Passion, Vows & Babies: Pink Sunsets (Kindle Worlds Novella)

by Amy Briggs

  “Take me, Everett.”

  And that’s exactly what I did. We spent the better part of the night exploring and enjoying each other, inch by inch. I’d never experienced anyone like her before. She was completely free and uninhibited, present in the moment with me. Once I’d tasted her, I knew I was in deep, and the end of summer was too soon for me already.

  We fell asleep together, naked in each other’s arms, completely satisfied.

  The sun was just breaking through the curtains when she awoke with a start.

  “Oh fuck!” she muttered, scrambling out of bed.

  “What? What’s wrong?” I rubbed the sleep from my eyes as she was racing around the room, getting dressed and freaking out.

  “Everett! It’s morning! I gotta go!”

  The seriousness of the situation suddenly dawned on me, and I leapt from the bed as well, not that I could do much. She drove herself over, so the consequences of staying out all night were hers to face without me. I felt terrible.

  “What can I do?” I got dressed and offered what I had to give, which was nothing but moral support. We’re adults, but she had promised she wouldn’t pull any shenanigans at Flynn’s, and not coming home was definitely going to qualify as shenanigans.

  “Ugh, nothing. Fuck fuck fuck. Where’s my leggings?!” She was whizzing around the room at top speed, not thinking.

  I walked over to the chair where we’d tossed them the night before and grabbed them. “Fallon, stop. Slow down a minute.”

  “You don’t understand! They’re gonna kill me.” She was exasperated.

  I walked over to her with the leggings, and grabbed her by the shoulders. “Stop.” She stood still and took in a deep breath, resting her head against my chest. “It’s going to be fine. But you running around like a maniac is gonna get you killed on the way home, and that just doesn’t work for me. Here.” I gently pushed her back a bit, and handed her the leggings.

  “Thank you.” She reached up on her tippy toes to give me a kiss before pulling them back on, covering up her perfect legs.

  “It’s not going to be that bad. Listen, you’re here every Saturday night. They know we watch movies. You fell asleep. It’s not a big deal.”

  “Oh, I think it’s going to be a very big deal. I’m just a guest here, and not pulling all-nighters was one of the promises I made out of respect. I don’t want them to send me back. I’m not ready to go back!” She started to get tears in her eyes.

  “Come here.” I sat on the edge of the bed, waving her to me, but she hesitated. “You’re already late, Fal. Come here.”

  “Okay,” she replied, and sat down next to me, sighing again.

  I put my arm around her, giving her a squeeze. “Listen, nobody is going to send you back. You have an awesome job; you’re killing it at. You’re doing everything you said you would. Things are great. Just explain that the movie was so boring that we fell asleep on the couch, and you came home as soon as you woke up. Don’t let this morning taint last night.”

  “You’re right. Last night was wonderful.” She turned to me, giving me a soft, sweet kiss.

  “That’s what I wanted to hear. Now get your ass moving,” I said with a chuckle.

  Chapter 9 - Fallon

  Everett was right, of course. He always was. Flynn and Jacinda weren’t mad. We’d long since convinced them that nothing was going on between us, so the fabricated story of falling asleep wasn’t insane. I felt like an asshole lying, but I also didn’t want to complicate my relationship with Everett anymore than it already was. It was bound to happen, I suppose, even though we didn’t mean to; at least, I surely didn’t. But, feelings. We caught them.

  We’d become a bonafide couple when no one was looking. We were doing silly chores together, talking about work, texting all night on the evenings we weren’t together. He met me for lunch twice a week at my job, which I also loved. I had never worked a job where I was treated like I was smart, and had something to offer. It wasn’t a particularly hard job, I was after all, mostly a secretary. But Wyatt and his staff treated me like I was more than that; they treated me like I was valuable. I absolutely loved working there. For the first time in my life, I felt as though I had some direction.

  I didn’t want to be an architect or anything like that, but the more I learned about the company, and how to handle bids, set up meetings, and other things, like put reports together, the more I wanted to do it. I had become a sponge for information, and because the others in the office were so kind, they were more than happy to share with me. In other jobs I’d had, the competitive nature of everyone there created an environment that was not motivating. I wasn’t driven by competition here, I was driven by growth. Personal growth, and apparently camaraderie with my coworkers was what I needed all along.

  Everett was studying that night, so he couldn’t hang out, but he also texted me all night. He said he was going to go to law school, so studying for the LSAT took up a lot of his time when he wasn’t with me. He didn’t really seem like he wanted to be a lawyer though, and when I asked him about it, he denied it, just saying that it was something he was committed to doing. I wanted to dig deeper into it with him, but I was beginning to realize that summer would be over soon, and it would no longer be my business.

  Since Everett was busy, I stayed home with Flynn and Jacinda.

  “How was work today?” Flynn asked.

  “It was good. I like it there. Everyone is friendly and helpful.”

