rephrase myself, “Will you make me a sandwich, too, please?” Damn, I can’t wait until Michelle leaves. I’m going to bend K over and show her who’s a smartass.
“Yes. I will.” She smirks and walks toward me. I think she’s going to gift me a kiss, but she moves around me and goes for the fridge.
Tease.
/>
I clear my throat. “Um, I think Jace is looking for you,” I say over to Michelle.
“Oh, shit. Yeah, you’re probably right. Kat, I better go find him. It was great spending the afternoon with you.”
“You don’t want your sandwich?” K asks her.
“Nah, Bryce can have it. I’ll see you guys later.”
Not if I can help it.
I’m not sure what everyone’s fuss is about this girl. She seems like a nuisance. Maybe it’s because I want Kat to myself. But I don’t mind sharing her with Claire. I like Claire, though. I’m not getting good vibes from Michelle.
“Okay. Bye.” Kat waves before she bends down in the fridge, digging into the meat drawer. Once the front door clicks shut, I walk up behind her, grabbing her waist and pressing my dick against her ass.
“Oh no, you don’t.” She moves back with a pack of turkey in her hand. “You were so rude to her.”
“You just spent the afternoon with her. Why the hell is she back at our house?”
She looks at me funny, and I can’t place the expression.
“Why are you looking like that?”
“You said our house.”
Huh?
“I don’t get it.” I bring the beer to my lips, needing to cool down from my ride with my brother.
It is our house.
She already agreed to move in with me.
She rolls her eyes. “Nothing. Move so I can fix our lunch.”
“Hey, don’t get snappy with me.”
“Well, you shouldn’t be rude to your brother’s girlfriend.”
I look down at the floor. “You like her?”
“Yes,” she says instantly. “You don’t?”
I shrug. “She’s all right. I like Claire better. Why couldn’t Claire and Jace hook up?”
“Hell no,” Kat says, shaking her head.
“Why?”
“Seriously? Your brother is a playboy. If he hurt her, I’d have to cut his balls off.”
“I don’t like hearing you say balls while talking about Jace.”
She laughs. “You have issues, man.”
I push off the counter and walk over to her as she lays down pieces of meat onto the bread. I kiss her neck, desperate to get some undivided attention from the woman I love.
She leans to the opposite side, letting me have what I want. I suck and bite, placing my beer onto the counter before snaking my hand across her stomach and dipping lower, past the button of her shorts and into the front of her bikini.
I rub her clit and dip my finger inside, loving the fact that she’s already wet. She drops the things in her hands, twisting, causing my hand to slip out before she steals my kiss.
Her tongue tastes like Corona and lime, and her skin is slippery from tanning lotion. I swipe at the things on the counter. Plates crash to the floor, and the silverware pings loudly. My beer spills, and I don’t give a shit.
She reaches down and slides her shorts off before I lift her up onto the island. She latches onto me, her thighs squeezing my waist tight. “Why are you such an asshole?” she asks breathlessly.
“You make me that way,” I say before I kiss her neck and lick the swell over her breast. She grabs the waist of my jeans, and I help remove them. I fuck her hard, reminding her why we’re so good together.
And now, every time I come back here, I’ll think of this.
She’s sprinkling memories everywhere, making it impossible to ever forget her.
And I know I never will.
Chapter Thirty-Two
“Dalton, just checking in. How’s everything going?”
I look down at the floor, my stomach in knots.
Get it together, girl.
“It’s going to happen tonight.”
“You’re sure everything is in order?” he asks.
“I’m positive.”
“Okay, I’ll get the team together.”
“Good.” I look at my watch. “He will be here shortly to pick me up. We’ll do dinner and then head over. Have them ready and waiting when I walk in.”
“We’ll follow your lead. Do you know how to get in there?”
“Yeah, he’s filled me in.”
“Good job, Dalton.”
My lip lifts at his approval, but the sick feeling in my gut makes me want to vomit. I look up at my reflection in the mirror. I haven’t been this dressed up in a while. Red paints my lips, and my eyes are smoky. My auburn hair is wavy, and the dress I have on is hunter green. I’ve removed my glasses and put my contacts in. I find myself hoping he will approve. He’s seen me in nothing but jeans and a T-shirt. I shake my head, instantly frowning.
You can do this.
Get your shit together.
I’m ready to get this over with.
“See you in a few.” He hangs up, and I take a deep breath.
