Returning to Rockport: A Brother's Best Friend Romance

by Kelsey Clayton

  The four of us get in the car. Avery is strapped into her car seat and while she looks fine, I’m still worried. I make faces at her that normally make her smile, but this time she doesn’t. I look up at my dad through the rear-view mirror.

  “Is Avery going to be okay?”

  His expression softens as he glances back at me. “Well son, she hit her head but she should be okay. We just need to take her to get checked out by a doctor.”

  I turn back to my sister and hug her as best I can with the restrictions of being in the car. She may be a pain in the butt sometimes, but she’s my sister and I love her.

  The rest of the drive is short. It’s a small town and I probably could have ridden my bike but it’s starting to get dark. We pull up to the Taylor’s house and my mom gets out of the car and walks me up onto the porch. A woman answers the door who looks like an older, female version of Maverick. She smiles warmly at me and then turns to my mother.

  “Thank you so much for taking him.”

  She waves her off dismissively. “Oh, of course. Your husband explained the situation over the phone. Please let me know how your daughter is doing as soon as you know. And don’t worry about Colton. I’m sure him and Maverick will have a great time.”

  My mom gives me a hug goodbye before running to the car. I watch them drive away, clearly in a hurry to get to the hospital. I think Maverick’s mom can tell I’m scared because she puts a hand on my shoulder and whispers that everything will be okay. I nod my head before following her into the house.

  It’s cozy inside. There’s a staircase directly in front of me with a living room to the left and a dining room to the right. Maverick’s mom points out where to find everything, telling me that Mav’s room is upstairs, the kitchen at the end of the hallway in front of me, and there is a bathroom to the right of it. She mentions that Maverick is in the shower and I should make myself at home while I wait for him.

  “Marissa, can you come help me in here?” A man’s voice comes from the end of the hall.

  She calls back that she’ll be right there and ruffles her hand through my hair. Then, she disappears, leaving me standing alone at the door. I hear laughter in the living room and my curiosity gets the better of me. Tiptoeing closer, I see a little girl sitting on the floor playing a game by herself. She has plastic necklace around her neck and her fingers are covered in fake rings. Her giggle is the first thing that makes me smile since I heard Avery get hurt.

  “What are you playing?” I ask.

  The girl looks up at me and gives me a wide grin. Dimples accent her cheeks and her green eyes remind me of freshly cut grass in the spring. She’s definitely younger than me and I remember Maverick telling me he has a little sister. This must be her.

  “Pretty, pretty, princess. Want to play?”

  I walk around the couch and sit on the floor in front of her. “I don’t know how.”

  “I can teach you. My mom was playing with me but now she’s helping my dad, so you can take her spot.” She hands me a spinner. “I’m McKenna.”

  “I’m-”

  “Colton. I know.” She cuts me off. “You’re Maverick’s friend.”

  The two of us take turns passing the spinner back and forth and moving our pieces. Every time I land on a piece of jewelry, she helps me find it and puts it in a pile in front of me. I know the rules of the game are that you wear it, but I’m a boy and if Maverick saw me wearing fake jewelry with his sister, he might not think I’m cool anymore.

  McKenna looks adorable as she puts the fake earrings on and hands me the spinner to take my turn. I move my piece and land on the crown.

  “No fair! You got the crown!” She gapes jealously and grabs the fake silver headpiece to hand it to me.

  I look down at it and then back at her. “You can have it.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah.” I reach over and put it on top of her head, resting it on her light brown hair.

  Her face lights up and I can’t help but smile back. “How do I look?”

  “Perfect. It looks much better on you.”

  The two of us laugh until the sound of someone coming down the stairs makes McKenna roll her eyes. I turn my head towards the doorway and Maverick comes up behind the couch.

  “Hey Colton. What are you doing with Squid?”

  “Squid?”

  McKenna groans loudly. “Stop calling me that! It’s embarrassing.”

  “Whatever, twerp. Leave my friend alone.”

