Returning to Rockport: A Brother's Best Friend Romance

by Kelsey Clayton

  “What am I, chopped liver?” His tone is playful so I flip him off. “Oooh. I’m going to tell mom.”

  All of us laugh at his shenanigans and my eyes meet Colton’s for the first time in two days. I don’t allow it to linger for longer than a second before I look away. Suddenly finding the ground very interesting, I can faintly hear Maverick talking to Parker.

  “This place is nice.”

  “McKenna picked it. She has much better taste than I do.”

  My brother chuckles. “I feel you there. How’d you get the keys so quickly though? Buying a house usually takes months.”

  “The power of paying with cash, mate.”

  “Ah.” He nods in realization. “I keep forgetting you’re loaded.”

  “Maverick!” I chastise him.

  He puts his hands up in surrender. “What? He is.”

  Rolling my eyes, I focus on my fiancé. “The furniture will be here in a couple hours, so we should probably get a move on things.”

  The four guys follow me over to the moving truck while Ivy goes to sit with Tatum. I explain to them how each box is marked with where it needs to go. One by one, they grab a box and start carrying it into the house. Thankfully, Colton is last. When he turns around to walk off the truck, I step in front of him.

  “What do you think you’re doing?”

  His eyebrows furrow. “Huh?”

  “I thought I told you we had to stay away from each other. Does this look like staying away from each other to you?” He chuckles and goes to walk around me but I stop him again. “I’m serious, Colton. What are you doing here?”

  “Maverick asked me to come help you move. What was I supposed to tell him? No sorry, I can’t because we fucked four years ago so she doesn’t want to be around me?”

  My eyes widen and I look around quickly before shushing him. “You could’ve made an excuse or something. You shouldn’t be here. We agreed.”

  Dropping the box on the ground, he cages me in with his arms on either side of my body. “No, you gave an order and then walked away like I had no say in the matter. I told you this idea of yours wouldn’t work.”

  “I-It has to.” I struggle to maintain my composure with him so close. “It has to work. I’m engaged, and I can’t be dealing with you invading my personal space all the time.”

  He smirks. “You may not be able to control yourself around me, but that doesn’t mean I can’t.” I try to push him away but he doesn’t budge. “It’s not my fault you still quiver when I say your name.” His lips move to the shell of my ear. “Princess.”

  My eyes close as I take a deep breath. This can’t happen. I place my hands against his chest and push as hard as I can. It works, but he quickly moves to come closer again. I put my finger up to stop him.

  “No.” I say firmly. “You don’t get to do this. You ended things between us, remember?! I wanted to make it work and you said no. You were fine, while I had to put myself back together all on my own. So, you don’t get to act like you didn’t break me.” He doesn’t say anything as I wipe a stray tear from my eye. “If I say we’re staying away from each other, then that’s what we’re doing.”

  Slipping past him, I go to leave the truck but stop when he calls my name. I turn around with a defeated look on my face, only to find the same expression looking back at me.

  “I’m sorry.”

  I give him a sad smile and shrug my shoulders, before continuing to walk away.

  I DIDN’T THINK WE had a lot of stuff, but watching the guys move everything in, I’m starting to dread unpacking. However, I don’t want to get in their way, so I need to wait til they’re done to start. Instead, I’m sitting on Parker’s tailgate with Ivy and Tatum, talking about how much fun we’re going to have this summer.

  “I’m telling you.” Ivy presses. “Myrtle Beach would be perfect for your bachelorette party.”

  I shake my head. “No. No trips. I just want to stay he-”

  My words get stuck in my throat as Colton comes walking out the front door, devoid of a shirt, with sweat glistening on his torso. His jeans hang low on his hips giving me the perfect view of the v that heads to places I shouldn’t be thinking about. He looks like something out of a magazine. His abs must have been sculpted by the gods and his skin is sun-kissed in a way that tells me he walks around shirtless often.