“Let’s do this.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Kathrine
Walking into the apartment I share with Claire, I lean back against the door and run my eyes over the place, feeling nostalgic and a whole bunch of other emotions I can’t pinpoint. How far we have come, she and I. I’ve moved out once before, but this time is different.
While I was with Mark, I still felt like the apartment Claire and I shared before this one was still my home. It was like I was just constantly having a sleepover at his place. It never felt permanent.
But this feels like I’m leaving one home, a place that I’ve grown to love because it was ours, to a place that will be my forever.
This feels final.
And I can’t help the tear that rolls down my cheek. I wasn’t sad when I moved out of my childhood home. I was anxious and flew out the door running with hardly a thing to my name.
I wasn’t sad when I moved in with Mark. It felt right at the time, and like I mentioned already, I never felt like I left completely.
I’m sad now.
I know what I want with my life.
I know who I want.
Bryce is everything I could ever need, and as long as we have each other, life will be okay.
I know it.
My eyes move to the stairs when Claire walks down.
“Hey, creeper,” she says with a smile.
I choke on a laugh as tears still flow.
“What’s wrong?” She walks down faster.
I shake my head but start to cry more. My hands go to my face, and I sob uncontrollably.
Jesus Christ, am I a kid?
What the hell is wrong with me?
No one has died, Kat. Chill, man.
“Kat, talk to me. Why are you crying like this?”
I take in a deep breath and uncover my face. Claire starts to cry, too, and she has no idea why I’m crying.
I laugh because this is ridiculous. My chest heaves, and I wipe my face as I laugh harder.
“Kat, if you don’t tell me what the fuck is going on…” She sniffs, and I look down at her perfect round belly. She scoffs, but like I’m contagious, she starts to snicker, too, making her belly bounce and making me laugh uncontrollably. I toss my head back and burst into a fit.
She joins me, and we both bend over. Her stomach continues to jump, and I don’t know why this is so damn funny.
I sink to the floor, unable to keep myself standing as my abs burn, my stomach tightening to the point of pain.
She joins me on the floor as tears run down her cheeks and her face turns red.
I try to take in a breath, telling myself to stop this nonsense so I can breathe already.
Claire holds her stomach, her hand slapping the floor. “Stop it,” she says between giggles. “I can’t breathe. I’ll suffocate the baby.”
I snort and wipe under my eyes. “Okay, okay. I’m done,” I say as one more roll of laughter passes through me. I cough and clear my throat.
“Jesus,” I say, leaning against a chair by the kitchen table. I blink my eyes, trying to remove the tears and catch my breath. She exhales and looks over
at me.
“Can you tell me what the hell that was about?”
I feel my heart rate start to come down. Damn, it felt good to laugh like that. Moving my hair from my face, I rest my head back against the chairs cushion.
I sigh. “I’m moving out.” My eyes jump to hers.
She blinks a few times and looks to the floor. “Well, I guess I knew this day was coming.”
“I’ll be right down the street,” I tell her.
“Yeah, and your room will always be open here.”
I look down at her stomach, knowing that isn’t true. Her eyes follow mine, and she puts her hand over it.
“It won’t be the same without you,” she says, rubbing her hand over her small bump.
I don’t say anything as we sit on the floor of the place we worked so hard to get.
Claire and I had no idea what we were doing when we first moved into that small two-bedroom apartment ten years ago. I was an eighteen-year-old kid who’d moved into a big city. She was just a country girl who’d gotten out of a really scary relationship.
We were barely getting by. Her parents were paying her half of the rent. We lived off pizza and cheap takeout. We drank discounted wine from plastic cups.
We laughed all the time, fought here and there. We fell in love with Damon Salvatore, and we both found it exciting when Stefan turned into a bad guy.
The Vampire Diaries was our shit.
We went through ups and downs and learned hard lessons. We suffered hangovers and disappointment. Our weekends were spent one of three ways: binge watching TV shows or barhopping downtown. We didn’t really get into the club scene until Austin insisted we go to Red.
Or, we’d head out to Claire’s parents’ land. Hang out with her brothers and Austin while getting drunk by a fire after a day of riding four-wheelers.
We’ve been through it all.
Ten years of friendship, and now we’re growing up. She’s pregnant, I own my own business with the man I love, and I’m moving out.
With tears of sadness and laughter on our cheeks, we sit in silence, realizing that this is the end of an era.
We will never be here again.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Bryce
“That’s the last of it,” I say, walking down from K’s old bedroom with a box in my hand.
Give Me Perfect Love (Give Me Series Book 2) Page 21