by Lacey Black
Smiling, I type out a reply.
Me: Sounds good to me. Should I bring anything?
The bubbles appear right away.
Royce: If you’re sure. He’s been hounding me all week to come over, so he sicced his fiancée on me.
Me: I’d love to meet them.
Royce: They’re boring and completely gross with PDA. You’ll regret saying that by the end of the evening.
Me: So, maybe we just one-up them…
Royce: *insert smiling devil emoji* I like the way you think, Bestie.
Royce: Off at 6. I’ll run home and shower. Jack and I should be at your place around 6:30.
Me: See you then.
I set my phone back in my drawer, unable to hide the little grin on my face, and get back to work.
***
“Did Royce ever tell you about his senior prom?” Rueben asks, causing Royce to groan.
“She doesn’t want to hear this,” he argues, to no avail.
“I’m pretty sure she does,” Rueben insists.
I glance over at Royce. Even though he’s arguing with his brother, I can see he’s not really bothered at the fact Rueben is going to share whatever story he’s about to tell. He just shakes his head and relaxes into his seat. Jack is sleeping at our feet, his front paws draped over my feet and his back ones over Royce’s.
“Royce here went to his senior prom with a girl in a wheelchair.”
Wait, what?
That was definitely not where I thought Rueben was going with his opening.
My eyes meet his, and he gives me a little shrug. I swear I can see a slight pink in his cheeks that wasn’t there a moment ago. Royce tries to hide it behind his water bottle, but I saw it nonetheless.
“What was her name?” Rueben asks.
“Julie.”
“Julie! That’s right, Julie. She’s the girl who took the line drive to the leg.”
Royce nods. “Yep, at a softball game about two weeks before prom. She was pitching when the batter cracked a line drive straight into her upper leg. I wasn’t there, but they said you could hear the bone snapping from the force.”
My mouth falls open. “Seriously?”
He nods. “Yep. She had surgery the next day to set the bone. She was in a cast all the way up to her hip with her leg extended out straight.”
“Holy cow,” I reply. “And she was your date?”
“Nope, his date was Sydni with an I.”
I crack up laughing at Rueben’s description of her name, mostly because of the correlation with the name I gave him when we were first texting. But also because it’s a little fitting for someone dating Royce.
“Ah, yes, Sydni. With an I,” he says softly, throwing me a wink for good measure. “She was fun.”
I roll my eyes. “Of course she was, Casanova.”
“So, if Sydni was your date, why did you take Julie?” Cricket asks, leaning in to hear the answer.
“His date dumped him before the dance,” Rueben throws out there.
“No, that’s not true. Well, maybe. Technically, I dumped her when I found her fucking Julie’s boyfriend in the back seat of his Camaro. Even after I caught them, they still tried to deny it. I told Syd to find a new date, which apparently, she already had one. Matt didn’t want to take Julie because of her injury, so he cheated on her with Syd.”
“Two douchebags,” Cricket points out.
“That they were. Julie was heartbroken, upset because he cheated, but also felt bad for herself because of her injury. Blamed herself a little for his cheating too.”
“That’s bullshit,” Cricket hollers.
“So he took her,” Rueben chimes in.
I glance over at the man beside me. He’s sweet and caring, despite trying to hide it behind humor and a bad boy smirk. Of course he would take her as his date. He didn’t care whether she was in a wheelchair or not. She was hurting and sad, and he wanted to make her smile. That’s the man I’ve come to know and love.
Yes, love.
But I’ll keep that tidbit of info to myself, considering that’s the exact thing I was trying to avoid. I learned it’s really hard to avoid it when you’re sleeping next to him almost every night or when he’s always sending these sweet little messages or even leaving surprises on my doorstep. How could I not fall in love with the guy, honestly? He’s perfectly imperfect, and that’s perfect for me.
“She didn’t have a date, and neither did I,” Royce says, focusing on the tabletop to avoid our gazes.
“She was way prettier than Sydni anyway,” Rueben adds.
“Totally,” the older brother replies. “Red dress with that slit straight up the side.”
Rueben snorts. “It was because of her cast.”
That ornery gleam sparkles in Royce’s hazel eyes as he replies, “She still let me get to second base.”
We all laugh as he waggles his eyebrows suggestively.
“You’re a principal, is that right?” Cricket asks, sipping her drink.
“I am. Grace Private School over on Hanson Drive.”
“Yes! I’ve heard of it. I work in the tourism department for the Chamber and spend all of my time promoting mostly the sights and businesses affected by tourism, but I’ve been thinking of doing a video series on some of the non-tourism-based businesses, like churches and schools. Maybe even a walk or something, like they do at cemeteries.”
“Cemeteries? What do they do there?” Royce asks.
Cricket explains what a cemetery walk is, how they even have historical figure ones with actors who speak about that person’s life and death. They can happen at one particular graveyard, or even spread out between several. I’ve heard of them, but never actually participated.
“Weird. And people pay money to go stand at someone’s grave to learn about their life?”
“They do,” Cricket says. “The historical society has been doing them for years with great turnouts.”
“How would you do that for churches and schools?” I ask, completely intrigued now.
