by Tessa Teevan
After brunch, Mom and Charlie steal Andi away with promises of showing her all the embarrassing photos from my childhood. I try to protest, but Charlie waves me off, calling it a Wellington girlfriend rite of passage. Knox slaps me on the shoulder.
“Dude, she’s right. You were there when Mom insisted on showing Charlie the photo from the time I used her lipstick as war paint. You’ve avoided it for a long damn time, but now, it’s your turn,” he tells me, and I chuckle at the memory. He looks around and then leans in close. “Come on, kid. I’ve got something to show you.”
As he gets up from the table, he gestures towards the front hall. I follow him out the front door and down to his car, joined by Branson, who was outside nursing his beer. Knox leans into his car and then looks around before standing up. When he holds his palm out in from of us, I see a small, square, black box resting in the middle of his hand.
“Holy shit,” Branson breathes, and I echo his sentiment.
Knox rolls his eyes at us and lifts the lid to show off the huge rock sitting inside.
“Holy shit,” I repeat and let out a low whistle.
Knox grins at both of us, looking like a frickin’ idiot. An idiot in love, that is.
“Is this what I think it is?” I ask.
He nods then reaches over and slaps me on the back of the head. “I guess you’re not as dumb as you look, kid. As long as you think that’s an engagement ring, then yeah, it’s exactly what you think it is. I’m asking Charlie to marry me.” The smile on his face is wider than I’ve ever seen, but while I’m happy for him, I can’t help but question it.
“Already? You’ve only been together for, what, six months?” Don’t get me wrong. I love Charlie, and I don’t think Knox will ever find a better woman than her, but this seems pretty damn sudden.
“It may be soon, but I’ve learned there’s no timeframe when it comes to love. And I love the hell out of that girl. Less than a year ago, I was in the hospital—alone—and it made me realize I wanted more out of life. Sure, we might not have started out on the right foot, but Charlie’s given me my life back, and I know I’m going to spend the rest of it with her. And I want it to start as soon as possible.”
I can’t argue with that sentiment. I was there in the hospital room, and while he wasn’t alone, I can understand what he means. After everything that happened with Branson and Megan, I never expected him to have a woman in his life again, and even I have to admit how far he’s come since Charlie entered his life—thanks to me, by the way.
Branson surprises me by moving in to give Knox a slap on the shoulder. “Congrats, man. She’s the real deal, and I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks, Bran. That means a lot.” Knox looks sincere, and something passes between the two before Branson turns and goes back into the house.
I wonder how much healing they’ve done since I’ve been away at school. I figure I can ask Knox about it later.
“Yeah. Congrats, of course,” I tell him. “I’m still kind of shocked, but I know you two are meant to be.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, I realize that I sound like a sap, and I can only blame it on Andi’s reappearance in my life.
Knox returns the ring to his glove box and gives me a knowing smile. “How about you? What’s the deal with you and Andi? I’ve never heard you mention her before, but the two of you act as if you’ve been together forever. What gives?”
I simply shrug, but Knox’s eyes narrow as he leans up against the car and folds his arms. With a sigh, I give in. “She’s special, man. It’s weird. With her, I feel like I’m doing everything I said I wouldn’t and feeling all sorts of things I’ve been trying to avoid. I guess… Hell, I don’t know what it is, but something about her makes me want more than just a casual lay, and I haven’t been able to get enough of her.”
Knox nods in understanding, and I’m grateful that he doesn’t give me any shit. I can probably thank Charlie for that. “I get it. You know me. I swore off women—well, love—and was doing just fine until Charlie came into my life. You can make as many rules for yourself as you want, but when the right girl comes along, it all flies out the window. Don’t stress about it. Just enjoy actually wanting something more than to just get in a chick’s pants. Trust me. In the end, it’s worth it. If she makes you happy, that’s all that matters. Don’t worry about what’s going to happen in the future. You’re young and you have a long time before you start thinking about settling down.”