  As I take in the sight of him, my eyes land on a tattoo that rests right beneath his collarbone. It’s a set of Roman numerals in a format that looks like a date, but I have no idea what it means. How did I miss that the other day?

  “Close your mouth before you drool all over yourself.” Ivy teases, making Tatum snicker.

  “I was not drooling.” My words lack confidence as I reach up and check my mouth anyway.

  “What happened to your shirt?” Tatum shouts at Colton.

  He looks up at us and smirks in a way that makes my heart skip and my stomach twist. When his eyes land on me, my cheeks flush. All the resistance I had earlier is gone and I’m left with way his stare can make my blood run hot.

  Just as I’m about to open my mouth with whatever sassy comment I can think of, Parker walks out the door. His upper half is also bare. He’s not as toned as Colton, but still just as hot. The way he carries himself shows the level of confidence he possesses. It’s a quality that greatly increases his sex appeal.

  My mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water while I try to figure out when my life became a PG-13 version of Magic Mike. When I can’t think of what to say, I bite my lip and divert my eyes to the ground.

  Once they’re out of sight, Ivy groans. “Seriously, Mac, the way they both look at you - you’re such a lucky bitch.”

  All I can do is laugh.

  AFTER FIVE HOURS AND countless trips to the truck and back, all the boxes and furniture are finally inside. We’re drinking beer to celebrate as I look around at everything I need to unpack. A part of me considers Parker’s offer of hiring someone to do it, but then I would have to learn where everything is.

  Maverick is looking at his phone when suddenly, he lights up. “It’s supposed to be 80 degrees tomorrow.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Weatherman.” I tease.

  He rolls his eyes. “No, Squid. I’m saying we should go swimming at my house.”

  “Maverick, just because the air is warm doesn’t mean your pool won’t be freezing. It’s only May.”

  Colton snorts. “It’s heated.”

  “What?”

  “The pool.” He clarifies. “It’s heated.”

  “Oh, that changes things then.”

  “Well, I’m up for it.” Ivy volunteers. “What do you say, Mac?”

  “Yeah Mac, what do you say?” Colton pushes.

  I narrow my eyes at him, wondering what in the hell he’s doing. I’ve told him more than once we can’t be around each other and he doesn’t seem to want to accept that. It’s like he’s taunting me right now, mentally rubbing in my face that my plan isn’t going to work. However, everyone is looking at me expectantly and I can’t think of a reason to say no.

  “Sure, why not.”

  Tatum and Ivy high-five while Colton’s grin widens. I can’t help but smile back until my fiancé’s words break our stare.

  “Well, you lot have fun. I have a meeting tomorrow in Boston with my advisor.”

  My expression falters as I realize I’m going to be around Colton without Parker’s presence to keep me from doing something I’ll regret. Lovely.

  6

  Spending our first night in the new house was nothing short of amazing. Granted, there are still tons of boxes scattered around. Tatum and Ivy helped me unpack a few yesterday, but we somehow ended up drinking wine and laughing on my kitchen floor while the guys watched the football game in the living room. It wasn’t productive in any way, but it was fun.

  I step out of the shower and can already smell breakfast cooking downstairs. A smile spreads across my face as I pull on my robe and tie it around my waist. Sure enough,
when I get into the kitchen, I find Parker standing in front of the stove, flipping pancakes in a way that tells me he has no idea what he’s doing. Giggling softly, I sneak up and hug him from behind. He flinches for a second, then relaxes in my arms.

  “I didn’t know you could make pancakes.”

  He hums. “I can’t. They probably won’t taste very good.”

  Glancing into the bowl, I can still see clumps of dry mix. “Maybe you should let me take over?”

  “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  My fiancé steps aside and hands me the spatula. Immediately, I dump the burnt food in the pan, into the garbage can. Parker scoffs playfully.

  “Oi, I worked hard on that!”

  Pulling my wet hair into a ponytail, I raise my eyebrows at him. “Oh? So, your goal is to give us food poisoning?”

  He steps closer and places his lips on my forehead. “You, my love, are a pain in the arse.”

