I shook my head and shifted the gum I’d been chewing to one side. “No, no child here. I’m originally from Houston but lived with my cousin Spencer in San Diego for some time.”
“Oh, well that sounds nice. San Diego, it must be warm and sunny, what, three hundred and sixty days of the year?”
“Actually only about two hundred and sixty or so, the other hundred some days it’s marine layer clouds and low fog. But, as much as I liked it there, I needed something a little less city, you know what I mean?”
“Surprisingly, I do. Do you work?” Addie asked as she placed a can of mystery meat in the random box.
“Grace and I work together. My Uncle Blair manages the warehouse.”
“That’s great. Do you live close by?”
“I want to say maybe fifteen or twenty minutes away.” I looked at Grace for confirmation. I wasn’t too sure how far away my aunt and uncle’s house was from here. She nodded, confirming my answer was pretty accurate. “I’m staying with my aunt and uncle for the time being.”
“Well that’s a smart idea. I loved staying with my parents, but it’s also nice to have my own space.”
I smiled at the thought. Thinking about what Addie had just said, I couldn’t have agreed more. Maybe I should put some serious thought and reinstate Dr. Lake’s advice. Having my own space would be a step in the right direction.
“So, maybe you ladies want to get together sometime, outside of school activities?” She shrugged, hopeful.
Grace added in, “That’d be great, and maybe we can get Monique in on it, too.”
“Great, I’m so excited.” Addie clapped her hands, and her eyes twinkled.
I knew Grace didn’t like taking advantage of her aunt’s willingness to watch Drew, so I was a little hesitant to ask my next question, but I did anyway. “Hey, Grace, are you needed back anytime soon?”
She looked down at the watch on her wrist. Scrunching her lips and shaking her head, “I don’t think so. I mean, Aunt Jackie’s already with Drew, and I’m pretty sure he’ll be sleeping soon if he isn’t already.”
I looked between the both of them then suggested, “Well . . . Addie, if you’re free, and Grace, if Aunt Jackie doesn’t mind, what do you ladies say we stop by somewhere for a drink when we’re done here?”
Addie glanced at Grace with a hopeful smile. “I’m game if you are.”
Looking at both of us again, she grabbed her phone. “Let me call my Aunt Jackie and see if she minds me coming home a little later.”
I woke up the next morning with the mother of all hangovers and a headache that made my stomach turn. I rubbed my hand gingerly over my face and tried to piece together what exactly had happened last night. Grace, Addie, and I had headed over to one of those corner bars that had live music. What should have been a nightcap or one friendly, get-to-know-each-other drink spun out of control. I didn’t even remember how many drinks we had. At some point Monique stopped by, declaring that she had the most accessible babysitter in the world. We laughed—a lot. I couldn’t remember the last time I laughed so hard my cheeks hurt. I had a fuzzy recollection of shots, and then Grace, our DD for the night, helping me into her car.
Did I really sneak into the house last night?
I had a brief flash of stumbling against a wall and giggling, but that was it.
A fingernail tapped on my bedroom door. I barely lifted my head to see Aunt Claudia. She whispered as I waved her in.
“I heard you come iˇ˛9n late. I’m guessing you’ll need this, and I didn’t want you taking it on an empty stomach.” She set the glass of water, two gel coated pills, and a slice of dry toast on a napkin on my nightstand. “If you’re hungry, I made Belgian waffles— whenever you’re ready though.” She tapped my shin lightly and left me to my pains.
I leaned up on one elbow and waited a minute. My head spun, and I had to swallow a few times before my stomach settled enough to take a sip of water, and I eyed the toast suspiciously. It made sense to have something in my stomach so the pills wouldn’t eat my stomach lining away. I managed to keep down a half slice of toast and just enough water to swallow the pills. Then I snuggled back into my pillows for a bit more rest. An hour later I managed to pull myself out of bed, and I headed to the kitchen.
“Hey, Aunt Claudia, you still have those waffles?” I barely got a whisper out.