  I shake my head. “No, it’s fine. I asked if I could play.”

  He looks at me like I’ve lost my mind but then nods towards the stairs. “Come on. Let’s go to my room and play video games.”

  I get up and walk around the couch to follow him, but just before I leave the room, I turn back to McKenna. “Thanks for letting me play with you, Princess.”

  The blush that coats her cheeks and the way my words make her smile is something that will stay burned in my mind for the rest of my life.

  “So, that’s why you call me Princess?” She asks, like it’s something she’s always wondered.

  I nod. “You were adorable, and I knew then that you were something special.”

  Her tears have long since dried up and all that’s left is the way she’s looking at me like I’m everything she’s ever wanted in her life. My heart pounds inside of my chest, threatening to break through my rib cage and throw itself at her feet. Roman was right – she has me wrapped around her pretty little finger. If this doesn’t go my way, I’ll never make it out alive.

  17

  MCKENNA

  How did I get here? How was I so incredibly irresponsible that I ended up in this situation? I mean, it’s one thing to be cheating on my fiancé while I try to figure out what in the world is going on between Colton and I, but to end up pregnant with a secret love child? Well, let’s just say my mother raised me better than that.

  When I started feeling nauseous, I honestly believed it was just a stomach bug. My immune system never has been the best so it wouldn’t surprise me. The thought of being pregnant hadn’t even entered my mind until Ivy asked when my last period was. She’s always been the voice of reason to my madness. The moment I could tell where she was going with her million and six questions, I planned to freak out in private. I was going to make an excuse to leave, go get a pregnancy test, and take it alone in my empty house. However, all that changed when Ivy lost the ability to control her volume.

  The shocked look on Colton’s face as he stared back at me made me want to crawl in a hole and never come out. I was almost positive he was going to be sent running for the hills. I mean, we aren’t even in a legitimate relationship. The amount of people who know about us can be counted on one hand alone. We’re still in that phase where it’s new and exciting, and sneaking around has had a sort of sex appeal to it. Throwing a baby into the mix would cause so much chaos, just thinking about it makes my stomach churn.

  I hold my head in my hands as Colton paces around the kitchen. He’s trying to maintain his composure but I can tell he’s freaking out. He grabs a beer from the fridge and pops the cap off before chugging more than half of it. Once he’s done, he places it down and leans on the counter.

  “Okay.” He breathes. “Okay, this is fine. We can do this.”

  His words peak my interest. “We can?”

  “Yeah. It doesn’t change anything, at least not yet anyway. I mean, we can still keep us a secret until you figure out what you want to do.” I’m about to question what he means, but he continues. “You can get a paternity test during the pregnancy, right?”

  “A-a paternity test?” I choke.

  “Yeah. I think I read once about them doing it using amniotic fluid or something. That way we don’t have to wait until you have the baby to find out.”

  “Find out what exactly?” My blood starts to boil as I realize what he’s insinuating. “You don’t think this baby is yours?!”

  His brows furrow and his eyes narrow. “We
ll, it could go either way, couldn’t it?” I look at him as if he’s crazy and he clarifies. “The baby could be mine or Parker’s.”

  Wow, okay. A part of me wonders if I should correct him. Would he lose the thrill of the chase if he knew the truth? Hell, for all I know, he could only want me because he doesn’t fully have me. Once he knows, he might not be interested anymore. Still, I can’t put everyone through a shit show of madness for something I already know.

  “No, Colton, it couldn’t.” His eyes widen before I even say the words. “It couldn’t be Parker’s because I haven’t slept with Parker, not since you and I…” My words fade out because I know I don’t need to explain further.

  He looks shocked, opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water. Just when he seems like he’s finally going to say something, Ivy comes bursting into the room.

  “Okay, I got it.” She tosses Colton’s keys and wallet onto the counter and nods towards the stairs. “Let’s go find out if you have a bun in the oven.”

