Game On (Aeon Book 1)

by Wendy Smith

  Molly shoots me a smile as she leaves the room, and all I can do is watch the two of them walk away. Is this our future? Can I convince Molly that she needs us?

  I walk out onto the deck and look at our yard.

  I have to try not to get ahead of myself where Molly’s concerned, but it’s not easy. If she’d come back and been hostile, or if she’d left town straight after the funeral, I might have written it all off.

  But she stayed, and now I can’t stop thinking about being with her.

  “Brad?”

  I turn at the sound of Molly’s voice. When I reach the door, she’s walking toward me, a big smile on her face.

  “Everything okay?”

  She nods. “Grace was out like a light. That story worked a treat.”

  “I think it makes her feel close to her mom.”

  Her smile turns wistful. “I hope it does. She’s such a special little girl. You two …” Her lips turn downward as she seems to fight back tears. “You did such a great job.”

  “I like to think so.” I nod toward the living room. “Let’s go and sit down.”

  She leads the way, taking a seat on the couch. I follow, my heart pounding.

  “So …” I sit beside Molly and slip my arm around her shoulders.

  She looks at it, and smiles. “So …?”

  “Wanna make out?”

  Molly laughs. “I thought we were going to talk.”

  I shrug. “Well, we can. It might be a bit tough with my tongue in your mouth, though.”

  She leans her head against mine. “You’re terrible.”

  “I know, but you used to love it.”

  Her cheeks flush with color. “We had some good times, didn’t we?”

  “The best. I wanted to spend my whole life having those good times with you.”

  “I know,” she whispers. “I felt the same.”

  “And now I feel like we’ve got a second chance at that.”

  Her mouth twists, and I already know what’s coming.

  “Molly, if Lane was still here, I’d feel this way. I don’t want you to replace her. You can’t do that. But she’d be happy for us. I’m sure she would be.”

  “You were always good at knowing what I was thinking.”

  “That’s what made you leaving even harder. I had no idea what was going on in your head.”

  She nods, and looks down. “I’m sorry.”

  We sit in silence for a few moments before I wrap my other arm around her, and she melts into me.

  “I can’t stop thinking about Lane,” she whispers. “What were her last days like? Was she in pain? It hurts so much that she died not knowing how much I loved her.”

  I take a deep breath. “I don’t know what she thought, but I do know how forgiving she was. That she kept track of what you were doing is testament to that. It used to drive me nuts, if I’m honest.”

  “Tell me about you and her.”

  I kiss Molly’s temple. “I told you the basics.”

  “No, I want to know about the little things.”

  I frown, unsure of what she means.

  “Like how your wedding day went and how happy you two were. I’m so sorry I missed that now.”

  Her request hits me right in the chest. Lane and I were so ridiculously happy on our wedding day, I’m not sure I can talk about it and still breathe. But I can tell Molly other things.

  I let out a long breath. “She was beautiful, Moll. I leaned on her so much when you left, and it was like one day, a lightbulb went off over my head and I saw her.” I smile. “I still remember the first time we kissed. It was about a year after you left. We’d become close friends, and we were spending all our time together. It was probably inevitable.”

  Molly nods, snuggling in tighter.

  “We’d managed to go a whole day without the topic of you coming up. I think at that stage, we knew you weren’t coming back, but it took a while to sink in. We went for a swim in the lake, and we were sitting in the sun drying off. I looked at her, and I guess for the first time, I saw how pretty she really was. Her blond hair shone in the sunshine, and she seemed to have such a glow about her.” I lean my head back. “She was my angel, Molly. And I loved her fiercely for a while.”

  Tears prick my eyes. “When we got engaged, all she worried about was that her mother couldn’t afford to pay for the wedding. But my parents loved her so much too, and they took care of the whole thing. We were so happy.”

  “I wish I’d been there.”

