Free Falling (Falling Novella Series Book 2)

by Shirl Rickman

  Drew: I had to go somewhere.

  Rosie: Where?

  Drew: Here

  Rosie: What?

  Drew: I’m here.

  Drew: At your door.

  A few seconds pass and the door swings open. I place the biggest grin on my face.

  “Drew! What in the ever-loving hell are you doing here?” she exclaims, her eyes wild as she touches her messy bun.

  “Man, you’re right,” I say, a bit dumbfounded.

  “I am?” she questions, looking confused by my comment.

  “You’re right. You aren’t adorable at all,” I tell her, allowing my eyes to roam over the bare, smooth skin of her face.

  “Well, I didn’t know you were coming over!” she shouts this time.

  “Rosie, you didn’t let me finish. What I meant is, you’re not adorable. You’re breathtaking. You’re beautiful. You are more than adorable,” I admit, devotedly.

  “Oh.” She blushes.

  “Yeah. Okay, I didn’t run all the way over here to tell you that, though, although I’m glad I did. What I wanted to say, or rather what I want to ask you is, would you like to come with me to my family’s game night on Saturday?” I stumble over my words.

  “Uh…you want me to come with you to your family party?” she says, almost in a whisper.

  “I know I didn’t ask very eloquently, but yes, that’s exactly what I was trying to ask you,” I affirm.

  The smile that lights up her face is so bright, I can’t help the one that forms on mine.

  “Are you sure?” she asks.

  “Of course I am,” I tell her.

  “Really?” she says giddily.

  Abbey’s voice rings out from somewhere behind her in the apartment. “Damn it, Rosie! Say yes already so you can get your sweet ass back in here, and I can continue to drool over Four.”

  We both start laughing, and Rosie shrugs her shoulders. “Movie night,” she tells me then continues, “Yes, I would love to go with you.”

  “Thank you,” I breathe. An uncontrollable smile forms on my face once more.

  I quickly pull her in for a short, searing kiss. One I don’t want to stop, but know I need to and I need to stop right now. When we pull apart, I immediately turn and run back home, feeling light. Feeling like I just took another giant leap in this relationship instead of the baby steps I intended to take all along.

  Holding hands, Rosie and I make our way down the pathway leading to my parents’. The door swings open with my mom waiting to greet us. “Rosie. Andrew. We’re so happy you made it.” Her voice is cheerful and full of her typical energy.

  Rosie beams. “Mrs. Nallen.” My mom is pulling her in for a gentle hug. That woman isn’t all that familiar with personal space. Luckily, I’m confident Rosie doesn’t mind.

  “Mom, of course we made it. I’m the one who planned the shindig,” I tease. She kisses me on the cheek as I pass her.

  “Drew, stop it. I’m just nice. Now take Rosie in to meet your father. He’s in the family room. You guys are the first to arrive,” Mom tells us as she shuts the door and leaves us to head upstairs. “I’ll be back down in a minute.”

  I take Rosie’s hand again and start to lead her down the short hall to the family room. Just before we turn the corner within sight of my dad, I stop Rosie, pulling her to me. She looks up at me questioningly. I caress her cheek with my thumb. “I just wanted you for a moment longer to myself because once we walk in there, and my brothers and sister arrive, we won’t have a moment alone.” I touch my mouth to hers, softly. “I want to apologize ahead of time for all of them because they have no idea what personal space is or realize when they cross a line, except for maybe Parker. I love them all, but we forget that all families aren’t like our family. Are you sure about this? I can make an excuse.”

  She squeezes her arms tighter around my waist, smiling. “Drew, I’m good. And you haven’t met my family. I’m used to loud and filter-less banter. Let’s do this.”

  “Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you,” I say, still unsure. Holding Rosie close a moment longer, I add, “Oh, and by the way, I really, really like you, Rose Fisher.”

  Her smile brightens the whole room. “And I really, really like you, Andrew Nallen.

  Letting her out of my embrace, I take her hand and walk into the family room. We find my dad sitting in the big, overstuffed beige chair in the corner, reading a magazine. He looks up over his glasses when we enter the room.