  “Wyatt says that you’re doing a really great job. So much so, that he was thinking of asking you to stay on permanently. What are you thoughts?” He raised a curious eyebrow at me, likely seeing my jaw drop.

  “What do you mean? Like a full-time job? Not a summer job?” I asked, knowing that I hadn’t misunderstood.

  Flynn, who had been sitting with his feet up on a coffee table, dropped them down to look me in the eye. “A full-time job. Here. In Nebraska. What do you think?”

  “But I live in Denver,” I replied.

  “You don’t have to.”

  “I… I’m not sure what to say.”

  I’ll admit, the thought of keeping this dream alive had crossed my mind. I mean, I wanted my own place—I didn’t really want to live with a couple and their baby forever—but being here was the most relaxed and happy I’d ever been. Everett kept me out of trouble, my job was great, and I had family here.

  “Maybe you should think it over. You wouldn’t have to stay with us forever, we can help you find your own place here. The prices are great, and even if it’s a fixer upper, you’ve got me and Everett to help you. It’s obvious how happy you have been this summer. Maybe this was just the change of pace you needed. Think about it.”

  “I will think about it.”

  “Maybe talk to Everett about it too,” he suggested.

  Immediately, I fell into fight or flight mode. Did he know? “Why would I talk to Everett about it?”

  “Oh come on. I see how you two are. You’re not fooling anyone.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. We’re friends, and nothing more.”

  “Okay, you can keep your secrets for now. But like I said, you’re not fooling anyone. I think he’d be quite happy if you stayed here in Nebraska,” he stated matter-of-factly, before leaving me alone in the living room to think about what he’d said.

  Moments later, my phone pinged with an incoming text, startling me.

  Hey, how’s your night?

  Everett. I couldn’t hide the grin that plastered itself on my face.

  It’s good. Yours? How’s studying?

  Studying sucks. I’d rather spend time with you.

  Yea, summer is almost over, so I guess we’ll have to get used to it soon.

  I wished I hadn’t said that, but in an effort to cork my feelings, it seemed the best way to push him away a bit. I couldn’t stay.

  We still have a couple weeks left. Don’t worry, babe. We’ll figure it out.

  Ugh, he was s
o sweet and always said the right things. I didn’t deserve him.

  Yeah, I guess.

  Are you okay? Want me to come over?

  No, no. I’m fine. I’m going to go to bed in a few. You should study. The exam is coming up soon.

  I didn’t want him to come over, mainly because I knew I’d tell him about the job offer. Then he’d probably try to get me to take it and stay, and I would. I had no reason to believe that was a bad idea, but it freaked me out.

  Are you sure? I can come see you. You seem like something is wrong.

  I’m fine, Everett. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, ok?

  All right, but I’m taking you out tomorrow night. I want to spend as much time as possible with you.

  That sounds good.

  It did sound good. I wanted to spend all my free time with him, which was never the plan. I was beginning to think our arrangement had gone way too far.

  Good night, babe. Sleep well.

  You too.

  Chapter 10 - Everett

  Fallon was distant the night before, and I was getting worried she was pushing me away. I knew that our arrangement was only supposed to be for the summer, but it was so much more than that. She’d opened my eyes. I’d been going through the motions for so long, and didn’t even realize how much brighter life was with her in it. She thought she’d been sent here as a punishment, and what she had become was a savior of sorts. The dullness of my days was illuminated by her presence. Just seeing her smile was enough to bring me to my knees.

  I glanced down at the photo of us on my phone. We’d spent the night watching the sun go down, finally seeing those pink sunsets together, and then making love in the back of my truck, out near the edge of town, just beyond the large winter wheat fields. Every moment with her was incredible. We laughed and teased each other, but we also talked about our lives. She told me that she was just lost in Denver, and that’s why she needed to leave, even if she didn’t realize it at first. I thought she was brave, even though she felt like she was adrift. Her free spirit inspired me.

  I didn’t want her to leave. I wanted her to stay, and to stay with me. With each passing day growing closer to the end of the summer, I was getting anxious about her departure, and hadn’t yet figured out how to ask her to stay. She didn’t really need to leave, but it was always understood that she would. With only a few short weeks left, I had to find a way to get her to stay. Just the thought of her leaving for Denver left me with a pit in my stomach. She was the one. I didn’t think that it existed. Flynn was totally fucking right. When you know, you know, and I knew.

  “You ready to roll?” I asked when I picked her up at Flynn’s.

  “Yeah, I’m ready. What are we doing tonight?” she asked softly. She didn’t seem herself.

  “I was thinking that we could go grab a bite to eat and then either take a walk or go down to the lake.”

  “There’s a lake?” She perked up a little.

  “Yeah, silly. Not all of Nebraska is wheat and soybeans. I promised I would show you everything.”

  “Okay, that sounds nice.”

  I thought about it for a minute, then suggested a slight change of plans. “How about if we just grab some food and make it a picnic instead. We’ll eat by the lake and relax out there?”

