by Kelsie Rae
She tilts her head at my silent challenge before egging me on. “Is that right?”
“Yeah.”
“Like what?”
Shrugging, I take another bite, chew quickly, and swallow. “Pretty much everything. I’ve known you forever.”
Her eyes narrow. “Okay. What’s my favorite dessert?”
“Chocolate dipped strawberries. Next,” I reply, cockily.
“Favorite movie?”
I chuckle. “A Walk to Remember with a side of tissues.”
Her lips purse. “Favorite color?”
“Rainbow. Which isn’t a color, by the way,” I tease.
She folds her arms across her chest. “Do I have any allergies?”
I lean forward, placing my elbows on the table. “Other than a mild case of hay fever? Nope. Have I proven my point?”
She mirrors my position, though I don’t think she notices. “Who was my first kiss?”
I grit my teeth as my gaze shifts to her cherry red lips. Are they always that red? Or did the wine stain them to make them even more appetizing?
“Henry Cartwright,” I growl. I caught them kissing on my front porch. Natalie’s parents have always been a little MIA, so she’d often sleep over at my house on the weekends. I can still see his hands gripping her waist as he took something that didn’t belong to him.
Her first kiss should’ve belonged to me.
“And who took my virginity?” she murmurs, pulling me from the bitter memory of her and Henry. Her voice is so silent, I would’ve missed it if I hadn’t been so focused on her mouth as it formed the words.
My nostrils flare at the thought.
I don’t know this answer. I’ve made a point to not know this answer. I like to tell myself it’s because whoever Natalie has slept with isn’t any of my business. In reality, I think it’s because I’d murder whoever touched her. I’d kill anyone who even considered it.
“Next question,” I grit out, ignoring the ache in my lower stomach and the way my fists have formed tight balls next to the silverware.
She shakes her head slowly. “The answer is no one, Marcus. And it’s not because my best friend’s older brother has been around to scare them all off. It’s because I can take care of myself, and I can make my own decisions. Understand?”
Somehow during her little declaration, I find myself leaning over my pasta, the food almost forgotten. It’s a sharp reminder of how she’s always been able to pull me in like a magnet, whether I want her to or not.
The silence is heavy as I let her words sink in.
Still a virgin.
Still. A. Virgin.
Still adamant that I stop treating her like a little sister.
Still stubborn and sassy as hell.
Still the most beautiful thing I’ve ever laid eyes on.
Clearing my throat, I murmur, “Noted,” before sitting back in my chair. After I wipe my mouth with the cloth napkin, I ask, “So do you not usually go out on your own?”
“Huh?”
Her confusion makes me smile. “You had mentioned that you decided to put on your big girl panties and grab dinner by yourself, which made it sound like you don’t do that often,” I explain.
“Oh. Yeah. Umm…” I catch her fidgeting with the linen napkin in front of her. “I guess I haven’t really done a lot on my own. I mean…you know Sophie’s and my relationship—”
“Yeah,” I interrupt, smiling. “You two have always been attached at the hip.”
“Exactly.” She grins before sobering slightly. “That is…until she started seeing Nathan. I’m not jealous or anything, and I’m definitely happy things are working out for her,” she clarifies. “It’s just…I guess I’m trying to figure out who I am without my other half. Does that make sense? We’ve done everything together, and I feel like I need to figure out how to stand on my own two feet.”
Her eyes shine with conviction until I ask, “And how’s that working for you?”
The determination disappears and is replaced by an overwhelming sense of loss, making my chest hurt.
“About as good as can be expected,” she whispers as she looks down at that same linen napkin from moments before.
I nod in understanding. “You know that you don’t always have to be the strong one, right?”
Her brows furrow. “What do you mean?”
“You don’t always have to be the strong one.”
“I’ve never been the strong one,” she argues.
