Chapter 3 #2
Outside, the crisp morning air fills my lungs as I plug in my earbuds, scrolling to my running playlist. As the music kicks in, I jog up the familiar winding road.
My parents’ house sits on the outer edge of town, with mountain views on one side and Big Ridge proper on the other.
I follow the road that leads away from town, letting my muscle memory guide me.
My feet know these curves, these hills. My body remembers this place even if my mind has tried to forget.
I’m so caught up in the music and the familiar-yet-strange surroundings that I don’t hear the truck until it’s practically on top of me.
Dust billows around me as a massive black pickup races by, cuts in front of me, and skids to a halt feet away.
My heart slams against my ribs as I rip out my earbuds.
“Watch it, asshole!” The words burst out of me, a very old Callie type of response. Two tall figures get out of the truck and my jaw almost unhinges.
The twins—Brax and Jax Williams—are one year younger than Knox and me.
They round the vehicle and stop a few feet away.
Time has only emphasized what genetics blessed that family with.
Both stand at six feet, all lean muscle and sharp angles, their brown hair styled in that deliberately messy way that probably takes more effort than they’d ever admit.
But it’s their eyes that catch me. Jax’s are dark blue, like the ocean, and Brax’s are light blue, almost the same shade as his older brothers.
Everyone says they got the color from their mom who ran out on their dad when the boys were little.
No one really talks about her and there are no pictures of her, but if she looks anything like their Aunt Lulu—her sister—she must be beautiful.
She had to be because these men are drop dead gorgeous.
Their gazes are locked on me now, with an intensity that makes my skin prickle with awareness.
The last time I saw them, we were much closer and missing all of our clothes.
“Did you think you could come back and not say hi?” Brax asks, crossing his arms over his chest. He has a tiny scar above his right eyebrow from when we were twelve and he tried to prove he could climb higher than me in the old oak behind the school.
“You look good, Callie,” Jax adds, his voice a touch deeper than his brother’s. His eyes roam over my toned legs.
My stomach flips. I straighten my shoulders, suddenly conscious of my sweaty tank top and running shorts. “Were you two trying to kill me?”
A ghost of a smile plays on Brax’s lips. “Still dramatic, I see.”
“Says the guy who once staged a funeral for a spider I killed.”
“That was Bella! She was going to be my pet,” Brax protests, but I catch the twitch of his mouth fighting a grin. That spider deserved to die and he knows it.
For a fleeting moment, it’s as though nothing has changed. Like we could slip back into the easy banter and unspoken understanding we used to share. But then I remember everything that happened my senior year, and I feel my walls slide back into place.
“What are you guys doing out here?” I ask, taking a step back.
The twins exchange one of those looks that always used to drive me crazy. A silent conversation I’m not privy to.
“Heard you’re back for good,” Jax says, ignoring my question. He searches my face. “Is that true?”
I exhale. Fucking gossip. “Can’t a girl come home without everyone in the world knowing about it?”
“It’s Big Ridge,” they say in unison, then glance at each other with matching smirks.
The three of us stand in awkward silence for a touch too long. I’m acutely aware of how they’ve both filled out. They were always strong, but now they’re solid. There’s a ruggedness to them too, a confidence that’s magnetic. And dangerous if the tremble in my heart is any indication.
“Well, I should finish my run,” I say finally, fiddling with my earbuds. It’s not the same as before. It’s been years. I’m different. Besides, I can’t afford the type of trouble they’re offering.
Brax takes a half-step forward. “Cal—” When I back up, he pauses and clears his throat. “It’s good to have you back.”
“Is it?” The question slips out before I can stop it.
Another loaded glance between them. Jax rubs the back of his neck. “Big Ridge hasn’t been the same without you.”
Something warm and unexpected blooms in my chest. I quickly stomp it out. That’s what got me in deep shit last time.
“Well, it was nice seeing you.” I dismiss them with a wave before I embarrass myself.
They hesitate, then nod, climbing back into the truck. But before Brax closes his door, he calls out, “Do you want to get a drink sometime?”
“Maybe.” There’s no way in hell.
He squints in challenge, as if he can hear my real answer. “See you around, Callie.”
Why does that almost sound like a threat?
I watch them drive away, dust settling in their wake. As the truck disappears around the bend, I realize I’m clutching my earbuds so hard my knuckles are white.
So much for avoiding them. Even with tourist season in swing, the main part of town is home to only seven thousand people. Running into them was inevitable. But seeing them again, feeling that old pull? That’s going to be a problem if I don’t get a hold of myself.
I slip my earbuds back in and crank the volume, trying to drown out the thoughts of blue eyes and matching grins that have no business making my pulse race after all this time.
Ten minutes later, as I round the curve back toward the house, I’ve come to a decision. Big Ridge may be small, but I’m going to find a way to exist here without the Williams brothers consuming my thoughts.
The only trouble is, even as I think it, I know it’s a lie.