“Well, churches are easier because there’s a lot of history and architecture in so many throughout town. Schools would be a little trickier to incorporate, but I think we could do it. Let me think about this some more and get back to you,” Cricket says, giving me a decisive head nod.
“Sounds good,” I reply, giving her a little grin.
“By the way, I can’t believe you actually enjoyed ziplining,” Cricket says to me, shaking her head and changing the subject.
“I mean, it wasn’t completely horrible,” I reply, taking another sip of the sweet white wine she served with dinner. This is actually my third glass. For someone who isn’t a big drinker, I should be a little concerned about how I’ll feel in the morning. Yet, all I can think about is how much fun I’m having with Rueben and Cricket, and Royce, of course.
“Not everyone is terrified of heights like you,” Royce teases his soon-to-be sister-in-law.
“I’m not terrified,” she argues, making both men laugh. “What? I’m not.”
“You screamed the entire way down,” Royce says, a broad smile on his handsome face. He looks completely relaxed in his shorts and T-shirt, a pair of flip-flops on his feet. He’s sitting beside me, a bottle of water in one hand and my shoulder in the other. Ever since we finished dinner, there have been little touches. My arm, my neck, and now, my shoulder. Just the faintest graze of his fingers against my skin, but it’s like someone threw a bucket of gasoline on a smoldering fire.
“You did,” Rueben confirms. “I could hear you.” He takes Cricket’s hand and brings it to his lips to try to hide the smile on his face. I can definitely see the resemblance. The brothers both have hazel eyes with dark hair, and their jaw and cheekbones are cut the same, but Rueben is leaner and wears glasses. Hot in that boy next door way, but my eyes only see his brother.
“Anyway,” Cricket says, dragging out the word, “it was a little scary when I went—”
“A little scary?” Royce
asks, interrupting.
“Yes, it was a little scary,” she jumps right back in, giving her future brother-in-law a pointed look. “It all ended up pretty well though, because Rueben asked me to marry him. So I guess if I have to fly down a mountain, fearing I’m going to die, well, it was worth it.” Cricket smiles ear to ear as she leans over and kisses her fiancé.
“Knock it off with that mushy shit,” Royce interjects, drinking the rest of his water bottle. He gets up to throw it in the trash and nods to my glass. “Ready for another?” Jack whines at being woken up from his nap, but curls back up around my legs, licking my calf before closing his eyes once more.
“No, I think I should probably lay off the wine. After this glass, of course,” I say, smiling sweetly over the rim of my glass.
Royce laughs and heads for the house.
“Yeah, sure, I don’t want another drink,” Rueben hollers as the screen door slams shut. Sighing, he stands up and adds, “I better go help him before he takes all my good beer.”
I watch as he follows his brother into the house, mumbling about what a pain in the ass he is. Their banter makes me smile. Rueben and Cricket have been fun and welcoming the entire evening, and I can’t help but feel so at home here with them.
And with Royce.
I’ve already gone and done the one thing I told myself I wouldn’t do, and now, there’s no going back.
I’m in love with him.
Chapter Nineteen
Royce
I’m just shutting the fridge when the entry door opens and shuts. I know it’s my brother, but he doesn’t say anything. Even when I turn around and face him, Rueben just stands there and watches me. Clearly something’s on his mind, so I just wait him out, propping my hip against the counter and staring back.
“Have you told her yet?” he asks, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Told her what?” I ask, popping the lid off my water bottle and taking a hearty drink.
“That you love her.”
The water still in my mouth goes flying across the room. If he were any closer, he’d be wearing it. “The fuck?” I whisper-yell, glancing toward the still-open door. I can hear Cricket and Quinn faintly, Quinn’s laughter carrying through the screen on the door. “What the hell, Rueben?”
My asshole brother just shrugs. “So, that’s a no. Looks like you haven’t even told yourself yet.”
“I’m not…” I sigh. “I’m not in love with her, Rueb. We’re just having fun.”
“Right, because you bring a lot of the women you have fun with home to meet your family,” he states, all cocky-like. Fucker.
“You invited us,” I point out.
“I’ve invited you before too. In fact, I usually invite you and whoever you’re having fun with, but you still only come solo. Why is that?”
“You’re a nosy fucker, you know that?” I retort, looking for a redirect.
“I know. You tell me often. So? Why didn’t you ever bring them around?”
I sigh deeply again. He’s never going to let this go until I just answer the damn question. “Because they’ve always been just that. Fun.”
“And Quinn is…”
Not just fun.
That’s what I almost say but am able to keep the words from flying at the last possible second. Mostly because it’s true. She’s way more than just someone I’m having fun with, even if that’s what I keep telling myself. She’s…amazing. She’s kind and generous and so fucking smart. Not to mention sexy, alluring, and more spontaneous than either of us suspected. Maybe that comes with comfort, like you relax enough with a certain someone that you start to let your guard down. When I first met Quinn just a few weeks ago, spontaneous wasn’t a word I’d use to describe her. Now, it’s one of my favorite ones.
“Quinn is?”
I glance at the floor. “She’ll make someone very happy someday.”
“But not you?”
I’m already shaking my head. “No, not me.”