I shake my head. “False. You’ve always been the strong one, Natalie. The responsible one. The designated driver. The one to make sure Sophie eats her vegetables and shows up to work on time.” I grin while ticking them off with my fingers. “Hell, pretty sure the only reason my parents were cool with Sophie moving across the country was because they trusted you to look after their headstrong daughter.” Her eyes turn glassy at my observation as I continue. “The only problem is that Sophie doesn’t need you like that anymore, does she? Which makes you feel like you’ve lost your identity. So now you’re stuck floundering, by yourself, trying to figure out who you are. Am I right?”
She licks her lips before swallowing past the lump that’s lodged itself in her throat. “Yeah. I think you pretty much summed it up.”
“Natalie.”
Hesitantly, she looks up at me.
“You are so much more than Sophie’s best friend.”
She shrugs. It’s obvious she doesn’t believe me.
“You’re passionate. Responsible. Lovable. Strong. Smart. Reliable. Beautiful. Should I go on?”
Her cheeks are pink as her eyes dart around the room, looking anywhere but at me. “You’re just saying that because I’m your little sister’s best friend,” she murmurs.
I shake my head. “No, I’m saying that in spite of you being my little sister’s best friend. I’m sitting here in spite of it being a bad idea, Natalie. I’m here because you’re all of those things, and so much more. I’m just sorry I haven’t been around to remind you, and that you’ve been too busy thinking of others that you’ve forgotten your own worth.”
When I finish, her eyes snap back to mine, but she doesn’t say a word. Our gazes connect, clicking together like two pieces of a puzzle as I let my comments sink in. The heat from our stare feels like an inferno, but neither of us pulls away until the waitress interrupts by placing the check on the table.
The sound of the leather binder hitting the white tablecloth is enough to snap us back to reality and makes Natalie flinch in her seat before returning her attention to that damn linen napkin.
Casually, I pull out my credit card and place it in the bill folder then wave it in the air for the waitress to come grab it.
It seems our moment is over, and I think it’s for the best, anyway. I’ve been a little too honest for one evening and need to remember that this is my little sister’s best friend.
As soon as the thought enters my head, guilt quickly follows. Isn’t this exactly what Natalie isn’t wanting? To live in my little sister’s shadow? For her entire identity to be overshadowed by her relationship with her best friend?
Shit.
During my internal guilt-fest, the waitress runs my credit card then places it back on the table, making it apparent we’re free to go.
Natalie slides out from her seat before pulling the hem of her sweater dress down a few inches. However, it’s not nearly enough to cover the exposed skin on her upper thigh down to her boots that reach below her knees.
“Ready to go?” she asks, as she innocently tucks a strand of her long dark hair behind her ear.
I pull my gaze away from her legs and toward the door, even though the image will forever be ingrained in my memory. Along with that damn towel picture. “Yeah. Let’s go.”
And with that, we end a night out that started to feel a hell of a lot like the perfect date.
Chapter Ten
Natalie
"Yo," Sophie calls from the front of the shop before sauntering
into the back. She leans against one of the large metal tables, watching as I finish icing the eclairs.
"Yo," I greet her with a smile. "How was the play?"
"A-freaking-mazing, Noogie. We need to go one of these days!" she gushes.
I grin before placing the last eclair on the serving tray. "That good, huh? And how were Nathan's parents?"
She looks up at the ceiling and taps her forefinger against her chin. "Umm...good, I guess? They argue like you wouldn't believe, but Nathan and I could tell how hard they were trying, and they really want to get to know me and the babies. Nathan says the date was more interaction than he's had with his family in over a decade." Her eyes pop to emphasize her point. "Can you believe that? Marcus and I text daily, and I get weekly phone calls from my mom and dad asking for updates on life. I just...I can't even imagine being that disconnected from my family."
"That's crazy," I agree while arranging the pastries in a neat row. My family and I aren't anything to write home about, but I know they'd bend over backward to help me if I ever needed anything. Nathan's family? Not so much.
"Anyway," Sophie continues. "I want to apologize, again, for bailing last night. Did you do anything fun?"