  “I was glad that you weren’t.” She pulls back, but I hold onto her. “The love I had for her was so different to what we had. You were always doing something, always thinking, always planning. She was just content to be.”

  Molly sighs. “She loved you so much. I had no clue until about six months before I was due to go to college. One night I made a joke about how you two would have to spend time together while you missed me, and I saw it for the first time.” She shakes her head. “Lane tried to hide it, but it was too late. Then I watched her, and I saw how she hung on your every word. It made me realize that maybe she’d be better for you because I was always talking.”

  She laughs, and I squeeze her so tight in my arms she gasps. “I liked you talking. But then I liked Lane’s ability to say nothing but still show me how she felt.”

  Molly’s gaze locks with mine. “Would it be weird to say that I’ll miss her? Even if I hadn’t seen her in years?”

  I shake my head. “She was always with you, Molly. She’ll always be with you. And me.”

  She blinks a bunch of times as if she’s fighting tears. She probably is. I know how cynical I was about Molly before she came back, but it’s obvious how much she cares. Knowing the truth behind why she stayed away still causes conflict within me, but I can’t pretend I don’t have feelings for her.

  I’m not going to lose her for a second time.

  I can’t.

  I stand.

  “Come to bed?” I extend my hand, and she hesitates.

  Take it.

  Take me.

  “I want to, but I think we should slow things down a little.”

  “Why?”

  She licks her lips. “Because you might have been divorced from Lane for a while and be ready to move on, but Grace just lost her mom.”

  “Grace thinks you’re great.”

  “I know, but I think she could do with a while longer of not waking up to find me here. She needs to spend time with her dad.”

  In my gut, I know she’s right. Grace is resilient. She’s had to be, dealing with both the divorce and then her mother’s illness. Is introducing Molly to the mix this quickly good for her?

  “I’m staying in town for a while, Brad. We have plenty of time.”

  “Don’t you have a business to run?”

  She nods. “Yes, but I can do that from here. At least, in the short term. I’m not ready to go back. Not yet.”

  “I’m glad to hear it.”

  Her smile lights the room. “I stayed away too long. I know that now. There’s no way I want to miss out on spending time with my parents, and with you. Life’s too short.”

  She cups my face and pulls me down for a kiss. Her lips are soft and welcoming, and I haven’t had enough of them. I’m not sure if I could ever get enough of them.

  “Goodnight, Brad. I’ll talk to you sometime tomorrow.”

  It’s so hard to let her go.

  “Night, Molly.”

  14

  Molly

  You, me. Lunch at midday. Madison’s Diner.

  I smile at the text on my phone from an unknown number. Brad’s persistent, I’ll give him that.

  Looking forward to it.

  After saving his name against the number, I place my phone on the table.

  “Everything okay?” Dad asks.

  I nod. “Just making lunch plans.”

  “With Brad?”

  I break into a grin. “Yes, with Brad.”

  He smiles. “If he�
��s the reason you’re still here, and the reason for that beautiful smile, I’m glad.”

  “I’m enjoying being home. It’s nice to spend time with you and Mom.”

  Taking a seat on the other side of the table, he reaches over and places his hand on mine. “We love having you here. I missed you, Molly. Traveling to see you is fun, but it’s so good to have you home for a while.”

  “Well, hopefully this is the first of many visits.”

  “I hope so too.”

  And I mean it. It’s not just nice to be spending time with Brad. I miss my parents, even though I’ve seen them often since I moved away. It is good to be here with them.

  I spent the next couple of hours answering emails and looking over spreadsheets. Pre-orders for the new game have gone through the roof. The upgrades we recently did to the platform have worked exactly as planned and are handling the increasing customer numbers well.

  When I first started the company, it was done on such a small budget, it was a miracle we got through each day as the customer base grew. But reinvesting in the company in the early days is paying off now. Our customer base and revenue are at an all-time high.

  Best of all, I don’t owe anyone anything.

  “I’m just about to make some lunch, Molly. Do you want any?” Mom asks.

