Chapter Forty-Three
MARINA
PRESENT
“It’s kind of like a rite of passage at this point.”
“Oh, so I’ll officially be accepted into the friend group after herding a mob of goats through a few gates, is that what you’re saying?” Miles asks as his car rumbles down the driveway that leads to Heath’s estate.
“If Heath lends you a pair of his Wranglers, you’ll know you’re in.”
“Fuck, I better hope I walk away with a pair of another dudes sweaty jeans then.”
I let out a cackle of a laugh. “It’s a bonding experience, what can I say?”
He just shakes his head, grinning as he puts the car in park and we both jump out.
I had forgotten just how much I love Miles’s smile, but now that I’ve got it back, I don’t know how I could ever give it up again.
We haven’t talked about the fact that in no more than fourteen days, he’s going to be cleared for work again, meaning that theoretically, he’ll be flying away from me in two weeks .
I ignored it completely as we went shopping for the new house yesterday, as he let me pick out appliances to fill the kitchen, and handed over his card at the counter.
I ignored it when the mattress got delivered this morning and we christened it. Twice.
I’ve been putting off thinking about it for as long as I can, and I think Miles is too, but that doesn’t make the date come any slower.
Miles grunts as he pulls on the gigantic front doors of Heath’s house—I wouldn’t even call it that, he doesn’t sleep in this building, he stays in what looks like nothing more than a shed out by the barn.
He likes to be in nature, he says, not in a house that echoes his every footstep. I can’t blame him; in a house this big, it would feel lonely being by yourself.
Miles makes a noise as if he’s impressed as we walk through the big archway that leads to the living room and kitchen.
“Wait till you see the pool,” I say, leading him through the space until we reach the bifold doors that lead out to the patio and gigantic pool.
“Herding goats is not how I thought I’d spend my Saturday, but I’m not complaining,” he says. “Not with this view.” He holds his hand up to shade his eyes as he takes in the rolling hills of green that serve as a backdrop for Heath’s villa.
“Howdy, team,” May says from her spot at the edge of the pool. She’s wearing a sheer white cover-up and has her feet dangling in the water. Meanwhile, Isla pops up from under the water, clearing it from her eyes before giving us a, “Oh, hey guys. The guys are out in the barn, Miles.”
“Okay, thanks.” He turns to say something to me, but I’m already stripping off my T-shirt.
His eyes lock on my chest and the little leopard print bikini top that barely covers my nipples. “Are you trying to make me question my life decisions right now?” he says, his voice low enough that only I can hear .
“Is it working?”
“Fuck yes it’s working, Marina,” he groans. “Are you sure you didn’t leave something in the truck?”
“Everyone would know exactly what is going on,” I say.
He’s so close to me that I can feel his breath on the apple of my cheeks. “You didn’t seem to care when you were screaming the entire neighborhood down this morning.”
My mouth drops open. “Go and herd some goats already.”
He shakes his head before gripping my waist and dragging me towards him, capturing my lips in a kiss that promises trouble later. One that has me panting when he finally pulls away. “I love you.”
I’m frozen as he turns and walks towards the barn, my knees feeling like they might give out any moment.
I have never heard those words leave his mouth, and yet he just said it like it was so obvious. Like we’ve said it so many times before. In my head, I have, but never out loud. Not back then, and not now.
I blink away those thoughts, finally turning to see my friends staring at me with wide eyes and open mouths. I feel a blush heating my cheeks. For a minute, I forgot they were there. It’s like as soon as Miles steps into my space, nothing else exists.
“Tell me he’s fucked the shit out of you, because people don’t kiss each other like that unless there has been some amazing sex go down.”
“Ew, okay.” Isla puts her hands over her ears. “Go, tell her.”
“Let’s just say I’m officially joining the earth-shattering orgasm club.” A grin splits across her face, and I feel like a giddy teenager.
“Oh hell yes!” May says, clapping her hands. “You’ve been needing that.”
My face pulls into a frown. “I don’t know how I'm supposed to take that.”
“Can I listen now?” Isla asks, and I just laugh and nod at her before finding my spot at the edge of the pool. “Does this mean he showed you the house?”
“What house?” May asks.
My brows pull together. “Wait, you knew?”
Isla just smiles. “I helped him pick it.” My heart jumps in my chest. She knew he was buying a house with me in mind. “Well, I didn’t have to help much when he got to that place. His mind was made up.”
“Okay, someone please fill me in,” May kicks her feet in the water to get our attention, her wide eyes stuck on me, waiting for me to explain.
“Miles kind of bought us a house.”
“He what ?!” She leans forward, her mouth wide open.
“We actually went and bought pretty much all the furniture for it yesterday. It’s perfect, May,” I sigh, and Isla just looks at me like she knows everything I’m about to say.
“It’s the kind of thing I’ve always dreamed about.
It’s got huge windows and the most amazing kitchen!
