Chapter 34
SYDNEY
“Okay, I think that’s the last of it.”
I look up from the box I’m almost done unpacking and smile at my older brother. “Thank you!”
Hands on his hips, he looks around the bedroom. Lawson’s bedroom. Our bedroom. “Are you sure about all of this?”
My eyebrows furrow. “Don’t tell me that you are suddenly not Team Lawson. He’s your best friend.”
“Exactly. It’s my best friend and my sister. Together. Living together. This isn’t like the sleepovers we had growing up. You won’t be leaving here after you wake up.”
“I mean, I hope I still get to leave the house at some point, Jace.”
He gives me a flat look. “You know what I mean.”
I stand as he flops down on the edge of the bed. Sitting next to him, I twist to the side with a leg bent so that I’m facing him. “Jace, are you not okay with this?”
He looks over at me with soft eyes. “It’s not that. It’s just… it’s you and Lawson. I always knew you two would end up together but now that it’s really happening and I’m literally handing you over to him—”
“You are doing no handing over of anything.”
“I just feel like this is something I always thought would be some day and now it’s, well, it’s today. You aren’t going to be my Sydney anymore. You’re going to be his.”
Turning so I can lay my head on his shoulder, I wrap my arms around one of his and link our fingers together.
“I’ll always be your Sydney. Just like you’ll always be my annoying big brother.
That’s not going to change just because I’m with Lawson.
” Lifting my head, my blue eyes connect with his matching ones.
“Plus, I’ve always kind of been his Sydney too. ”
He sighs and drops his head on top of mine. “Everything’s changing.”
“Everything has already changed. Jace, you’re married and have a family. What, did you think I’d be living at Mum and Dad’s forever?”
“Well, no.”
“I’m only just across the street. So technically it’s not that different. I just have a really hot roommate now.”
“Hey, you had a really hot roommate before.”
I make a face. “Gross.”
“Yeah, I heard it too.”
We both laugh into the quiet room, the sounds of the rest of our friends moving around downstairs filtering through the open doorway.
Turning back so I’m facing him again, I take his hands in mine and smile. “What if we made a deal?”
He lifts an eyebrow. “What kind of deal?”
“One that will probably drive our parents mad.”
“Oh, say no more, I’m in.”
I giggle and squeeze his hands. “How about once a month we have a sleepover back home? We can take over the family room and play video games, watch movies, and beg Mum and Dad to order everything off the takeout menu even though we know we won’t be able to eat it all. Just like we used to.”
“Just you and me?”
I shrug. “Sure, but I think your boys would love to join.”
He nods. “Fine. You, me, the boys, Kinsley, and I guess Lawson can come too. But I get the good controller and the first pick of the movie.”
“Deal.”
“And! And! You and Lawson can’t act all lovey dovey.”
“Only if you and Kinsley do the same.”
“But—”
“Nope. If I don’t get any, neither do you.”
“Gross,” he echoes my words from earlier and I do the same.
“Yeah, I heard it too.”
Slipping his hand from mine, he raises it and holds out his pinky. “Pinky promise?”
I laugh, shaking my head and wrap my pinky around his. “Pinky promise. Once a month. Collins house takeover.”
“Ooo, that’s a cool name.”
“Thanks, I just thought it up all on my lonesome.”
Smiling, he pulls me in for a tight hug. “I really am happy for you, Syd. You and Lawson.”
I wrap my arms around him and squeeze. “Thank you, Jace. He makes me really happy.”
We pull back and he tilts his head. “I know. And you do the same for him. I swear, the only time that man’s face isn’t set in a scowl is if you’re in the room.
I seriously thought that maybe he just didn’t know how to use those muscles in his face?
Like since they rarely get any movement, maybe they just forgot what their job was. ”
I throw my head back on a laugh, startling when a deep voice calls out from the doorway. “I’ve always known how to smile, you prick. You’re just not pretty enough for me to want to do it.”
Jace places a hand over his heart. “You don’t mean that.”
“I do.”
“Lawson, take it back.”
“Never.”
“Tell me I’m pretty, damnit.”
“Nope.”
“Sydney!”
“Jace.”
“Tell your boyfriend to tell me I’m pretty.”
“Not my circus. Not my monkeys.” I stand up and move towards a box. I slice open the tape and pull out the plethora of oversized sleep shirts.
“What the hell is that?” Lawson growls and I look up at him with wide eyes.
“What?”
“Those.” He points to the fabric in my hand.
“My sleep shirts.”
“They’re black.”
“Yeah, they are. Your point?”
“They’re mine.”
Jace groans, standing from the bed. “Dear God man! She’s been stealing your shirts for years to wear to bed. Ever wonder how they would mysteriously disappear whenever you stayed over?”
My cheeks heat and I glance up at my shocked boyfriend. His face slowly breaks out in a grin. “Sydney Collins. You are so obsessed with me.”
I scoff. “Pft. What? No. Maybe. Okay, yeah. A tiny little bit.”
He walks over to me and wraps his arms around my waist, grinning like a handsome—annoying—fool. “You’re obsessed with me. You’ve been obsessed with me.”
I cross my arms and fake a pout. “Can we not make a big deal out of this?”
“You’ve been teasing me for weeks about how I’m obsessed with you. I’m not letting you live this down”—he tilts his head as if he’s thinking—“yeah, ever.” He flashes me a quick smile and swipes his lips over mine.
“Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. She’s obsessed with you. You’re obsessed with her. Blah blah blah. Can we get back to the real issue now?” Lawson looks over at his best friend with furrowed brows and Jace throws his arms out. “Tell me I’m pretty!”
I burst out laughing, burying my face in Lawson’s chest. I hear and feel his heavy sigh. “Fine. You’re very pretty, Jace. I’m sorry if what I said made you think otherwise.”
“Am I prettier than Ryder?”
“What?”
“I’m never going to get you to say I’m the prettiest Collins. Let me have my wins where I can get them.”
“What are you—you know what? Nevermind. Yes, you are prettier than Ryder.”
Jace nods once, tilting his chin up in the air with a smile. “Thank you. Now if you’ll excuse me.” We watch him walk out of the room and bound down the stairs. “Hey, King! Guess what?”
“What?” Ryder calls back and Lawson groans.
“Lawson said I’m prettier than you!”
“What?” An offending roar comes from downstairs before there’s a flurry of voices fighting over if it’s true or not.
Lawson walks over to the door and slams it closed, flipping the lock. I stifle my laugh behind my hand when he leans against the door, eyes closed.
“You had to know that was going to happen.”
He sighs. “I thought he would at least wait until after the pizza was here. Now I’m going to have to sit through dinner with them bickering like old maids and bugging me about who is really the prettiest princess at the party.” His voice turns mocking at the end and I let my laugh burst free.
I set my—his—T-shirts down and walk over to him, laying my hands on his chest. Tilting my head, I hum.
“Jace has always had the golden retriever vibe about him that’s somehow always drawn the girls in.
Kinsley says he’s the epitome of ‘the boy next door’ meets runway model.
But Ryder? He’s got that whole, healing hero thing going on.
And that scar through his eyebrow? Woof. ”
Lawson growls and pulls me roughly against him. “Why are you barking over King?”
“Jealous are we?”
“No.”
“Oh, you so are.”
“I am not.”
I giggle, slipping my hands up his chest until they frame his face. “You know I only have eyes for you, handsome.”
“I know,” he mumbles. “But you’re kind of right. That scar really has brought on a whole new level to Ryder.”
“Right?” I cry and we both laugh.
His face softens and a goofy smirk takes over his lips. Reaching up, he tucks a piece of my hair and runs his thumb over my jaw. “I love you.”
I hum, turning my head and kissing his palm. “I love you. Thank you for saving me.”
He shakes his head and his other hand comes up until he’s cradling my face. “It’s you who saved me, sunshine.”
He seals his mouth over mine and I melt into him.
There’s more banging followed by a series of barks from the other side of the door and Lawson reluctantly pulls away. “We should probably go make sure our house is still standing.”
“Oh, I like the sound of that.”
“Of what?”
“Our house.”
He chuckles low and rubs his nose against mine. “Well as far as I’m concerned, what’s mine is yours.”
My eyes widen. “Lawson Moore, are you proposing right now?”
He jerks back. “What? No. I didn’t mean—”
I burst out laughing, my head thrown back. “Oh my god, you should see the look on your face right now.”
He growls and I squeak when he pulls me impossibly closer. “Well what if I was proposing and you just ruined the surprise?”
I choke on my next breath and look at him with shock. “What?”
The corner of his mouth tips up and he leans in, stealing a kiss and speaking against my lips. “Now you should see the look on your face.”
I pout and playfully push against his chest. “Not funny.”
He full on smiles now and I melt under it. God I love his smile. I love him.
“Don’t worry, sunshine. I may not be proposing today, but I will some day.”
“Soon?”
He shrugs. “That’s for me to know and for you to—”
My jaw drops. “Seriously?”
He smirks, quickly pressing his lips against mine before he moves to the bed. He picks up the folded shirts I discarded there and sets them in the open drawer of the dresser.
I watch him move around the room like he didn’t just dangle the most delicious carrot in front of my face. Throwing my arms out, I step in front of him when he moves to collapse one of the empty boxes.
“You’re really going to leave me in suspense?”
“Yep.”
“But why?”
“Because you aren’t supposed to know when I’m going to propose. I think I’m already breaking a few rules by telling you that I am going to do it in the first place.”
“But—”
He silences me with a kiss and pulls his vibrating phone out. I glance at the screen, my nose scrunching when I see his father’s name flashing there. Lawson hits decline and shoves it back into his pocket.
I bite my lip and slide my arms around his shoulders, playing with the hair at the back of his head. “You okay?”
He sighs. “I don’t know why I just don’t block his number.”
“Have you talked to him since the event?”
He shakes his head. “I’m not ready.”
I nod and slide my hands up and down his arms. “And that’s okay.”
“What if I’m never ready?”
I shrug. “Then that’s okay too. You don’t have to talk to him if you don’t want to.”
“I think one day I’ll be able to. At least to settle things so I can finally put all of that behind me and move on.”
“Well, whatever you need or want to do, I’ll be here for you.”
His lips twitch and he leans down, kissing me softly. “Thank you, sunshine. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I’m one lucky bastard to be able to call you mine.”
I hum and wrap my arms around him. “I’m the lucky one. I finally got my knight in shining armor. Even if his uniform is a little scuffed up.”
He chuckles, shaking his head. “I love you.”
It may not have been the smoothest of roads that led us to this moment. But we did it. Together. We defied all the odds, beat those down who were trying to keep us apart, and showed the world that what’s right will always find its way to you in the end.
Sometimes it can even be right in front of you all this time.