Rueben sort of lets this frustrated growl fly. “That’s dumb, Royce.”
The shrug I give him feels sad. So does the weight settling on my chest. “That’s how it is. We want different things.”
“Cricket and I wanted different things,” my brother says, reminding me of the time he had to put her on a flight back home to California, even though he wanted her to stay.
“No, you and Cricket wanted the same thing. You just lived in different states.”
“And we were both willing to compromise to make it work.”
“I’m aware, Rueb. I was there for the entire nauseating experience, remember? Listen, I’m not in love with her, okay?”
He gives me a shocked look. “Why not?”
I shrug. “I told myself not to.”
Rueben laughs. He actually laughs at me. “That’s not how this works, Royce.”
“Yeah, well, it’s how it’s going to work here. She wants…things I don’t want.”
“Like?”
“Kids. A marriage.” Saying those words used to cue the heartburn, but now, they feel…good. That’s why I can’t fall in love with her. Good only lasts through the honeymoon phase, and suddenly, you’re left trying to coexist with someone who’s secretly trying to change you into someone you’re not, bitching at you for staying out too late with your buddies and leaving the toilet seat up. I’ve seen it a lot, especially from my military buddies. They go off to war, come back, and everything’s just different.
“You know, if you’d get out of your own head for five seconds, you’d see you’d actually make a really great husband and father someday,” he says, walking to the fridge and grabbing a beer. “It doesn’t have to be right now, and frankly, it doesn’t have to be Quinn, but you at least have to be open to the fact.”
The thought of it not being Quinn causes a pain in my chest I can’t describe. It’s like a thousand knives piercing my soul and leaving me bleeding on the kitchen floor.
The truth is, I’m already falling. My brother knows it, and even though I try to fight it or hide from it, I know it too. That’s why this won’t work between us. We’re supposed to be fun, not serious. No feelings. No heartache.
And that’s exactly where this is going.
“I’m going to head out. I work early tomorrow,” I say, throwing my now-empty bottle into the trash can and walking to the back door.
“It’s okay to be scared, Royce. I get it. But don’t push her away because of it. Let her help you work through that fear. You might actually be surprised and happy with the results.”
I don’t turn back around and look at him, just nod once to let him know I heard him. I push through the door, my heart practically tripping over itself the moment I see Quinn on the deck with Cricket. They’re laughing so easily, so naturally. She’s already roped in my future sister-in-law, carrying on as if they’re long lost friends. Hell, even my dog fucking loves her.
Do I? Do I love her?
Probably.
That’s why I need to end this now, before either of us falls any deeper into the trap of relationship hell. Heartache, pain, and resentment. I’ve seen it happen all too often. Hell, with almost everyone I’ve met. Even with my mom. Dad died, leaving her behind to pick up the pieces and carry on with her life as if she didn’t lose half her soul.
Even if you’re one of the lucky ones to find happiness for a short time, it never lasts.
“Ready to head out?” I ask, suddenly feeling like I’m suffocating.
She turns my way and her smile falters just a bit. It’s as if she can read my body language and probably the apprehension on my face, but if she does, she doesn’t say anything. “Thank you so much for inviting me to dinner,” Quinn says politely to Cricket as she stands.
“I’m so glad you could come. We’ll have to grab lunch one of these days. Maybe an upcoming Sunday,” Cricket says, and I start to feel a little lightheaded.
“I’d like that,” Quinn replies, as she steps up beside me and places her
hand on my forearm. Like the balm her touch is, I feel my heart rate drop and a calmness settle in. I hate I’ve let it come to this, because I know what happens next.
I wave goodbye to my brother and give Cricket a kiss on the cheek, thanking her for dinner. Quinn and I make our way to my truck, Jack hot on our heels. The moment I open the back door, he jumps in and settles on the seat, while Quinn hops in the front. As I move to the driver’s side door, I take a few deep breaths, though it doesn’t seem to help. Not really.
“That was fun.” She practically beams as I start the truck and pull out of my brother’s driveway. We have a short drive back to Gatlinburg, and I’m not looking forward to it. Fortunately, Quinn fills most of the time by chatting eagerly about my brother and his fiancée, all while completely oblivious as to what’s about to happen.
As I approach town, she reaches over and takes my hand. I didn’t even realize it was sitting on the console between us. “Are you okay?” she asks, her fingers dancing along my skin, making it hard to think straight.
“Fine, yeah.”
I can feel her eyes on me, but I don’t glance her way. I keep them trained on the road, for once, grateful for the Friday night traffic in town. She doesn’t say anything else as I drive to her house. We had never discussed later tonight, but it was insinuated. Quinn has a bag on the floorboard behind her seat.
When she realizes we’re heading to her house, she watches me out of the corner of her eye. I know because I’m watching her out of the corner of mine. I pull behind her car in her driveway, but I don’t turn off the engine.
Quinn unbuckles her seat belt and turns to face me. “So I guess we’re staying here tonight?” There’s a glimmer of hope reflecting in those soulful blue eyes.
“Actually, I’m not feeling so great, and I have to work early tomorrow. I thought maybe I’d just head back to my place.” I hold her gaze, trying to act calm and collected, even though my heart is racing out of my chest.