My cheeks heat up as the memories of Marcus flash through my mind. Thankfully, my olive skin covers it quite nicely, or Sophie would be freaking out.
"Not really," I hedge. "Just went and grabbed some dinner."
"Oo…what'd ya get?"
Now that Sophie is out of her first trimester and isn't puking every thirty minutes, she's become obsessed with food. And because I'm an evil person, I decide to flaunt the deliciousness to make her jealous.
"Well...I got a really yummy sweet potato gnocchi with a garlic cream sauce and a glass of red wine. It was so good!" I pinch all my fingers together before bringing them to my lips and kissing them dramatically, like a classic Italian woman.
Looking over at Sophie, I find her practically drooling. "I miss wine." She pouts. "Where'd you go?"
"Caputo's."
Her brows furrow. "I thought they didn't do takeout?"
Crap.
"They don't." I shrug while trying to act nonchalant.
She doesn't buy it.
"Soooo..." Sophie drags out the word, urging me to continue.
"So, I went out to dinner by myself."
Sophie gasps dramatically before I have a chance to finish talking. "You did? But you never go anywhere by yourself!"
I roll my eyes. "That's not entirely true. I go lots of places by myself. I just don't normally go sit at a restaurant by myself."
"Exactly. But you went last night, because I bailed! I am seriously so sorry, Natalie. I promise I'll do my best to never let it happen again."
I appreciate her sincerity, even though I know it's a promise she'll never be able to keep. Shit happens. It's life.
"No worries, Tink. Promise. Plus, Marcus ended up joining me at the end, so I wasn't completely alone," I offer, throwing in the towel on my little secret while trying to make her feel better too.
Her jaw hits the floor. "What?" she screeches. "I thought you said you went alone? Liar liar, pants on fire! You and Marcus went on a date to a fancy Italian restaurant, and you didn't tell me?"
She pushes off from the counter and grabs my arms then shakes me furiously.
I throw my head back, laughing. "Whoa there, Tink. Don't have a panic attack or anything. It wasn't a date. And I didn’t lie. I went by myself, and then Marcus joined me because I forgot my purse and…in all honesty, it was a total fluke...but it was pretty fun." I try to make light of my evening, but she must be able to read my face.
"Fun, huh? What kind of fun?" She bounces her brows up and down, suggestively. "Nakey time fun? Eh? Eh?"
My face scrunches in embarrassment. "Soph!"
"What?" She raises her hand defensively. "I've been dying for you two to end up together since we were five, remember? Can't blame a girl for diggin' for a few details!"
I cover my face with my hands while trying to contain the giggles that are threatening to erupt. They'll only encourage her interrogation.
Taking a deep breath, I look her straight in the eye. "Sophie. Your brother and I? We're never going to get together. There will never be nakey time. But I do think we can be friends.”
She smirks knowingly. "Friends, eh? Ya know…Nathan and I were kinda just friends too. That is...until we started humping like rabbits. Just sayin'."
Shaking my head, I shove her playfully before grabbing the eclair tray and heading to the front. “You’re ridiculous,” I toss over my shoulder as Sophie follows behind.
She snatches a pastry from the giant plate and shoves it in her mouth. Her eyes roll back in her head as the flavors explode across her tongue. "Oh maw goodnesh," she mumbles before swallowing.
"Good, right?"
"Uh…yes. It's amazing, Noogie. You're seriously rocking this whole baking thing.”
I blush.
“And speaking of delicious food...burgers tonight?"
My stomach grumbles at the thought. "Yes please!"
"Indie-pie!" Sophie shouts, grabbing Indie's attention from across the room. She’s been busy organizing the front counter that's stocked with jams and loaves of discounted pastries from the day before.
She turns to us. "Yeah?"
"Burgers tonight?" Sophie calls.
"Definitely!" Indie shoves her hand into the air victoriously. The sight reminds me of the final scene from The Breakfast Club, and I laugh in response.
Sophie wraps her arms around me and pulls me into a friendly hug. "Perfect! I've been needing some girl time."