  “I know.” I wink.

  I make quick work of salvaging the breakfast that he almost botched and the two of us sit down to eat. He takes a bite of the pancakes and moans at the taste.

  “I’m a very talented chef.” He boasts.

  A humored laugh leaves my mouth and I shake my head. “Sure honey, you’re the best.” Looking around, I feel warm inside at the fact that this is our house. “I can’t get over how nice this place is.”

  He hums in approval as he chews and swallows then washes it down with a sip of coffee. “Mr. Brooks does great work.”

  I nearly choke at the mention of Colton. “I’m sorry, what?”

  “Colton Brooks. This house is one of his designs.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “It was in the paperwork from the builder. He was listed as the architect. He didn’t tell you?”

  I should’ve known with the way everything is so perfectly blended together. Still, he said nothing yesterday as all of us were talking about how nice it is. I’m surprised he didn’t at least mention it to Maverick or Tatum. Neither of them had any idea either – they would’ve told me.

  “No, I had no clue.”

  “Hmm. Well, that’ll give you something to talk about today. You’re still going to Maverick’s, aren’t you?”

  To be honest, the thought of being around my ex without Parker there is scary to me. It’s not that I would jump at the chance to cheat on him, but with how Colton acted when we were alone in the truck yesterday, I’m not sure it’s a good idea.

  “I don’t know. I think I might stay here. We still have a lot to unpack.”

  He stands up and takes both our empty plates from the table. “Nonsense, go have fun. You and I can unpack tonight after I get home.”

  “Are you sure? Because I can stay and get a lot done. I don’t mind.”

  “I’m positive, McKenna. We just got back a week ago. You should be spending time with your friends.”

  Friends, right. The fact that all I can focus on is Colton being there is every reason why I shouldn’t go. No part of my brain acknowledges that Maverick, Tatum, Ivy, and Roman will all be there, too. However, I’m not ready to tell Parker about my history with Colton so instead, I nod and get up to go get ready.

  AFTER SAYING GOODBYE TO my fiancé, I put on my helmet and climb onto my tiffany blue Vespa. It was a gift from my parents when I turned seventeen. I didn’t take it with me to NYU because the traffic there scares me more than clowns do, but my dad took care of it while I was gone. I’ve missed being able to ride this thing.

  I make the drive over to Maverick’s place. It’s short, maybe only five minutes, which barely gives me any time to prepare myself for the situation I’m about to be in. As I pull up in front of the house, I shut off the Vespa and take my helmet off. Running my fingers through my hair, I take a deep breath – telling myself that my brother will be there. There is comfort in knowing he won’t come onto me in front of Maverick.

  When I finally feel like I at least have somewhat of a handle on things, I walk up to the front door and step inside.

  “Hello?” I call out.

  “Squid!” Mav yells back.

  I walk through the dining room and into the kitchen. My brother is leaning with his elbows on the island while Colton rests his ass against the counter. I can feel my heart start to race at the sight of my ex but I will myself to calm down and focus on Maverick.

  “Drinking a beer already? It’s eleven in the morning.”

  He smirks and shrugs his shoulders. “Are you saying I can’t?”

  “I’m saying it’s a little early.”

  Picking up the can from the counter, he chugs the rest of it in one shot. I roll my eyes as I nudge him playfully. He laughs and crumples the can in his hand before tossing it into the can.

  “It’s nice to have you home. We’ve missed you around here.”

  With a quick ruffle of my hair, he disappears out the back door – leaving Colton and I alone together. I do my best to fix the damage to the top of my head. It’s a good distraction, until he speaks.

  “I’m drinking coffee. Do I get out of being lectured, squid?”

  My eyes narrow on him. “Okay, you don’t get to call me that. You lost the right to call me that.”

  “Oh yeah? When did that happen?” He brings the cup up to his mouth to take a sip, but his eyes stay focused on me.

  With a level of confidence that I didn’t know I had, I cross my arms and pop my hip to the side. “The first time you fucked me senseless.”