“Sure do. Why don’t you make a cup of coffee if you like, and I’ll get them for you.”
“Thanks.” I trudged my way to the cupboard and grabbed a mug.
Settling on a stool at the kitchen island, I sipped my coffee. I had been here a little over two months now, and I wanted to discuss my living arrangements with my aunt. I wasn’t sure how she’d take it. I took a deep breath and huffed louder than I expected.
“Just spill it honey. Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s fine,” Aunt Claudia said. She really did know me too well. She smirked, and set a plate down in front of me before taking the seat next to me at the island. “What is it, dear?”
I stared down at my plate of food before I came clean with my thoughts.
“I’m thinking maybe I want to find a place of my own.” I looked at our hands, and she patted mine twice.
“You know, I knew this day would come, I just wasn’t sure when.”
“Really? And you’re not upset.”
She scrunched up her nose, shook her head, and took a minute before explaining, “Well, I wouldn’t say I am upset, a little melancholy maybe. I mean, I like having you here, but I understand.”
A two-ton weight lifted off my shoulders. “It’s not that I don’t like it here, because I do— ”
She cut me off. “You don’t need to explain, sweetheart. I completely understand. It was just a matter of time. You’re young, you have a life to live, you probably want to find out who you want to be, and maybe make a couple of mistakes.” She winked at me, and I giggled, wondering if we were thinking of the same kind of mistakes.
“I was young once. I remember how much I wanted my own space. To come and go as I pleased without my parents breathing down my back, watching every move I made. I wanted to live my life without disrespecting them.”
“That’s exactly it. I don’t ever want to disrespect you or Uncle Blair either and I want to know what it feels like to stand on my own two feet.”
She rubbed my back in a motherly fashion and then stood and kissed me on the top of my head. “I completely understand, and I’ll help in any way I can.”
“Thank you, Aunt Claudia. I really appreciate it.”
“SIGN HERE PLEASE,” Greg from Tybee Island Movers said, before handing me a clipboard and pen. My Papasan chair and a queen-size bed I bought online were delivered today. They were the only two pieces I needed since the rest of the two-bedroom house came furnished. The delivery man left, sidestepping around AJ and RJ as they carried in the last of the boxes. I didn’t own much, but according to them what I did own was heavy.
“Thanks guys, I appreciate your help. I couldn’t have moved all this stuff by myself.” I smiled at the boys as they set the boxes down in the living room. I handed them each a beer and walked back into the kitchen to grab another one and a glass of sweet tea for Grace. Taking a quick glance around the room at the boxes that crowded the floor space, I was both impressed and shocked by the amount of online shopping I had done in the last week.
“Sure thing, Nat, glad we could help,” AJ said as he wiped his sweaty forehead across the sleeve of his shirt. Grace was next to him, looking exceptionally tired even though she had only supervised today. It was kind of cute how AJ never let her get too far away from him, but by the way she kept glancing at him, I figured she was at about her limit of hovering for the day.
“Yeah, Nat, glad to help,” RJ chimed in, raising his beer bottle in silent cheers before taking a deep gulp. “That’s a nice fire pit you got out there. Where’d you get it from?”
“Home Depot.” It was a shame RJ wasn’t the forever kind. He was one heck of
a masterpiece, and hot as hell. Thankfully, that one night we shared was an innocent one. I may not know a whole lot about relationships, but I did know I wasn’t a one-night stand kind of girl. It was fun fooling around, and he made me laugh, but the spark I was looking for just wasn’t there. I was also glad the feeling was mutual and we were able to remain friends.
“Hey, we should have a house warming barbeque. Invite everyone over,” I said, turning my attention away from RJ.
“Sounds like a great idea.” Grace smiled while she looked around the room at the three of us.
“What about Saturday? I know it’s a short notice and all . . .”
“I think Saturday’s good.” Grace turned toward AJ. “What do you think, babe?”
Bowing, he kissed her head. “Sounds like a good idea to me.”
I clasped my hands together in excitement. I loved having people over. “Ooh, I could get the stuff needed to make S’mores. We could build a little fire and let the boys roast them?”
