17. Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Seventeen
Willow
When I got in the truck to come with Gunnar, I didn’t think about having to actually go inside a hospital. I guess I probably should have given more thought to that, but Gunnar looked so upset I didn’t want him driving alone. Even if he was being a jerk.
On top of knowing that I would just sit at home and obsess over the argument. But now I’m worried about having to go into the hospital, especially with his Dad’s condition being unknown.
I’m not ready for that. Not yet.
I pull out my phone to see one of those alerts I set for my name letting me know a tabloid article was published today with Jake’s face as the cover photo. I don’t have it in me for this right now.
After turning off my phone, I toss it to the bottom of my bag. I don’t need the negativity from that article while trying to navigate my feelings about going in a hospital again for the first time. Even if it’s to support Gunnar, I don’t know if I can.
I crawl into the backseat of the truck and prop our bags up on one end so I can use that as a pillow. I pull my book, notebook and pen out of my bag and settle in. Who knows how long I’ll be here, and I’m too afraid to drive his truck anywhere. This thing is huge, I’d definitely take out a mailbox or two.
I’m so entranced in the book I’m reading, a thriller that has me about to jump out of my skin, I miss the footsteps coming up to the truck. Clearly I’d be the first one to get murdered in the thriller.
When the door opens I jump about ten feet in the air, hitting my head on the door.
Just as I’m settling back down, and attempting to get my heart rate down, a woman sits in the driver’s seat and starts to rummage around in the center console, probably looking for keys.
This book has me on edge, but I did spend quite a few years in Nashville as a single woman living alone, plus this woman is probably the same size as me. I bet I could take her. I start to slowly sit up.
The movement must catch the woman’s eye and she turns around to face me, her hands are up and ready to, what, karate chop me?
I let out a little giggle as she lifts her face to me. It’s a face I recognize from the pictures on Gunnar’s wall. His sister, Emma.
“I’d think if you were going to steal a car you’d have better fighting skills,” I say, trying to hide the laughter.
“This is my brother’s truck, I’m not stealing!” she says defensively. “Besides, who the fuck are you and why are you in here? ”
I smirk. “Ah, I see your brother hasn’t told anyone he kidnapped me and left me locked in the truck. Interesting.”
“Kidnapped? No way G would do that,” she chokes out. “I’m calling him now.” She begins typing furiously on her phone, I assume a text to Gunnar to let him know there is a crazy woman in his truck claiming to be kidnapped.
“He’s on his way. Stay here, don’t move!” She holds her hands up like she’s going to stop me from exiting the back doors that she is nowhere near.
“Ah, a family of kidnappers, I see,” I joke, except she doesn’t know it.
“I am not! Neither is G,” she insists. “Just… just be quiet.”
Gunnar appears at the driver’s window and knocks to have Emma roll it down.
He looks straight to me. “I didn’t kidnap you, darling. You came on your own. Even packed your own bag. I think you pretty much insisted on coming so you could yell at me sooner rather than later.”
“I’d say holding that conversation over me could possibly be considered manipulation and kidnapping.” I grin back at him, glad that the earlier tension seems to be gone, and we can joke with each other again.
Gunnar scoffs, and points to me. “Emma, this is Willow, my-” he pauses as if he doesn’t know how to introduce me after my earlier tantrum. “My roommate. Willow, this is my sister, Emma. ”
Emma slaps her hand to her mouth as if she is shocked by this revelation of my identity.
“Oh my god! G! This is the roommate making your life hell? I was imagining a different kind of hell.” She winks at me.
“Trust me it’s a true living nightmare.” He groans.
“Aww, G, I didn’t know you were talking about me so much.” I tilt my head to the side and give an innocent smile.
“Ooooh, he talks about you alright.” She smirks back at him.
“Stop. I do not,” he turns to me and points. “And you do not call me G.”
I lean forward and whisper to Emma, “Is he always this touchy?”
“Since we were kids,” she whispers back. We both break out into a fit of giggles and Gunnar sighs, exasperated with me and my new bestie.
“What the fuck have I done letting you two meet?” He runs his hand through his hair, and I can’t help but stare. Especially when his shirt lifts a little and I can see that magical v in his muscles.
“Ew. Gross. Don’t ogle my brother in front of me!” Emma admonishes me.
“Sorry.” I smile. “Not sorry though.” I look back at Gunnar and bite my bottom lip. Emma makes a fake gagging noise next to me.
I think I’m going to like her.