I grin as I return her embrace. “Me too.”
Man, I’ve missed this girl. I look over at Indie. Both of these girls.
Seconds later, Indie puts on her bossy voice and tells us to get back to work. We all laugh at her attempt at being in charge.
Silly, naive Indie.
Chapter Eleven
Marcus
Sliding my hands into the front pockets of my worn jeans, I take a look around the pub that Nathan insisted we meet at.
Seconds later, my phone vibrates.
Nathan: Hey. We're at the far table on the left.
I look up to see him waving me over.
The place is nice. Warm, wooden furniture, TVs lining the walls, and the distinct smell of mouth-watering burgers is emanating from the back of the pub.
The table has four chairs around it, and three are currently occupied. Nathan and Rhett are filling two of them, and another guy sits in the third.
"Hey." I slide into the empty seat as they all lift their chins at me in acknowledgment.
"Hey, man. Did you find the place okay?" Nathan asks.
"Yeah." I reach for the menu and begin to peruse my options when Nathan continues.
"You remember Rhett, and this is Luke. His little sister is Bree. She was at Rhett's wedding."
An image of a feisty brunette, who I thought was drunk during the entire reception only to find out she was very much sober, comes to mind.
"Kind of crazy brunette with a hulking giant for a fiancé?"
Luke grins. "Yeah. That's her."
I chuckle. "Nice to meet you. What brings you all this way to New York?"
"I'm considering starting a business venture, and Breezy's fiancé, Derrick, suggested I meet up with Nathan and Rhett to discuss investors."
"And because Derrick is one of our favorite clients, and our personal friend, we insisted on giving you the whole nine yards," Rhett interrupts with a smile.
Luke laughs before tipping back his glass of pale ale and taking a swig. Nathan catches me drooling over the beer and lifts his fingers to the waitress, silently requesting another round.
"So, where you from?" I ask Luke, trying to make conversation.
"Utah, actually."
My eyes go wide. "Utah?"
He grins, and it’s obvious he’s used to that kind of reaction. "Yeah. It’s not as bad as i
t sounds, promise. You'll have to come hiking or skiing sometime. My family would love to show you around."
Nathan clarifies, "Luke is married and has two little kids."
I nod my understanding as the waitress reappears with our drinks.
We spend another half hour shooting the shit when I catch Nathan staring over my shoulder toward the front of the pub. “Well, I’ll be damned,” he murmurs under his breath.
I swivel in my chair to see what he's looking at, only to feel like I’ve been punched in the gut.
Seems Natalie finally got her night out with Sophie, and it looks like Indie tagged along too. Who would've guessed we'd end up in the same little pub?
Rhett's lips tilt up in an arrogant grin. "Excuse me, gentlemen. Seems I have a wife to greet." He saunters over to the women who haven't seen us yet. They’re too busy listening to Sophie as she animatedly tells a story that I’m sure wouldn’t be half as interesting if I were telling it, instead. Wrapping his arms around Indie's neck, he pulls her into his chest before brushing a soft kiss across her temple. She melts into him instantly.
Nathan slowly stands from the table then taps his knuckles against the wooden top. "Be right back." He follows Rhett's lead and greets Sophie by bending her over his arm and kissing the shit out of her.
I grit my teeth while attempting to rein in my protective brotherly nature.
It isn't easy.
Not when a guy is sticking his tongue in my little sister's mouth, that's for sure. I can’t help but notice the way his hands protectively rest against her already swelling stomach. The sight is almost enough to calm my frustration over someone touching my little sister. Almost.
But when I see Natalie ordering a drink, completely oblivious to my presence, I find my sister entirely forgotten.
Sorry, Soph.
“So, I assume the tiny blonde girl is your sister, right?” Luke asks from across the table.
“Yeah,” I mutter. My gaze remains glued to Natalie as she flirts with the bartender.
“And I can also assume the girl kissing Rhett is his wife, Indie, right?”
“Yeah.”