“I think they would like that,” Grace agreed.
The boys could have their own little party while the adults relaxed. It was a win-win for everyone.
Grace wobbled up from her seat and AJ followed, asking her if she was all right. She nodded and waved him off.
“Just tired,” she assured him and then twisted toward me. “I’ll call you later, Nat. I really need a nap.”
“You get some rest, and I’ll call everyone, hopefully they can make it.” With that said, all three of them were out the door. Snatching another beer from the fridge and a pen and paper from the junk drawer, I started the planning.
The week passed in a blur of organizing and working. It was fun, getting to pick out my own paintings and picture frames, adding small personal touches to the house so it felt like mine. Saturday was there in what felt like a blink of my eyes.
“Boy, what did I tell you about running in the house!” Monique yelled at Dion, who was already halfway down the hall. He stopped in his tracks, and since Addie and I were standing on either side of Monique, we got a picture-perfect view of his pouty face.
“Sorry, Mom.”
“It’s okay, just try to remember. Now, go out back and play until everyone else gets here,” she said, and he gave her a small smile before turning again and walking— briskly— out the back door. Addie and I laughed, but Monique mumbled something about boys and never listening as she walked into my kitchen and set down the chocolate trifle she had brought.
“You ladies want anything to drink?”
Addie eyes lit up. “Ooh, I brought some of those hard lemonade drinks, do you want one?”
I shrugged, shutting the refrigerator door. “Sure, why not?”
She lifted the cooler lid and pulled out two bottles. “Regular lemonade or strawberry lemonade?”
“Strawberry.”
“Lemonade.”
Both Monique and I answered in unison.
We turned to each other and laughed. Addie handed us each our drinks and then dug in the cooler to get one for herself, just as another knock sounded.
“Hey, why don’t you guys head out back and make yourselves comfortable?” I suggested and walked out of the kitchen to answer the door. On the other side stood a glowing Grace with her family and Connor in tow.
“Hey guys, come in.” Drew ran up to me and wrapped his arms around my waist for a hug, before looking up at me and smiling. “Hi, Aunt Nat-lee.”
“Hey there, Drew. Hey, Connor. You boys head out back, Dion’s already back there.”
They both squealed and ran for the backyard.
It must be a mother thing, because they weren’t even to the hallway before Grace raised her voice to yell, “Hey!” They both stopped, and she continued, “No running in the house.”
Both heads of thick hair nodded, and the boys took off again.
“Come in, Monique and Addie are out back.” I pointed my thumb toward the backyard.
“I’ll take this out back by the grill,” AJ added before kissing Grace on her cheek.
She watched him disappear outside before turning back to me. “So, RJ’s not coming. He said he wasn’t feeling well.” She cocked her eyebrow suspiciously. “And Matt apologized profusely, but he had a prior engagement and asked if it was okay if I brought Connor along.”
“Of course, it’s not a problem. Pretty sure my aunt and uncle might stop by a little later. It’s funny AJ’s the only guy here.”
We giggled together as we walked out back. Grace said hello to the girls and Addie looked up from her phone.
“Hey, Nat?”
“Hmm,” I answered.
“My brother texted, he just got into town and— ”
I didn’t let her finish. “Tell him to stop by; the more the merrier.” She smiled, which made me smile in return.
“Thanks, Nat.”
“Of course.”
Grace walked out the back door with all the ingredients needed for S’mores. It didn’t matter that we hadn’t eaten yet, she told me earlier this was a great way to bribe the boys to be on their best behavior. She and Monique got the boys situated around the outdoor fire pit. Each boy waited patiently for their marshmallow stick.
“All right, you boys need to be very careful, okay?” Grace instructed as she handed each of them a stick with a double-XL marshmallow shoved onto the opposite end. I watched the three musketeers as they spun and bobbed their marshmallows around the flame.
“Eww.” Drew giggled. “It’s all gooey.”