  I shake my head. “No thanks. I’m going to meet Brad.”

  She smiles. “That’ll be nice. Have fun.”

  My heart’s light as I drive into town. It’s funny—I never realized just how stressed I was from simply working and life, but being back here, it’s just melted away.

  Maybe it’s because I’m not working into the early hours of the morning. I’ve always known it’s not necessary, given the tight team I have who produce amazing results, but I’m a mama bear when it comes to Mollab.

  A lot of that working is playing the games I create. I want to make sure the customers have the best gaming experience they can possibly get, and while other platforms like Imperium keep me motivated, I know we kick ass when it comes to user experience and support.

  Janie Madison waves as I walk in the door and points toward a booth. Her expression is surprisingly neutral. Every time I’ve been in here so far, she’s been beaming.

  I reach the booth and turn.

  My stomach falls.

  Darryn.

  “Molly, it’s so good to see you.”

  I slide into the booth.

  “What the hell are you doing here?”

  He smiles. “I sent you a text inviting you. I’ve been waiting for an answer for my proposal. I didn’t know where you were until I saw a clip online.”

  I glare at him. “You’re not welcome here.”

  “Your order.” The waitress interrupts us, placing a large basket of fries and two burgers on the table.

  “I didn’t—”

  “I ordered for us.”

  The waitress looks between us, concern on her face. I look up at her. “Thank you.”

  Shifting my gaze back to Darryn, I lean forward. “Listen to me. I didn’t invite you here. You are not welcome in my life. Stop harassing me.”

  “But I want—”

  “I don’t care what you want. You are not what I want, and I’ve already told you that your offer is rejected. Both offers.”

  His lips twitch. I’m sure within his own company he gets everything his way. But I don’t work for him. I’m Molly fucking Beckham.

  “What are you doing out here, Molly? In the middle of nowhere.”

  “It’s none of your business.”

  “Molly?”

  I look up at the sound of Brad’s voice. He ignores Darryn, his gaze fixed on me.

  “Hi.” My heart lights at the sight of him. Brad and Darryn are polar opposites. One wants me for my business, and the other wants me for me.

  “I just popped in to grab some lunch. Didn’t know you were here.” Brad flicks a glance at Darryn. “Catch up with you later?”

  “Yes, please.”

  He gives me a short, sharp nod. My stomach ties itself in knots.

  “Who’s that?” Darryn asks.

  “Again, none of your business. Look. Do you actually have a reason to be here other than pushing yourself into my life?”

  Darryn reaches out across the table and takes my hand. I pull away, but he tightens his grip. “We’ve got something that could be so special, Molly.”

  “Only in your imagination.”

  “That’s a bit harsh.”

  I shake my head. “It’s not my fault that you won’t get the message. I’ve been really clear with you, and I’m not doing this anymore. You need to leave me alone.” I tug at my hand until it’s free, then cross my arms.

  He straightens up. “We could be so good together.”

  “You’re wasting my time. I have better things to do than sit here and talk to you. Goodbye, Darryn.”

  I stand and turn toward the counter. Brad’s already gone, and I sigh.

  Shit.

  I’m not exactly sure where he’s working, but there’s a building site not far from the diner. I breathe a sigh of relief when I spot his truck parked and pull up alongside it.

  Pulling out my phone, I delete the contact I’d saved under his name and then block the number. I’ll need to get Brad’s actual number from him to make sure I don’t get fooled again.

  I walk in the gate and toward the site office.

  “Molly Beckham.” I look to my left to see a man in high-vis gear and a hard hat walking toward me. “It’s me, Stuart.”

  My mouth falls open. “Stuart Olsen?”

  “The one and only.”

  Before I can react further, he lifts me off the ground and spins me around. Stuart and Brad were close friends in school. He used to joke about how he and Lane were our third and fourth wheel.

  “It’s so good to see you,” I say.