  “Drew.” My dad sets the magazine down and stands, giving me a hug, then turns his attention to Rosie. “You must be the Rose everyone is talking so much about,” he remarks, extending his hand in greeting.

  “Oh, uh, I guess that would be me, and you must be the one and only Mr. Nallen,” she says, sounding completely in her element and accepting his greeting.

  Things I now know about Rosie: while she may be awkward and klutzy on occasion, there are some situations she handles better than most, especially if she is comfortable.

  Chuckling, my dad looks over at me. “I like her already.” Then he takes a seat. “Drew, get dinner set up in the kitchen and our guests something to drink while you’re at it. Your mother said she laid everything out for you. Parker dropped off the feast you guys have planned for tonight earlier in the day. I’ll keep this lovely lady company while we wait for the others to get here.”

  Glancing over at Rosie, she nods to let me know she’s fine. “Sure, Dad. No embarrassing stories,” I joke, winking at Rosie.

  As I walk away and out of the room, I can hear my dad asking Rosie about her family. There is a slight tug at my heart because it’s a nice feeling my parents already feel comfortable with Rosie. I don’t worry about the need to keep Rosie company when I begin to prepare dinner.

  In fact, I feel pretty damn great until I hear the slamming of the front door and the loud, arguing voices of my two younger brothers. Poor Rosie may change her mind about feeling comfortable with those two bozos around.

  Laughter erupts around the table as Rosie meets Tyler’s bet and raises it ten dollars. Tyler yells, “Bullshit!” and everyone laughs harder. Rosie’s expression remains neutral. Leaning over, I press my mouth close to her ear and whisper, “You’re a shark.”

  “God damn it, Drew! No whispering in her ear,” Tyler shouts, sounding annoyed.

  “Tyler James Nallen! You better watch your mouth,” my mom scolds in her usual, futile attempt at getting one of us to refrain from cursing. My dad pats her hand and rolls his eyes, letting her know he thinks she’s ridiculous for trying to threaten Tyler.

  “Quit acting like a little ass, Tyler, and make your move,” Kelsea says in my defense.

  “Fine,” he grumbles, glancing at his cards then tossing his chips in a pile.

  Rosie doesn’t even flinch. She takes a casual peek at her hand. Everyone is quiet around the table until Jasper says, “Drew, I may be falling for your girl.”

  I kick Parker under the table, and he punches Jasper in the shoulder. “Ow, you two are such assholes,” he cries. I give Parker a high five across the table.

  “You all are a bunch of heathens. Rosie will never want to come over here again,” Dad comments as Mom rests her head on his shoulder.

  “Okay, let’s see your showdown,” I tell them both after the river card is shown.

  Rosie and Tyler each flip their cards over.

  “Four of a kind, queens,” Rosie brags.

  Tyler looks at his full house and blows out a long breath. “Fuck.” Parker, Jasper, and Kelsea all whoop and holler, teasing Tyler. Mom and Dad clap their hands.

  Standing up, I tug Rosie out of the chair and into an embrace. She’s laughing and so am I. I kiss her on the side of her head and set her down. She immediately turns toward Tyler, who’s sitting with his head down while he flips our brothers and sister off.

  “Tyler, you are a worthy adversary,” she acknowledges, her eyes shining with humor.

  Looking up at her, Tyler grins. “I guess I should’
ve known better than to think I could beat a Texas girl at Texas Hold’em.”

  Rosie winks and starts clearing the table while everyone else bursts into laughter. Mom jumps up and starts clearing the table alongside her, shouting, “You guys better get your butts in gear and start cleaning up. We aren’t letting Rosie clean up this mess all on her own.”

  As a family, we all start carrying plates and glasses to the kitchen, chatting, laughing, and joking like on any other family night. At one point, I notice Rosie standing in the doorway of the kitchen, watching everyone. Walking up behind her, I press into her back. “Whatcha doin?” I ask her in a low voice.

  She doesn’t answer, only reaches her hand down and behind her to take hold of mine. “Watching your family. It makes me miss home a little, but it also makes me feel good because they’ve all been so welcoming.”