  Colton sprays the coffee from his mouth all over the counter, coughing to clear his throat. He looks shocked by my words but that was the point. I smirk triumphantly and turn to go to the pool.

  “You may want to clean that up.” I call out as I close the door behind me – not missing the faint laugh he lets out.

  I MUST ADMIT, TODAY is perfect for lounging outside. It’s warm but there isn’t enough humidity to make it uncomfortable. Maverick splurged on the expensive chairs, and honestly, I could lie here all day.

  “Can I just tell you how much I’ve missed that Vespa?” Ivy’s voice echoes through the backyard, signifying her arrival.

  “You still can’t have it.”

  She sighs and plops down into the seat next to me. “Fine, then you can’t have this.” The notebook she waves in front of me is so familiar that my eyebrows furrow.

  “Is that…”

  “The notebook we passed back and forth the end of senior year? Yes.”

  I sit up and grab the book from her hands. “I can’t believe you kept this.”

  “Are you kidding?! It’s like the holy grail of our friendship.” She gets comfortable and puts her feet up. “I have the rest of them too but I only brought that one.”

  Opening it to the first page, I notice it starts in April. We wrote so many notes back and forth that we would fill one of these up within just a couple of months. From complaints about teachers to gushing about boys, there wasn’t a single thing we didn’t write down. It’s fun to look back at them.

  April 7, 2015

  Mac,

  I swear, if the boy next to me continues to smell like fish, I’m going to end up dropping out of school. I don’t care if I only have two months until graduation. Nothing is worth not being able to breathe during pre-calc. I can’t wait to go to college. I’m going to meet some cute California boy and we’re going to have gorgeous tan babies together. Okay, maybe not. I don’t know if I could handle kids. But I will meet a tanned hottie who will sweep me off my feet. Can you believe prom is only a month and a half away? I think I’m more excited for the trip after than I am for the dance, but whatever. It’s all exciting. Okay, time to switch classes now. See you in a minute.

  Love you loser,

  Ivy

  I laugh at the pointlessness of the entire thing, but that’s what they were – just pages and pages of useless information. Well, at least most of it is, until I reach a page I remember writing quite well.

  April 20, 2015

  Iv
y,

  So, I may have already chewed your ear out about this all last night and this morning, but seriously - I cannot stop thinking about it. I can’t believe Colton kissed me. Colton Brooks fucking kissed me! What does this even mean? I didn’t see him before he left my house this morning, so I have no idea what is going to happen from here. Do I try to talk to him about it? Do I play it off like nothing happened? Did he even mean to do it or does he regret it now? Seriously, Ivy. I’m losing my damn mind. I can still feel the way his lips felt on mine. It was amazing. By far the best kiss of my life. Okay so it was the only kiss of my life, but still. Maybe I won’t end up going to college a virgin after all.

  Help me before I go crazy,

  McKenna

  I remember the way I drove myself insane thinking about it. Looking at what I scribbled in the corner, I pause.

  McKenna

  +

  Colton

  04/19/2015

  Why does that look so familiar? I wrack my brain trying to figure out why I can’t look away from that date. Four, nineteen, two thousand fifteen. Four, nineteen, two thousand fifteen. The minute it hits me, my entire body tenses up. Suddenly, there isn’t enough air in my lungs. My eyes search frantically for Colton and when I find him, he’s standing next to Roman near the tiki bar Maverick has outside. I look at his tattoo and it confirms everything.

  IV.XIX.MMXV

  “Oh my god.” I gasp.

  “What?” Ivy asks, but I can’t look away. “Mac? Are you alright?”

  “Oh. My. God.”

  “McKenna, what is it?!”

  Colton’s head turns at the sound of Ivy’s concern. He gives me a confused look as I stare at the tattoo. When he glances down at the book in my hands and then at ink on his own skin, his eyes widen. He puts his beer down on the bar and rushes over to me. In one quick motion, he grabs my wrist and pulls me inside. I follow behind him willingly, too shocked to fight it.