“Thanks, Knox. I appreciate the advice. It’s just new territory for me, and I’m worried about screwing things up.”
He laughs and throws his arm around my shoulder. “Trust me, kid. You’ll definitely do that. No relationship is perfect, but the making up afterwards is always worth it. Now, come on. Let’s go find our women before Mom starts telling old bath time stories."
We head inside to where Mom, Charlie, and Andi are cackling over photos. Knox joins Charlie on the sofa, and I lean against the doorframe, watching them. Andi looks right at home with my family, and as right as it feels, the sight also causes my heart to constrict. Branson’s questions come back into my mind, and for a split second, I’m beginning to wonder how I let things tumble out of control so quickly.
The idea of reverting back two weeks to an Andi-less life isn’t something I want to think about, but at the same time, I’m not ready to fast forward four months to graduation and what life holds for both of us afterward. I know I’m the one who went all in with her on our first date, and I don’t regret it. I really don’t. I’m just worried that I’m focusing too much on the fact that I’m ecstatic about having her back in my life, and I wonder if it’s what’s causing my feelings to seem so intense.
As if on cue, Andi looks up from the photo album and gives me a breathtaking smile. And just like that, all my fears and doubts instantly melt away. Like Knox advised, there’s no time frame on your feelings. What I feel for her is as real as it is intense, and I’m going to spend as long as I can exploring it. The rest will just fall into place one way or another.
BRUNCH WITH the Wellingtons turned out to be a great time, and I didn’t hesitate to agree when Amelia insisted that I return for next month’s family brunch. Cohen promised his mom that he’d bring me and didn’t falter once at the insinuation that we’d still be together a month from now. I don’t know why it gave me anxiety to think about it, but ever since Cohen came back into the house with Knox, he’d seemed a little on edge and I wasn’t sure why. After saying our goodbyes and even earning a side hug from Branson, Cohen and I hit the road to head back to Knoxville.
As nervous as I was on the way to Belle Meade, I’m feeling even more nervous now. Cohen’s quiet, and a thousand thoughts are racing through my mind. Does he regret having invited me to meet the family? Did Branson’s questions about the future bother him? I want to ask, but at the same time, I don’t know if I want the answer. I’m not ready for our blissful little bubble to burst, and if I ask, he might not tell me what I want to hear. Hell, I’m not sure I even know what I want to hear at this point.
I don’t know where I’m going to be four months from now, let alone who I’ll be with. But a small, nagging voice in the back of my head tells me that I already know who I hope is still in my life, and he’s sitting right next to me. At the same time, I think maybe we need to step back a bit before things turn more serious than we intended. I shake my head to myself, hating the thought as soon as it crosses my mind.
“So, your family is really great, Cohen,” I tell him, breaking the silence that’s settled in the car.
He looks over at me and gives me a huge smile. “We have our moments,” he says before taking my hand. “They all seemed to love you. Thanks for coming, Ruby.”
“I admit I was nervous as hell, but it was a really nice morning. And I love Charlie. She’s hilarious, and I can see how she and Knox work so well together. They really seem to complement each other.”
“Oh, yeah. They’re great together. So great, in fact, that Kno
x is proposing soon. That’s why he took me outside. He wanted to show me the engagement ring.”
My heart flutters for Charlie, and I recall the way Amelia made a joke about wedding bells to Charlie, who easily brushed her off. I didn’t miss the pink blush that formed on Charlie’s cheeks, and I had a feeling that she wanted it more than she was letting on.
“Oh, Cohen, that’s amazing! After everything you’ve told me about Knox, he really deserves it. That’s so exciting!”
Cohen lets out a small laugh and shakes his head. “I guess.”
Frowning, I turn towards him and lean back against the passenger’s door. “What do you mean, you guess? Aren’t you happy for them?”
