Always You: A Friends to Lovers Romance-Book 1

by Alexis Winter

  “Laura, Jens it’s so great to see you!” Bridgette was enveloped in the family hug and savored the moment. She had missed this connection, the love and peace she felt when she was with them…it was the feeling of being home. After everyone became reacquainted they grabbed their belongings and headed inside the house.

  “We have to head out to the girl’s reunion in about two hours so it doesn’t give us much time to get washed up and ready. I promise we will sit down and visit this weekend though mom and dad, don’t worry.” Luke’s parent’s assured him it wasn’t a problem and told the kids they hoped they had fun tonight. It really was like being in high school all over again he thought to himself.

  “So how do I look?” Bridgette was finally ready and stepped into the bathroom to get Luke’s feedback. She was wearing a candy apple red knee length dress that hugged every single curve and left her shoulders bare. The red made her icy blue eyes pop against her dark hair, she looked striking! He stood there speechless for a moment taking her all in.

  “Wow!” he reached out and grabbed her hands to spin her around. “Hot damn Bridge you look like a fucking movie star from the 50’s, like one of those pinup girls!” Bridgette giggled nervously, she’d never had Luke fawn over her like this and she wasn’t sure how to handle it.

  She blushed and looked down at her feet, pulling at the dress nervously. “Is it too much? Do I look desperate?” He could see the unease in her eyes and he quickly put her doubts to rest.

  “Absolutely NOT! You look fan-fucking-tastic and don’t doubt it for a second. Trust me it’s subtly sexy but classy. You’re going to be the talk of the night.” He gave her a wink and nudged her shoulder. “Now come on let’s get the others and get this part started!”

  ❖

  The reunion was in full swing when they arrived. They grabbed their name tags by the registration table and headed to the open bar. Bridgette looked around trying to find faces she recognized. She saw a few of her orchestra friends, giving them a small smile and wave as she headed over to catch up. They returned her smile and then she noticed them glance to her right with a look of surprise. “Hey guys! Wow it’s so great to see you! Janet congrats when are you due?”

  They all laughed and caught her up on their lives, showing pictures of their families and pets. Bridgette couldn’t help but feel a little pang of jealousy but gave her genuine congratulations and admiration to them. “And what about you? What’s new?” Janet asked as she rubbed her very pregnant belly.

  Bridgette sucked in a large breath and was about to respond when Luke wrapped his arm around her waist and interjected. “What’s new is we are building our dream house on Lake Michigan and this little lady has agreed to marry me just last month. Her ring is being resized, I’m an idiot and had hers made the wrong size.” He pretended to smack his own head as everyone congratulated them and begged to hear the proposal story.

  Luke didn’t skip a beat, he launched into a romantic story about how he took her out on his boat to go look at the constellations and share some wine. Somewhere along the lines the story ended up with him down on one knee, telling her that his life began that first day of senior year when he met her. The group was melting with every word that came out of his mouth. Bridgette too was enraptured by his story, hanging on to every word he said.

  Before she could process what was happening he slipped his hand around her neck and brought her mouth to his, pressing their lips together softly. He pulled back quickly then leaned in for one more gentle kiss. Her hand instinctively went to his chest as she looked into his eyes, he gave her his trademark wink as he turned back to the group. “It was lovely catching up with you guys but if you don’t mind I want to take a spin on the dance floor with my gorgeous fiancé and show her off.”

  “What the hell was that?!” Bridgette said through a forced smile as they headed toward the dance floor.

  “I told you I was going to be your date didn’t I? I’m fully committed. Now stop being that uptight little band girl from high school and show these people the sexy vixen you are!” He said as he spun her onto the dance floor. She couldn’t help but laugh, Luke always knew how to have a good time.

  As the night went on Luke continued to share their ‘engagement story’ and each time he added a new detail. Bridgette also couldn’t help but notice the interaction between Harper and Grant. She leaned in to Luke and whispered, “Hey have you noticed the little flirty glances and touches going on between those two?” She gestured with her chin towards Harper and Grant. “They seem to really be hitting it off, think there’s anything there?”