  Turning her to face me, I look into her eyes. “Rosie, you’re amazing. They love you, and if you can accept their crazy, then you can spend every family get-together with us if you want,” I tell her without thinking. I only think about how I’m feeling at that very moment with her and not about my words. Not about the weight they carry.

  I realize after a few minutes that Rosie hasn’t said anything; she’s only staring at me. There’s a surprised gleam in her eye, like she’s unable to determine how she should take what I just said. I decide to give her something else to think about and place a quick kiss to her lips. I step around her and go help Kelsea dry and put away the dishes without looking back.

  After all the dishes are dry, I go off in search of Rosie. I haven’t seen her since I left her standing in the doorway twenty minutes ago. She couldn’t have gone far. I hear my dad, brothers, and Kelsea in the family room arguing over who’s the greatest soccer player of all time. Pele, of course, I think at the same time Parker announces it out loud. I chuckle to myself.

  I notice the string lights on the porch are on, dimly lighting the back, giving me the ability to see two silhouettes standing side by side with their backs to me, looking out over the backyard.

  Quietly, I walk through the doorway without their notice and just before I approach them, I hear my mother say my name.

  “Rosie, I really like you, and I hope you don’t think I’m one of those mothers who butt into their kids’ lives when I ask you if you’re sure about how you feel for Andrew.” Mom turns her head toward Rosie, and Rosie continues looking straight forward.

  “I would never presume to know what it’s like to be a mother. I imagine you just want to protect him. All of your kids. So, no, I don’t think that at all,” Rosie tells her honestly. Sighing, she continues, “As for how I feel about Drew, I haven’t even really told him. We haven’t told one another. Things have been complicated between us. It’s no one’s fault but our own.”

  “Complicated. How very Andrew-like,” my mom comments, a slight humor to her tone.

  “Yeah, well, I’m no better,” Rosie remarks. “And, I’m the one who brought Drew into our complication. I think things were pretty simple for him before I came along. I care about Drew. A lot. He’s so unlike anyone I’ve known, and I feel so comfortable…at home when he’s around.”

  A smile drifts across my features as I eavesdrop on them. I find it humorous Rosie takes so much responsibility for our situation.

  “Well, Drew had his battle with complicated a long time ago. I don’t want to see him get hurt…” Mom is saying. I quickly make my presence known before she can say anything else.

  “Hey, you two, what’s happening out here?” I interrupt.

  “Oh, honey, I was just getting to know Rosie a little better and maybe I was also trying to give her a break from your brothers.” Mom walks toward me, kissing me on the cheek. In a whisper, as she walks past me, she tells me, “Be brave. She’s a keeper.”

  I quickly peck her on the cheek, letting her know I heard her words.

  “So, my mom,” I say to Rosie once I reach her.

  She laughs lightly. “She’s great,” Rosie says genuinely. “I really like her.”

  “Good, and I think she really likes you.” I wrap my arms around her shoulder and pull her gently toward me. She leans her head on my shoulder. It feels nice. “Again, thank you for coming tonight.”

  Lifting her head and facing me, Rosie touches her lips to mine. “You don’t need to thank me. I should be thanking you for inviting me.” Her lips meet mine again. They’re warm and soft, gently prodding my lips apart. I wrap her in my arms as our mouths move against one another in a sensual kiss.

  When we finally pull apart, I rest my forehead against hers and inhale softly. Her scent is calming me, yet at the same time creating a yearning for her I promised us both wouldn’t happen until we were both ready.

  “I better get you home,” I tell her. “Especially because if we don’t leave now, someone is bound to talk us into playing another round of Texas Hold’em.

  “Yeah, I’m not sure Tyler can take losing to me twice in one night,” she jokes, walking away. A loud laugh escapes me as I slap her on the ass and she yelps.

  Dating Rosie Fisher is too much fun.

  The outside of Rosie’s apartment is dimly lit, and the usual fog hangs in the buildings and lampposts. The chill in the air clings to us and I feel her shiver. Quickly, I pick Rosie up and rush up the steps, a surprised scream coming from her, and then a giggle.

  “What are you doing?” she exclaims between laughs.

  “I’m getting you inside more quickly, Ms. Fisher,” I tell her, setting her down just inside the building foyer.