“Okay, since you’ve now met Emma, you have two choices. You can either come in and meet everyone else, or you can stay here and they’ll just bombard you for the next hour one by one in my truck.” He opens the back door and pulls me to him so my legs are on either side of his thighs.
He leans down to whisper in my ear, “He’s out of surgery and going to make a full recovery, just a broken hip.”
I chew on my bottom lip for a different reason this time. I’m not sure I can do this. I stare up at him.
“Just try, I’m here if you need to leave. Please?” He whispers closer to my ear, grazing the side of my neck with his fingers, probably noticing the worry shining in my eyes.
“Ugh. Gross. Seriously, I came out here for peace and quiet, can you two please leave?” Emma yells at us.
“Um, last I checked you’re in my truck?” Gunnar snaps.
Emma rolls up the window, mocking him.
He leans back into me, whispering, “My Dad is going to be okay. He’s out of surgery, and awake.”
I suck in a deep breath. “Will you walk me out if it’s too much?”
“Whatever you need, I’ll do. You can trust me to take care of you.” He kisses my forehead.
I hop out of the truck to go inside with Gunnar.
He won’t judge you, Willow. You can do this. For him.
I stick my hand out to him, palm up, and he laces his fingers with mine as we walk toward the front door, and leave Emma to get some peace and quiet on her own.
“Don’t make me regret this.” I squeeze his hand. He nods quietly understanding the gravity of me entering a hospital again.
I follow him through the labyrinth of white walls, the smell of antiseptic following behind us.
The panic rises in my throat as we approach the room. Gunnar stops just outside the view of the door and pulls me in for a hug, squeezing me tightly. I return the gesture, oddly feeling at comfort with his arms around me. He lets go and holds out his hand, giving me the option to turn and leave before walking into his family. I shake my head and he stuffs his hands into his pockets.
I stand frozen in my spot. Warring with myself to make a final decision.
I take a deep breath and will myself forward to walk through the door after Gunnar.
As soon as I do, all eyes are on me.
“Everyone, this is Willow, my- uh- well-”
“His roommate,” I finish for him, taking his lead from earlier.
“Right. My roommate. Willow, this is my Mom, Anna, my Dad, Nathan, Hunter, Liam, Wyatt, and Cooper.” He points to each person as he introduces them, but I know most of them from his stories and photos.
I hear his Mom mutter under her breath as she turns to face his Dad, “Please God, let her be more than that. ”
She turns back to me, stepping forward to shake my hand, but pulls me in for a hug instead. She smells just like my mom, always with a hint of vanilla and cinnamon following her. Like she spends her whole day baking cakes.
Emma walks through the door. “Oh I see you’ve all met G’s girlfriend.” She throws a sly smile over her shoulder to Gunnar.
“For the love of Pete, Emma. Stop giving your brother a hard time. I just had surgery. I shouldn’t be yelling at all of you like children,” Nathan admonishes Emma who sheepishly falls back behind her brothers.
Gunnar told me that she’s the youngest of the six kids, she’s going to be a junior in college this year.
Next to her brothers she looks every bit the baby sister she is. I’d imagine her brothers have all looked well over their ages for quite some time. All five boys stand at least at six foot two, if not taller. All broad shouldered, all have the same dimple as their Dad.
“Emma, why don’t you take Willow to get set up at the Inn? I want the guys and I to go grab a drink and have a chat,” Liam says, a little like he’s pissed off at this whole situation. The guys all exchange a look around him.
Gunnar speaks first. “Here’s my keys, Willow drives, no pit stops.” He stares directly at Emma. I feel like she and I are one in the same as the babies of the family. Always being overprotected .
“Yes, sir.” Emma salutes the room before marching out. I let out a little giggle but quickly cover it as Liam glares at me.
“It was a pleasure meeting all of you. Hopefully, I’ll get to know you more over the next few days.” I give a small wave and head out behind Emma. Gunnar places his hand on the small of my back and leads me out down the hall.
“Willow will meet you at the truck in a minute,” he tells Emma.
She continues on toward the lobby, singing Gunnar and Willow sitting in a tree… the whole time. She garners more than a few looks on her way out.
I look at Gunnar who has his eyes closed, taking in a deep breath.
“You know, she’s a lot like me,” I say.
“I know. That’s why I’m worried about this adventure I feel like you two are about to go on.” He tries to be serious but a slight smile ghosts his lips.