  “Well he’d be stupid not to try and make a move, is she interested?”

  “I know she’s been single for a few months so I’m sure she’d be down for some action.” She replied as she took a sip of her cocktail.

  Luke pulled back and smiled at her, “Daaamn look at you trying to set your girl up for a hookup!” He pulled her in again tightly by the waist.

  “Hey would you go easy on the handsy stuff?” Bridgette swatted Luke’s hand away as they headed over to Harper and Grant. “You’re taking a few too many liberties mister.”

  Luke waited until they were in the middle of the room with plenty of eyes on them before he gave her ass a hearty smack then scurried off before she could haul off and smack him.

  Chapter 5

  The four of them stood laughing and talking, sipping their cocktails and talking about how much everyone had changed. Bridgette was listening to Harper and Grant laugh about someone falling on the dance floor earlier after attempting an extreme dance move when she heard a deep voice say her name. She spun around to see a tall, handsome stranger standing behind her. He was wearing a slim cut navy suit the accentuated his broad shoulders and square jawline. His black hair was styled perfectly and accentuated his bright green eyes.

  She stuttered a bit before answering, “Uhhh hi.” She said before looking at his name tag. “Oh my god Paul!” Realizing who the sexy stranger was she quickly pulled him into a warm embrace and couldn’t help but feel how firm and solid he felt under his suit.

  Paul laughed and returned the hug, then pulled her back to admire and tell her how beautiful she looked. She felt heat creep up her neck and she knew she was probably a shade of red that rivaled her dress. Suddenly she heard Harper clear her throat behind her. “Oh my god I’m so sorry, Paul these are my friends from high school. You might remember Harper, she and I were in the same grade but these other two you probably never met.” She went around the group introducing everyone, trying to make Paul feel welcome.

  “So how have you been? What have you been up to?” Bridgette couldn’t hide her enthusiasm as she bombarded him with questions. While he spoke she caught herself looking at his hand to see if he wore a wedding band.

  “Well after high school I went to college at Northwestern for premed and medical school and now I’m doing my residency at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. So I haven’t had much of a life but it’s worth it.” He said laughing a bit to himself.

  “Wow that’s amazing! I always knew you’d do something to help people, you were always volunteering outside school, I remember that about you. So do you get out in the city much? Seems weird so many of us moved to Chicago after college but we never run into each other.”

  The group listened and made small talk before Harper and Grant headed off to freshen up their drinks leaving an awkward Luke standing there with his hands in his pockets listening to Bridgette and Paul get reacquainted. He had to admit he kept expecting her to introduce him as her fiancé after the many stories they’d told tonight but instead it was as if he didn’t exist. Annoyed by the situation he went off to get another drink and find out what Grant and Harper were up to, it’s not like Bridgette would notice anyway.

  The night continued on and soon Bridgette found herself out on a terrace under the stars talking about life with Paul. They hit it off immediately, it was as if they hadn’t missed a beat throughout the years. “I hope this is
n’t too bold but would it be ok to get your number? Maybe we can grab a drink or a Cubs game sometime?” She was ecstatic but quickly reigned it in before she gave away too much of her excitement.

  “Yeah absolutely! I’d love to but only because you said Cubs, if you had offered to go to a White Sox game I’d have left you hanging.” She said with a little smirk as she reached out and affectionately touched his arm. She gave him her number and as he was thanking her she could feel him leaning in, his eyes dropped from hers to her mouth…

  “Hey Bridge it’s time to go.” Luke had stepped outside just as Paul was leaning in to kiss her. Are you fucking kidding me! She thought to herself as she gave Paul an apologetic smile.