And the backyard of my dreams, I just—it all feels too good to be true. ”
“It’s taken a lot of hard work to get to this point,” Isla says. “It’s not like it’s necessarily been smooth sailing for the two of you.”
“Yeah,” I shrug my shoulders, “I don’t know.” I put my hands over my eyes so I don’t have to look at them while I say this. “There’s a part of me that wonders if I’m going to spend so much of my time in that house alone.”
“Aw, babe.” I hear the sound of water moving, and when I move my hands, I see Isla standing in the water right in front of me, and May appears by my side.
“Have you guys talked about his plan?” Isla asks. I just shake my head.
“Do we really think he would’ve bought a house here in Ruby Cove if he wasn’t planning on staying?” May adds.
That’s the problem. I don’t know .
“Do you know anything?” I ask Isla, it might be crossing a line, but I have to ask.
She gives a small shake of her head. “All I know is that the only thing he could talk about the last time I saw him was you.”
“I don’t know.” I groan as I lie back, closing my eyes against the setting sun. “You guys know him better than I do?—”
“No, we don’t,” they both echo.
I sit back up, confused. “Of course you do. Isla, he’s your brother.”
“My brother that I didn’t see for years, and whenever I did, it wasn’t for long. I haven’t known my brother—-like really known him since he was eighteen.”
I just tug my bottom lip between my teeth, unsure where to go from here.
“There’s one thing I do know. This unending drive towards his career, that need to keep on going until he reaches the top?
That’s not who my brother is, not at his core.
That’s him falling under the weight of intense pressure.
I think in a way, you lift that pressure away, Marina.
He seems light around you, like there’s nothing holding him down.
” She shrugs before floating back in the water. “That’s all I want for him.”
I tip my head, trying not to tear up as I look at one of my best friends telling me she wants me to be with her brother. Part of me was worried it could change our friendship, but it hasn’t changed a thing. I
“I know it’s something we need to talk about,” I say. “But I can’t help but want to stay in the now, cherish the ignorant bliss for as long as I can.”
May grabs my hand where it sits between us. “Whatever you want to do, we’ll support you. We just want to see you happy.”
Isla nods in agreement from her spot in the pool, and once again, I’m holding back my tears.
“You know, I always thought that I would never be close with girls. I had one girlfriend in Sorrento, but other than that, I just haven’t connected with many women in my life, not until you two.
” I sniffle back my tears. “I hope you know how grateful I am for you.”A tear runs down my cheek and I swipe it away.
“Marina!” Isla swims up to me, resting a hand on my knee.
“We love you too,” May says and I let out a watery laugh.
I wave my hands in front of my face, trying to dry the tears welling in my eyes.
“Sorry, I’m hormonal,” I laugh. Both of them freeze, eyes wide as they look at me.
“Oh my god, I’m not pregnant. I just started on birth control.
” And it’s apparently affecting me already. I’m trying not to freak out about it.
“Oh, thank god,” May says, “because two of us being pregnant at the same time would be a nightmare.”
My head whips to her, and the smirk on her face is uncanny. Isla screams, pulling herself out of the pool to wrap May in a hug. “Are you fucking serious?”
She falls backward and May laughs as she goes with her. “Well, I took about six pregnancy tests and they all came back positive, so I’m pretty serious.” Isla does this thing in between squealing, laughing, and crying, and it makes me laugh myself.
“Get over here, D’Angelo,” May pulls on my arm, dragging me to lie on the hot concrete with them. I laugh as I wrap my arm around her.
“How do you feel?” I ask.
“Like shit,” she laughs. “Morning sickness is no joke.”
A tiny part of me stings with envy. Five years ago, I thought I’d be in her shoes by now, throwing up at any given moment and ingesting as much ginger as possible. But the biggest part of me is so fucking happy for my friend.
“Oh my god, Rafael is going to be such a protective dad.” I laugh.
Isla sits up. “He is going to be like ten times more insufferable than he is now.”
“He’s already adjusting my pillows at night, and cooking me whatever it is I’m craving that day.”
“That’s why you were so obsessed with the juice!” I say, and May just nods, laughing as both of us sit back up .
“We should take a photo of the baby on your motorbike, Marina, see if he has a heart attack,” May laughs.
“I don’t really feel like dying at Rafael’s hand. His grumpy face is not the last thing I want to see before I go.”
“No, you’d rather see Miles and his sexy stache before you go.” May giggles.
“Ew, do not call it a sexy stache!” Isla throws her hands over her face, shaking her head.
That sends the three of us into a fit of laughter, rolling around on the concrete. And it’s in this moment that I realize I’m exactly where I need to be. I couldn’t imagine my life any other way right now. Plans be damned, they never work out anyway.
I have two girls I’d give anything for, a community that holds me tight from any angle, and the man I love back in my bed, even if it’s just for a little while.