  She threw her arms around me. Looked to be a good idea. “That sounds wonderful!”

  We’d spent so much time together, I knew that her favorite place to eat was this little Italian restaurant, so we ran over there and asked them to box our food to go. They weren’t a takeout place, but they accommodated us anyway after Fallon gave them her perfectly practiced pouty lip. Whenever she wasn’t getting her way, she would stick out that plump little bottom lip and everyone would give in, present company included.

  I had some blankets in the truck from the last time we were out spending time with nature, so I spread them out on the ground while she grabbed our food. It was a perfect little sunset picnic.

  “Did you get a lot of studying done last night?” she asked as she handed me a box of pasta.

  “I did. I think I’m probably ready for the LSAT by now, but I guess it never hurts to keep studying.”

  “Are you excited to go to law school? It seems like a pretty big change from your life now. Not a whole heck of a lot to do as a lawyer in Red Springs.”

  I wasn’t ready to tell her that I had no intention of going to law school. I just wanted to see if I could get in. The whole point of the studying, the late nights, was to fulfill a promise to my parents that I’d ‘get into’ law school. I never promised to go. I never promised to become a lawyer. But I did promise to get in, and I intended to keep it. My parents weren’t something I talked a lot about, and I didn’t want to sour the evening with my grief over the loss of them. I wanted to divert the conversation back to her staying beyond the summer.

  “Well, the LSAT is about getting into law school. So, we’ll just see how that goes. Right now, I am happy with what I’m doing, but especially who I’m spending my time with.” I waited for her to pick up what I was putting down.

  Sitting cross-legged next to me, I caught a glimpse of her smile. “Everett, you’re the kindest man I’ve ever had the pleasure of spending time with.” She leaned into me and sighed.

  “Then why do you seem so sad, Fallon?” I turned to face her. “What’s going on with you, has something happened?”

  She set her box of food down next to her and took my hands in hers. “Everett, I’m going back home soon. Like, really soon. This isn’t my home. I feel like we’ve let ourselves get caught up in a fantasy here.”

  “What do you mean, ‘a fantasy’? You cannot deny that what’s going on between us is real.” I was hurt.

  “It’s real, but it’s also temporary. It works because I’m not staying here to fuck up your life. You’re going to do big things, Everett. You’re going to go to law school, and you’ll be an amazing lawyer someday. You deserve to find someone that has equal ambition. Someone that can support you and has something to give. That’s not me, and we both know it.” She dropped my hands, and wrapped her arms around herself, avoiding eye contact with me.

  “Fallon! Look at me!” I demanded. “That’s ridiculous. We have no idea what the future holds. Why does there have to be some definitive conclusion now? We’ve spent almost every day for the entire summer together. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?” I was exasperated. I’d planned to ask her to stay indefinitely, and she was breaking up with me. “What’s really going on here? You don’t even seem like yourself.”

  “That’s the problem, Everett. This is who I am. This is the real me. You got a taste of someone else. Someone that doesn’t stay out all night partying, someone who can hold down a decent job. But that’s not who I am.” She looked around, as if she were trying to plan an escape. “You should take me home.”

  “Take you home? What the fuck are you talking about?” She was really going to end this, because she was scared.

  “Please take me home. To Flynn and Jacinda’s, I mean. It’s not home.” She stood up, waiting for me to follow.

  “Are you serious? That’s it? Just take you home? Can’t we discuss this?” I hated sounding desperate, but I was. Thinking on my feet wasn’t my thing at the moment, as I could barely form any complete sentences.

  “Let’s just go.”

  “Fallon, we should talk about this. You’re pushing me away, and you don’t have to.”

  “I’m pushing you away because I do have to! I can’t be what you need, Everett. It’s time for me to go back to Denver and back to my life. I’ve loved every moment we’ve spent together, I promise you that, but you need to find someone else to share your summers with, because it can’t be me. This isn’t my home. Please take me back now.”

  “Okay, I’ll take you back home. But I’m not done talking about this.”

  It turned out I was, in fact, done talking about it that night, as she wouldn’t speak to me the entire ride home. She let her tears flow
down her face as she stared out the window in complete silence, keeping her gaze forward. When I dropped her off, she hopped out of the truck before I could even jump out to help her.

  “I’m sorry, Everett,” she whispered, before shutting the door and running inside the house.

  What the fuck just happened?!

  Chapter 11 - Fallon

  It hurt like hell, but I refused to be a burden to someone as wonderful as he was. I had nothing to offer him. I was working as a temporary secretary, and still hadn’t really figured out what the hell I was doing with my life. Why on earth would he want that in his life? I was convinced he was simply enamoured with our lust for each other, and that everything between us was based on the fact that it had a definitive end. Summer was almost over, and that meant so were we. Plain and simple. Maybe not so simple, since I’d gone ahead and fallen in love with him, which was not in the plan.