  “Thanks again, this turned out to be a great evening.” She said as she placed her hand against his chest. I’ll look at for your call.” She turned to Luke with a look of annoyance and headed inside to join her friends. As they rounded the corner she slapped Luke’s arm, “You couldn’t have waited like 30 more seconds?!”

  “Why so some dude you haven’t seen in 10 years could shove his tongue down your throat after you’ve been drinking all night? Excuse me for looking out for you Bridge, Jesus.” She had initially been joking but his attitude set her off.

  “I don’t need a goddamn babysitter Luke! I’m not drunk and he wasn’t taking advantage of me. Hey I’m talking to you don’t just walk away from me!” She raised her voice as Luke stopped and turned around to face her.

  “Bridge come on Harper and Grant are waiting. You blew us all off and left us to entertain ourselves most of the night so maybe we could put this little tiff on hold and deal with it later?” She rolled her eyes and brushed past him quickly, making her way to go fill Harper in on how things had unfolded and not let Luke ruin her night.

  By the time they returned home it was extremely late and everyone was exhausted. The girls were staying in Luke’s brother’s bedroom, they quickly showered and crawled in bed laughing and giggling until they fell asleep. It really was like they were back in high school again.

  The next morning Bridgette woke to the smell of breakfast wafting through the house. She rubbed her eyes and crawled out of bed, making her way to the bathroom across the hall. As soon as she opened the door and stepped out in the hall she ran right into Luke. “Oh hey good morning.” He muttered a response and moved to step out of her way. She reached out and grabbed his arm before he get far, “Hey, come here. I’m sorry about last night. I know I was rude to you and I feel really bad that I bailed on you guys.”

  He pulled her into his chest and gave her a tight squeeze, “No worries sweetheart, I’m sorry I was kind of a dick. Not my finest hour. Let’s just chalk it up to shitty alcohol and not enough dancing.” He gave her a kiss on the head and made his way toward the kitchen.

  Bridgette stared at herself in the mirror as she waited for the water to warm up. She thought back to last night when Paul almost kissed her, she still felt giddy with excitement at the thought of going out with him. She knew part of it was the excitement of something and someone new but she couldn’t help but feel like things were about to change.

  They spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon visiting with Luke’s family before piling back in his Range Rover and making their way back to Chicago. The girls reclaimed their spot in the back and chatted about the reunion.

  “I was surprised how many people actually came, I didn’t remember graduating with half of them!” Harper commented.

  “Same, I had completely forgotten about a few of the people. It was fun to reconnect with them though, kind of makes me feel bad I’m not on any social media sites.”

  Harper jabbed at Bridgette’s side, “Reconnect eh??? When are you going out with Paul? Has he text you yet?” Bridgette laughed and pushed her friend away playfully.

  “Yeah he messaged me last night actually, asking if I made it home safe and that he was super excited to get together next week.” She smiled coyly, she had to admit she had a few butterflies in her stomach when she talked about him again. In truth it was most likely just the excitement of something new, she didn’t know anything about him anymore but she was hopeful that they’d have no problem connecting.

  The girls continued to giggle and talk about Paul, the tension coming from the front seat though seemed to grow. Luke pulled the SUV into a gas station to fill up, his demeanor seemed solemn and moody again. Bridgette wasn’t about to try and figure out what she’d done wrong now so she stepped out to stretch her legs and get some fresh air as he walked inside with Grant, the two of them making causal conversation

  “What’s wrong with him?” Harper whispered to Bridgette as the guys walked inside.

  “Who knows. He was pretty annoyed with me last night too, told me I bailed on you guys and left you to entertain yourselves or some shit. He said we were all good this morning but clearly he’s back to being hormonal.”

  Harper raised her eyebrows, “maybe he’s jealous.”

  “Of what?”

  “The fact that you were so taken with Paul. Luke has been your fall guy forever. He’s always ready to rush over whenever your heart has been broken, he’s the one you run to whenever you need help, you make him feel needed and validated…maybe he’s threatened that Paul will take his place.”