  Glancing over at Colton, he swallows down his words and shakes himself out of whatever mental debate he was just having. The three of us go through the living room and up the stairs. Colton goes straight into his bedroom while Ivy follows me to the toilet. She shuts the door behind her and pulls the box out of her purse.

  “So, there are two. I figure you can take one now and take the other first thing tomorrow morning.” She tells me as she rips open the wrapping and pulls one of the tests out. “I’d read you the directions but it’s pretty self-explanatory. Pee on the stick, wait three minutes, ya-de-ya-de-ya.”

  I roll my eyes as I take it from her, personally finding it ridiculous that I even need to do this. I know birth control pills aren’t 100% effective and a lot can make them fail, but a missed period and a little bit of nausea doesn’t automatically mean I’m knocked up. Still, I guess it would be better to know than to wonder – especially because if I am, I’ll need to make an appointment for prenatal care.

  After I finish peeing on the test, I put the cap back on it and wipe it off before washing my hands. The two of us leave the bathroom and find Colton sitting on the side of his bed. I put the test on his dresser while Ivy sets a timer on her phone.

  When Colton’s eyes meet mine, there is a glint of something in them that I don’t recognize but it causes a shiver to run down my spine. He pats the space next to him and I go willingly, letting him wrap his arm around me and pull me close. The soft kiss he presses to my forehead relaxes me a little until Ivy plops down beside me.

  “If it’s a girl, can you name it after me?” My jaw drops as Colton snorts. “What? Ivy is a great name!”

  I shake my head and chuckle slightly. Leave it to my best friend to make light of the situation in a time like this. The ugly truth of the matter is that if I am pregnant, if Colton’s baby is growing inside of me, everything is going to come out. Parker will learn about the affair I’ve been having for the past month. Maverick will learn that his best friend and his little sister have been sneaking around behind his back. My failed engagement and adulterous tendencies will be the talk of the town.

  “My mom is going to kill me.” I murmur before looking at Colton. “And probably you, too.”

  He gives me one of those boyish grins that make him look like an innocent little cupcake. “Who me?” I nod. “No way. Marissa loves me. She’d probably be thrilled and throw a party in my honor.”

  “In your honor?”

  “Absolutely. You, well, you’re right. She’ll probably kill you, but she’ll at least wait until the baby is born safely first.”

  Ivy sniggers as I roll my eyes playfully. “You really know how to make me feel better.”

  He laughs and pulls me closer, searing his lips over my own. The kiss isn’t anything close to heated, but it takes my breath away. The way he holds my cheek like I’m the most delicate things, and how he uses the arm wrapped around my waist to keep me pressed against him – it’s mind blowing. Every thought I had, every stressful thing on my mind, is all replaced by tingles running through my body and the feeling of his mouth on mine.

  When he breaks the kiss, I blink my eyes open to find him smirking at me. “Better?”

  I nod. “Thank you.”

  Staring at the test from across the room, I know it has to be getting close to time. In a matter of minutes, my entire world could be flipped on its axis. When I was growing up, I always imagined finding out I was pregnant with my first child and how I would tell the father. Sometimes it was this big announcement with balloons and a onesie wrapped in a present. Others, it was a small private moment where I whispered the news just before we fell asleep, cuddled up together in bed. Regardless, it was never like this.

  The timer sounds and my whole body tenses. I know I should get up, but I can’t seem to move. My feet are planted to the floor and my hand grips Colton’s thigh. He looks up at Ivy and something unspoken passes between them. She nods and stands, taking a deep breath before walking towards the dresser.

  Everything plays in slow motion as I watch my best friend take the test into her hands. She looks up at the ceiling then turns to me with relief all over her face. I don’t need to ask to know what it says. I throw myself back on the bed and release a breath I didn’t know I was holding.

  “It’s negative?” Colton asks like he needs to be sure.

  “It’s negative. She’s not pregnant.”

  A small laugh bubbles out of my mouth, then another, then another. Before I know it, I’m breaking out in full hysterics. Colton holds himself up with one arm as he hovers slightly over me. Tears are brimming in my eyes from laughing harder than I have in a while. The amusement that graces his face as he watches me is evident.