In all the stories he’s told about his family, his face lights up the most when he talks about her. He has the most love for his sister out of all of his siblings.
I can’t imagine growing up with five overbearing brothers.
He places a quick kiss on my forehead. “Straight home,” a kiss to my cheek, “no pit stops,” a kiss to the other cheek, “no adventures,” and finally a kiss to my lips. It ends much too quickly, and I’m already leaning into his muscular chest .
Gunnar sets me up straight and laughs as he walks away. “I mean it, darling, no adventures.”
When I get to the truck Emma is in the driver’s seat. She grins when she meets my gaze. I shake my head and she opens the door to hop out. “I just wanted to see how far you were up my brother’s ass.”
“What? I’m not!” I defend myself to her. I’m not up his ass. I pout at the thought.
“Right.” She laughs and gets in on the passenger side, tossing me the keys over the center console.
“Just give me directions, feisty one.” I furrow my brow together.
She does the same in response to the nickname I’ve just given her.
“Fine.” She sits with her phone in her hands, and plugs the address in.
After a few moments driving, she says, “I follow you on social media. I’d heard of you before Gunnar let you move in.”
“Well, don’t believe everything you see,” I quip.
“I don’t. Some of those people are nasty,” she says with an apologetic smile.
“They aren’t always that bad.” News of what happened has started to leak to some smaller local tabloids. Now, I’m sure the speculation and rumors are growing at an alarming rate. But I'm out of money to fight Jake about the NDA.
“I hope you don’t let it get to you, you’re amazingly talented. I’d love to have the talent like you do. ”
I put the truck in park in the driveway and place my hand on hers.
“Thank you, but I’m sure you have a talent all your own. I could teach you a few things while we wait?” I offer.
“Let’s get you settled first before I have to listen to Liam.” She rolls her eyes and hops out of the truck.
Yup, I definitely like her. I think we’re going to be the best of friends. I smile to myself as I pull our bags out of the backseat.
I follow Emma up the front porch of the old inn. Its peeling white paint, and black shutters give it a run down vibe that I’m sure is attributing to the lack of cars in the parking lot. The wrap-around porch looks like it used to be beautiful once upon a time, but now the wood is a little wobbly and sticking up in places. Rocking chairs line the porch, overlooking the fields on one side, and the cliffs toward the beach on the other.
A song about summer memories is running through my mind as we walk around.
“Wow, this place is amazing,” I whisper.
“It used to be the best summer spot. But, the older Pops gets, the more rundown it gets. Liam stayed here to help him run it. Everyone else kind of did their own thing away for awhile and Pops couldn’t keep up with the repairs. They had us all late in life, so he’s older than most fathers. And when the people stopped coming, so did the money. I try to give him marketing and aesthetic ideas, but now he and Liam just hole up in the office and ignore me.” She shrugs and walks in the front door.
The interior is every bit a quintessential New England beach cottage with hints of it being an old Victorian farmhouse. The grand staircase with intricate details on the rails calls to me. I can see filming a sad ballad on those stairs. The ideas are flowing through me and I have to pull out my phone to write down some of them before I forget.
This house is a muse. I might tell Gunnar that to get under his skin.
“This house could use some love too,” Emma says.
I’m not sure if she’s talking to me, or herself though so I stay quiet.
She walks over to the desk at the base of the stairs, off to the side. She grabs a key and motions for me to follow her up the stairs. “So there’s only one room available. We do still have a few guests coming today, and a lot of rooms are out of order due to repairs needing to be done. I’d ask, but I’m willing to guess you’re good sharing a room with my brother?”
Oh, that sneak.
“Are there two beds?”
She laughs in response to my question, opening the door to room number six.
“Don’t worry, Liam stays in one of the cottages closer to the beach, and Mom and Pops have their own house on the back of the property where I stay with them, so unless you’re real loud, no one but the knitting club down the hall will hear ya.” She laughs harder at herself, handing me the key and walking away.
I throw the bags on the bed, and I’m surprised to see that this room has a small balcony facing the beach. I bet this room was always the most popular, if it were in better shape it probably still would be. I’d be willing to bet this one was in the running for out of order next .
I step out onto the balcony with my notebook and pen, and sink into the lounge chair that creaks with my weight. I startle, looking at the sides making sure I’m not about to fall through.
When I’m satisfied that I’m safe on the chair, I open my notebook to the song I was writing earlier, and start writing again, the sound of the waves crashing into the rocks as a soundtrack to my writing.