  Bridgette held up her hands, “Ooookaaaay hold up. Paul and I simply talked for a few hours and Luke has never acted like that about any guy I’ve dated so your theory is invalid. Plus Luke doesn’t see our relationship like that, he has made it more than clear to me that I’m just a friend and I’ll never be anything more than that. He probably just got a text from one of his regular girls saying she’s done or something.”

  Harper shrugged her shoulders and made her way towards the convenient mart of the gas station, “Whatever you say Bridge but I’m telling you this whole two adults just being friends that rely on each other for everything and are emotionally tied together isn’t going to last. One day you or he will get into a relationship that changes everything.”

  Chapter 6

  Harper’s words hit Bridgette like a ton of bricks. Deep down she knew that some day her relationship with Luke would change. They would both probably get married and end up moving apart from one another but she didn’t like to dwell on these thoughts. Harper was right, Luke had always been there for Bridgette. He was the one picking up the pieces of her broken heart, he was the one helping her put together her new furniture and making sure she wasn’t being taken advantage of by her car mechanic. On one hand she didn’t want anything to change…she liked things how they were. She wanted them to be able to carry on like normal but she knew it wouldn’t be fair to whomever they were dating. She was still deep in though as she stared blankly into the open beverage cooler at the gas stations.

  “You ok?” Grant nudged her shoulder, bringing her out of her trance.

  “Huh? Yeah, yeah just lost in so many options.” She said as she gestured toward all the flavored waters and sodas staring back at her. “Hey so I wanted to tell you thanks for coming with us, I know it was super short notice and I didn’t want you think I was trying to play match maker or something with you and Harper.”

  Grant smiled and held up his hand, “No worries honestly, I had a great time and Harper is a really cool girl.” He looked down at his feet as he said that and it almost seemed like he blushed a little. “It was never uncomfortable or anything and we had a kick ass time on the dance floor, she has moves!” They both laughed as Grant reenacted one of Harper’s less than smooth dance moves. “It was what I needed, I’ve been a bit in my own head lately so it was nice to get out and just have a good time with friends, thanks for brining me Bridge honestly.”

  Bridgette smiled and gave his arm a squeeze before grabbing a beverage out of the cooler. She headed to the counter to pay and caught Harper watching them out of the corner of her eye. She gave her a huge grin and a secret double thumbs up while she quickly glanced over her shoulder to make sure Grant didn’t see her. Ha
rper blushed and ducked down in the candy aisle, shaking her head but grinning from ear to ear.

  The rest of the trip home was the same as the first half. The guys talked about football and their upcoming softball schedule. They took the league so seriously but still managed to have fun. They were co-captains and always made sure their teammates not only felt valued but also had a great time. Harper and Bridgette sat in the back talking about their upcoming schedules and figuring out which days Bridgette would be coming in to take Harper’s boot camp class. “I usually run with Luke on Tuesday nights and Saturday mornings with Luke so I can’t attend those days.”

  “Actually I can’t make it Tuesday night, I have a work thing going on.” Luke piped up over her conversation with Harper.

  “Oh okay, well then I guess my Tuesday night is open then.” She said to Harper as she made a note in her phone of her upcoming workout schedule. The girls carried on, talking briefly about Bridgette’s upcoming date with Paul. She couldn’t help but get a bit of an uneasy feeling in her stomach, she felt so torn between not wanting things to change with Luke but also wanting to pursue things with Paul.

  The car fell silent. Luke was focused on the road, Grant and Harper were buried in their phones and Bridgette stared out the window lost in thought. She wasn’t sure why she felt conflicted about things…Luke was her friend and as a friend he should be supportive of her relationship with Paul. She had always been there for him when he was dating and she had certainly been there for him when he went through his meltdown after his breakup with Tara a few years back. Since that relationship he had kept things ‘casual’ as he liked to call it. Bottom line was, she didn’t know what Luke’s problem was but she wasn’t going to let it get to her or ruin things with Paul.