  “You find this funny?” He asks with one eyebrow raised and a sexy as hell smirk.

  “A little.”

  Ivy murmurs something about giving us a minute before walking out and closing the door behind her. Once we’re completely alone, the tension between us grows until I’m clenching my thighs together to try to control myself. The humor vanishes as we stare into each other’s eyes. Colton’s hand rests gently on my cheek.

  “You really haven’t slept with Parker?”

  I shake my head. “Were you hoping I had?”

  He looks at me like I’ve lost my ever-loving mind. “Of course not! Why in the world would you think that?”

  “I don’t know.” I shrug. “I thought maybe you were counting on the baby being his.”

  Realization crosses over his face and he quickly turns his body so I have his undivided attention. I sit up and allow him to take my hands in his own. He looks at me with such admiration that I’m completely awestruck.

  “Babe, that wasn’t at all what I was thinking.”

  “It wasn’t?”

  He smiles. “Not even a little. If you were pregnant, I would have spent the next however many weeks praying to God that it was mine. The only reason I was freaking out was because I thought that if the baby was Parker’s, that I would lose you for good.”

  My heart is beating so hard and fast that I feel like it might combust. I’m surprised he can’t hear it from where he sits. My smile stretches until it hurts while I stare back at him, unable to speak. There are no words for what I want to say, so instead, I lunge across the small space between us and press my lips to his.

  He hums and kisses me back instantly while his hands grip my hips. As soon as he lays back, I straddle his waist and grind down on him. The moan that leaves my mouth mixes with the groan that comes from his. Being with him like this, with everyone just downstairs, is risky and dangerous but I can’t find it in me to care.

  “Fuck, McKenna.” Colton murmurs as his lips move down to my neck.

  I continue to move against him, feeling the way he grows harder in his bathing suit. Only two thin pieces of clothing separate us and all I wish is that they would just fall away. I need him inside of me, stretching me open and filling me up.

  His hand sk
ates down my body and cups my sex. I throw my head back and moan loudly. He chuckles at my reaction and covers my mouth with his.

  “Shh, baby.” He whispers against my lips. “You need to be quiet or someone will hear us.”

  I don’t know if it’s the thrill of sneaking around or the fact that we haven’t had sex in a week, but I want him so fucking bad that I may consider screwing him on the living room couch right now if that’s what it takes. Having to stare at him all damn day with his shirt off and his perfectly sculpted abs glistening with a light coat of sweat – it’s been absolute torture.

  “Colton.” I pant.

  “What do you need, Princess?”

  “You. I need you.”

  He uses his hold on me to flip us around so I’m lying on the bed and he’s hovering over me. “You have me. Any way you want, I’m yours.”

  My hands move to his head and my fingers lace into his hair as I pull him into a bruising kiss. It’s messy and heated and passionate as sin. Colton makes an animalistic noise as he grinds himself down into me, hard. Just as he hooks his thumbs under my bikini bottoms, the door swings open.

  “Yo, Brooks. Do you have a charger? My phone is- WOAH!” Roman’s eyes widen before he very quickly turns back around and leaves the room without another word.

  “Oh my God.” I breathe, pushing Colton off me and starting to panic. “Oh my God!”

  “McKenna, relax.”

  “Relax?! Are you kidding me right now?! Roman just caught us!” He isn’t freaking out nearly as much as I assumed he would, and that alone confuses me. “Why are you acting like this is no big deal?”

  He shrugs. “Because it isn’t a big deal. Rome knows. He’s known for a while now.”

  Suddenly, it all makes sense. The way Colton doesn’t care about openly flirting with me in front of him. How Roman pushed for me to get in-between Colton and the chick he was dancing with at the bar. Hell, even Roman keeping Parker wrapped up in conversation for most of Maverick’s birthday dinner. He’s been helping him. He’s known about us this whole damn time. I don’t know if that makes me feel better or worse.