“Mine too.” Dion whipped around. “Mom, is mine burning?” He was two centimeters away from his marshmallow flying off into space.
“Hey, Nat. My brother says he’s been ringing the doorbell and knocking for like five minutes,” Addie said, laughing a little bit at her brother’s misfortune.
We both got up, and when Addie opened the door, two gorgeous men stood on my porch. I was sure the sharp jab she inconspicuously delivered to my ribs meant my jaw was hanging open.
Addie took a step closer and gave each of them a hug hello before making introductions. “Guys, this is my friend Natalie. Nat, this is my brother, Levi”— she pointed at the man I had seen first— “and his best friend, Cyrus,” she finished, gesturing to the other man.
“It’s nice to meet you.” Levi held his hand out and a big smile spread across his lips. After letting go of Levi’s hand, I assumed Cyrus would do the same. There was a small pause, where I stood awkwardly with my hand outstretched and he looked at me, studying me. It was almost like he was working out a puzzle in his head that the rest of us weren’t privy to.
A second later, he shook it off and held out his hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Natalie.”
It didn’t matter how hot and sexy Addie’s brother was, Levi had nothing on his friend. Just the sound of my name on Cyrus’s lips stole the air from my lungs.
“It’s nice to meet y’all. Please come in.” They both ducked their heads an inch as they stepped inside, and I closed the door.
“Come on, everyone’s out back already.” This came from Addie, who had already turned and was leading the guys through my house. I was left to walk behind them, which I didn’t mind since it let me stare without anyone noticing.
You would think I never saw a man before.
Laughter broke out in front of me, but I couldn’t see a thing with the two male towers obscuring my view. So instead, I took my time and enjoyed the sights in front of me. Levi had one of the nicest asses I’d ever laid eyes on.
It was the kind of muscular ass I wanted to pinch. The kind of ass I stared at and appreciated when I was forced to watch a football game and had no idea what the hell the ref’s call was all about. I guess Addie noticed where my eyes were, because she was to my right barely holding back her chuckle and shaking her head as she waggled her finger at me.
Busted.
I was the last to walk outside, but the first thing I heard was AJ’s strong voice.
“Eh, Montgomery, how’s it going?
Davis?” He walked over to the pair and clapped them in that half-hug and half-handshake thing guys do.
“Glad to have some dudes here over the age of five.” The trio busted out laughing, but where AJ and Levi’s laughs were big and booming, Cyrus’s laugh was a little more reserved. His posture screamed tense, and I tilted my head to the side, watching and wondering what had made him uncomfortable.
The boys, who were covered in marshmallow goo, were running around the yard playing tag, and the adults were enjoying each other’s company. A couple of conversations were going on at once, and for some reason, I kept my ears locked on the conversation Cyrus was involved in. I was only half listening, though. The other half of me was focused on trying to figure out why he seemed familiar to me. Eventually, I decided that it would probably come to me in the middle of the night, and I turned my full attention to the conversation.
“Levi, what have you been up to?” AJ asked, scooting closer to Grace. I turned to look at them fully, but it wasn’t AJ or Levi my eyes landed on, though. It was Cyrus, and he was watching me, analyzing that mysterious puzzle again. He didn’t look away, and a small smirk pulled at the side of his lip, making my heart skip a beat. I watched him as he watched me, and a slow burn started deep in my belly. My eyes traced the curve of his jaw, his straight nose, his perfectly arched eyebrows, and finally his full, kissable lips. I desperately wanted to know what he looked like without his shirt on. When my fingertips started to tingle with the need to touch him, the embers caught fire and my cheeks flamed hot. Before my thoughts could get any more indecent, Monique was snapping her fingers in front of my eyes. “Earth to Natalie, come in.”
Busted . . . again.
I could have sworn Cyrus’s lip twitched.
Asshole.
“Sorry, what were you saying?” I asked Monique.
“I was just saying what a cute place you got here, but it was clear we lost you.” The girls laughed again, and I shook my head, a little embarrassed.
Waiting on Faith (She's Beautiful Series Book 2) Page 3