“Of course I’m happy for them. I already love Charlie like a sister, and seeing Knox happy means the world to me. I never thought he’d have a girlfriend, let alone settle down and become a married man. It just seems sudden. That’s all. But if he’s happy, I’m happy.”
He doesn’t sound convinced, and I’m kind of surprised at his sentiment. “Too soon? This coming from the guy who decided he was my boyfriend after only one date?” I ask, my tone teasing, hoping to keep things light.
“That’s completely different. Yeah, it was one date but three years in the making. There was no way I was letting you out of my sight without knowing we were going to date exclusively while we got to really know each other. That’s nowhere near the same as asking you to be my wife after only knowing you for less than a year.”
I try not to take offense at his words, because I get what he’s saying. I don’t know Knox and Charlie, but I know love when I see it, and it’s there between them. Who is Cohen—or anyone else for that matter—to tell them that it’s too soon or they need more time? I’m a firm believer of the ‘when you know, you know’ sentiment, and even after just spending a few hours with them, it’s clear that they know.
“Think about what you just said, Cohen. You had to claim me after one day because you had to know we were going to try this out. Well, Knox has done that and more, and now he wants to spend the rest of his life with Charlie. I think it’s incredible. Plus, he’s nearly thirty, and you’re just getting ready to graduate college. You’re in two completely places in your lives, and for the record, I wasn’t asking for a marriage proposal.”
Cohen sighs and squeezes my hand. “It’s going to become annoying with how right you are all the time. Look, it’s not that I’m not happy for him. And you’re right. I don’t get it, but it’s not because I don’t think they’re right for each other. It’s just… I was just a kid when Megan broke him, and I spent years watching him go through women like they meant nothing, all because he was trying to mask the pain of what she did to him. I just don’t want him to get hurt again.”
My heart softens at Cohen’s admission, and it begins to make sense. If Riley were in the same position, I’d probably be just as hesitant. Placing my hand on his forearm, I lean in and give him a kiss on the cheek.
“I get it, Cohen. He’s your brother and you’re protective of him. But I have a feeling he knows what he’s doing. And it’s extremely sweet and downright sexy how much you care about him,” I whisper in his ear, causing him to shiver as my breath tickles his skin.
“Baby, we have at least two more hours in the car, and I won’t be able to concentrate if you keep whispering in my ear like that.”
Grinning, I nibble on his earlobe for a few quick seconds before pulling back.
He growls my name in warning, and it’s such a sexy sound, sending warmth in between my legs. “Andi…”
With a chuckle, I sit back on my side of the car. “So, can I ask you a question?” What the hell are you doing, Andi? I wonder, but I can’t help my curiosity.
He raises an eyebrow in my direction. “You can ask me anything, Ruby. You know that.”
Swallowing hard, I proceed. “Branson seems really hot and cold. Is he doing okay?”
Cohen seems to mull it over, and I wait in silence for him to answer me. “Honestly? I’m not really sure. I meant to talk to Knox about it, but I didn’t get a chance. Last I heard, the divorce was well underway. He looked much better than he did at Christmas though, so I’m hoping that’s a step in the right direction.” He glances over at me then looks back at the road. “Don’t worry about all his questions either. I don’t think he meant anything by them, but I don’t want you thinking it’s going to be an issue. Graduation’s a long time away and there’s no reason we need to have all our questions answered this early on.”
This is definitely a conversation I didn’t expect to have after only a week of dating, but then again, everything with Cohen has, so far, been unconventional, and I wonder if it’s always going to be this way. Regardless, I know the future is something we don’t need to think about right now.
“I don’t know if I’d say four months away is a long time, but I do agree with you. We both jumped into this feet-first without looking to see if we were going to crash into anything below. And I’m still not ready to look down. As weird as it may sound, I want to enjoy the free fall for as long as we can. The future doesn’t matter to me, Cohen. What does matter is that you’re here—we’re here. Let’s just do this, be us, and the rest can come later. Does that sound okay?”