  She holds her hands out to me, fingers white. “So cold…I can’t feel my fingers,” she chatters. I take her hands between mine, cupping them and blowing my warm breath on them. “It isn’t that cold.” I laugh. She shakes her head in disagreement, and I grin.

  “Okay, get upstairs and into the warmth of your own home,” I suggest. I pull her into a heated kiss. It is never easy to leave her, but tonight feels especially hard. I’m not sure if it’s the time we spent with my family tonight alone or all of our dates combined, but I feel so connected to Rosie. Something I never expected when we began all of this together.

  Pushing her back, I give her one last peck on the cheek. Rosie looks as dazed as I feel.

  “Good night, Rosie. Thank you for tonight. In fact, thank you for giving me this second chance,” I tell her, hoping she can feel and hear the sincerity in my voice.

  “Stay,” she states so quietly I almost miss it.

  “What?” I ask, nervous.

  “I said stay with me,” she repeats, her voice a little louder. A little more sure.

  Grabbing her shoulders, I pull her against me, squeezing her in a tight embrace because a war is raging between what I want to do and what I think I should do. I’m worried she’s only asking because of the moment instead of what she really wants to happen between us.

  If I stay, it means we are done with this new arrangement. We are saying this is bigger than what’s happened between us so far. At least that is what it will mean for me. Is she sure? Am I?

  As hard as it is for me to get the words out, I close my eyes and reply, “I can’t. This is against our rules.”

  “Oh.” She sounds so hurt. Maybe even a little shocked by my reply. Kissing me on the cheek, she sputters out, “Thank you for tonight. It was amazing. Fun.” She quickly turns on her heels and heads to the open elevator. I’m frozen. Watching her go and trying to decide why she said a hasty goodbye. Why she sounded so hurt.

  We stare at one another until the elevator doors close, and I’m left standing alone.

  I remain in that spot, going over everything for an undetermined amount of time. Thinking of every moment that led us here, to me standing in the foyer of Rosie’s building, staring at elevator doors. Feeling sure and conflicted at the same time. I’m still afraid, but this time I’m not afraid of being with her. I’m afraid of making a choice that will leave me without her.

  My rational brain kicks in.
She asked me up. Maybe Rosie is feeling the same thing as I am, yet she took a chance and asked me to stay. She’s ready to take a real chance on me. I want that real chance.

  Rushing up to the elevator, I hit the button to her floor over and over because it can’t get here quick enough. The doors open and I step in; I have no more than a minute to figure out exactly what I’m going to say to Rosie to convince her I want to stay and what this means for me. For us.

  And hopefully, for her.

  Pivotal moment number five happened when I couldn’t find the right words.

  I’m an ass. Even if it weren’t completely true, I definitely made an ass of myself. When I saw Rosie walk into the restaurant with that Travis guy, I’d never been as devastated and pissed off at the same time as I was at that moment.

  As you can guess, that isn’t the best combination for good decisions.

  It’s the reason I didn’t consider how my actions and reactions would affect Rosie. I was selfish as usual. Now, I’m standing here, in our coffee shop, in the spot we first introduced ourselves to one another, and she’s angry with me.

  “Drew, what the hell was all of that?” she inquires, her voice full of anger. God, I am so damn sorry. I can see what I’ve done to her now, but I have no idea what to say to make her understand. I don’t know how to answer her question. I don’t know exactly what I’m doing.

  So I say the first thing that comes to my mind. “When did it get so hard to breathe around you?”

  I see the moment my question turns her anger into confusion.

  She whispers, “I don’t know what you mean.”

  My frustration grows, with her, with myself. “Damn it, Rosie. This wasn’t what I intended to happen. I don’t do this,” I say, waving my hand at us. “This doesn’t happen to me. I have everything I want. I don’t want more…I didn’t want more.

  Of course she’s confused, because I’m confused myself.

  “Drew, I…I don’t know what you’re saying. This is exactly what was supposed to happen. This was our plan…our deal,” she sounds desperate, and again I feel angry. Not at her, but with myself. With Rosie, I’m aggravated she can’t see everything I see.