  He grins, placing me back on the ground. “You were gone before I had a chance to say hello at the funeral.”

  I nod. “That was a really hard day.”

  “I bet.” He nudges my arm. “Looking for Brad?”

  “Yeah, I was.”

  “He’s off inspecting the site. Do you want to wait, or do you want to take a look around?”

  “Can I?”

  Stuart nods. “Of course you can. We just have to get you some gear.” He leads me to the site office. “Can I get a high-vis vest and a hard hat for Molly?” he asks as we walk in the door.

  A woman sitting at the desk smiles widely. “Of course.”

  “Moll, this is my wife, Becky. Becky, this is Molly.”

  She stands and walks around the desk. “You’re Molly? Stuart’s told me all about you.”

  I smile. “I hope just the good stuff.”

  “It’s all good. It’s so nice to meet you.”

  “You too.”

  She crosses the room and opens a cupboard, then takes out a jacket and hard hat. “Here you go. How long are you in town for?”

  I shrug. “Not sure yet. Just enjoying catching up with everyone.”

  “We should have dinner sometime. All of us.”

  “That sounds great.”

  “I’ll organize something.” She hands me the items and gives me a broad smile.

  She pecks Stuart on the cheek. “Tell Brad payroll’s done too. He can come and sign it off when he’s ready.”

  “I will.”

  After pulling on the jacket and placing the hat on my head, I turn toward Stu. “I’m ready. I think.”

  He slaps a visitor sticker on my arm. “Signed you in. Let’s go.”

  “You’re not supposed to do it for her.” Becky laughs.

  He shrugs. “You can tell me off later.”

  “It was so nice meeting you,” I say to Becky.

  She nods. “Likewise.”

  Stu leads me out of the door and toward the back of the site.

  “What’s being built here?”

  “Retirement village. This is the biggest site we’v
e had for a while, but business is booming. Nettle Downs is having a growth spurt.”

  “That’s wonderful.”

  He shrugs. “I dunno. I liked it when we were growing up. Small and uncomplicated.” Stuart winks. “Like me.”

  I laugh, shaking my head. And then I lay eyes on the man I’m seeking.

  He’s looking over what looks like a blueprint, placed on top of a pile of lumber. In his hand is the sandwich he must have bought at the diner. He takes his last bite as we approach.

  There’s a woman standing beside him. She’s tall with red hair, dressed in safety gear and standing a lot closer to Brad than I’d like. But I can’t really judge given what he saw in the diner.

  “Brad, you’ve got a visitor,” Stu calls out.

  Brad looks up. There’s no smile on his face when he meets my gaze. “Molly, what are you doing here?”

  “Came to see you.” I shoot him a smile.

  “Is your date over?”

  I swallow “It wasn’t a date.”

  He nods. “Looked like it to me.”

  “Well, it wasn’t.”

  “Is that all you want?” He looks back down at the blueprint.

  The woman beside him is staring daggers at me. My stomach sinks. This sucks. We’re so close, but still so far apart. Part of me thinks he should already know how I feel about him, but then again, it’s not like I’ve told him.

  In the meantime, I’m not about to make a scene at his workplace. I shrug. “Yeah, I guess it is.”

  I turn to leave.

  “Brad.” Stuart sighs.

  “It’s okay. I shouldn’t have come,” I say.

  “I’ll show you out, Molly,” he says.

  I take about half a dozen steps before strong hands grip my arms, and I’m jerked backward.

  “Hey,” I cry out.

  Turning around, I come face-to-face with Brad.

  “I didn’t say you had to leave.”

  I slap my hand against his chest. “That doesn’t mean you get to manhandle me.”

  He leans closer. “I’d love a chance to manhandle you again.”

  Laughing, I cock my head. “So …”

  “I really want to kiss you, but I’m not sure of the logistics when we’re both wearing hard hats.”

  “Oh.” I peel the hat off my head and drop it to the ground.