He looks over at me, surprise in his eyes. “You don’t want to talk about medical school? Or the possibility of your internships?”
“No, Cohen. I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t even want to think about those things. The way that I see it, we take this new relationship day by day. I don’t want to waste time overthinking things. After this conversation is over, I want us to curb all serious talks and just enjoy being together. Everything else will come when it’s supposed to. So what do you say?”
His foot presses down on the accelerator, and I’m thankful that the highway is pretty much free of all other traffic. He looks over at me, and I’m greeted with a sexy, sweet grin. “I’d say that sounds perfect. And you’d better pray that I can make it back home without getting a speeding ticket, because right now, I want nothing more than to get you in bed and show you just how much we can enjoy being together.”
His words are laced with sexual promise and my panties dampen with anticipation. I lean back against the headrest and peer out the windshield, ever so diligently looking for State Highway Patrol cars that might delay our getting home. This is what I’ve come to love about being with Cohen. One minute, things seem awkward and serious, and then, with one word, one smile, it all melts away and something else settles in, like a warm blanket around my heart. There’s a comfort he gives me that I’ve never experienced before, and as much as I tell myself that I don’t care about the future, I can’t help the nagging voice in the back of my head that’s calling me a liar.
TAPPING MY pencil on the desk, I glance at the test and then up at the clock. I’m one question and five minutes away from spring break, and it can’t come soon enough. All my other classes have been a piece of cake, but for the past two months, I feel like I’ve been living and breathing general chemistry. It probably doesn’t help that Cohen and I haven’t spent a single day apart, and he makes me study for at least an hour on a daily basis. It’s probably unhealthy the way we’ve become inseparable, but we can’t seem to help ourselves. The one time we tried to give each other space, we ended up talking on the phone for three hours before he gave up and told me to come over. And we haven’t tried since. It’s comfortable, fun, and according to Reese, boring as hell—something she always says with a smile.
That doesn’t mean things have gotten serious though. Quite the opposite, in fact. After that first brunch with his parents, we came to an agreement that we were going to just let our relationship take its course, and that’s what we’ve been doing. It’s been natural, and this is probably the most contented I’ve ever felt in a relationship. We spend most of our time hanging out with my roommates, studying, or spending hours lying in bed with headphones, using a dual splitter to listen to music. If that
’s considered boring, then I’m okay with it, because I’ve loved every single second of the time we’ve spent together, and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
He’s kept good on his promise not to spout any more romantic emotional crap like he did on our first date. At first, I was relieved because I knew that, if he kept it up, I was going to fall for him way too soon and way too hard. Unfortunately, he didn’t need to whisper sweet nothings in my ear for that to happen. It did anyway. With every passing day spent with him, the resolve around my heart softens a little bit more, and I know it’s not going to be long before I’m going over the edge. I’m pretty damn close, with just one lone finger keeping me from falling. I know it’s going to take just the slightest push before I let go and fall completely, and I just hope Cohen makes good on his promise and is there to catch me.
Professor Gates’s voice breaks through my thoughts as he signals that time is almost up. Looking down at the question, I rattle my brain to remember the Lewis Structure. The answers look like hieroglyphics to me, and I wish I’d paid more attention to this part of our study sessions.
All of a sudden, I realize that one of the structures looks familiar, and when I remember why, I can’t help but grin. My heartbeat quickens and a fire ignites in my belly at the memory and travels down until I have to clench my thighs. Closing my eyes, I picture Cohen’s bare chest and recall the way he took his shirt off and handed me my lipstick, telling me to draw it on his chest. I did as he’d asked, and then he repeated the question three times and didn’t let me look away from him. As if that were a hardship.
Just like that, I open my eyes and fill in the last bubble on the Scantron, pretending it’s my ruby-red lip gloss that’s circling around his nipple. I know I have the right answer. After gathering my things, I take the test to Professor Gates, who gives me a smile. I practically skip out of the room and shoot Cohen a text to let him know that I’m finished.