Chapter 27
My fists clenched at my sides, and I had tunnel vision as I made my way over to the corner of the bar. First, Logan had the audacity to have my brother’s name in his mouth, and now, he was cornering him in the bar? What the fuck was this guy’s deal? I was not going to cause a scene. No way I’d hit the guy unless he gave me a reason to, no matter how badly I wanted to.
He was getting dangerously close to giving me that reason though.
Each time he spoke to Paige, it had me fired up, but I wasn’t going to stoop down to his level and take the bait. Myles could fight his own battles, but I didn’t want it to come to that.
My hand reached out, grabbing Logan’s attention. “What’s going on over here, man?” I tried to approach the situation as mellow as I could. Logan turned around, giving me a scowl like he was sick of seeing me. Little did he know, I was sick of seeing him just as much, if not more.
“This has nothing to do with you. Stop trying to be everyone’s bodyguard and get lost.” He had the fucking nerve. Did he not realize it was my girl and my brother he was bothering? I’d be a fucking bodyguard if I wanted to.
“Don’t fucking test me. You’re lurking around a lot more than I’d like you to lately and causing nothing but trouble,” I snapped. The guy was already bipolar, but mixing alcohol with that? He could be completely unhinged.
“Hey, Declan, it’s not a big deal. We were just having a conversation.” My brother tried to bring down the tension.
“What the fuck could you even be talking to this guy about? You don’t even know him,” I reared back, surprised Myles acted like this interaction was no big deal. He pulled me aside so we could have a more private chat, leaving Logan to his own devices.
“What the fuck is going on?” I continued. “When I brought him up to you at Mom and Dad’s, you acted like you didn’t know who he was. Just some town drunk, not some guy you knew and had conversations with at the bar.” That’s exactly what he called him, if I recall correctly. What the fuck was he trying to play off here?
“We may have hit up a few parties together. It’s not a big deal. We know some of the same people,” he said casually.
No big deal?
“Then why wouldn’t you have led with that when I asked you if you knew who he was? You’re being sketchy as hell right now, Myles, and I need to know what the fuck is going on.” My blood was beginning to boil and I could feel the anger seeping to the surface. Wouldn’t be surprised at all if my face was beet red. Why did this feel like it had to do with Paige? She was the common denominator here and I didn’t like it. Not one single bit.
“It’s not like we are friends, dude. Chill out. I gave him a ride home from a party one night. It’s not like we just kick back and chill with each other all the time. Fucking relax.”
“You’re saying you were at a party, and you drove him home? When the fuck do you ever go to a party and stay sober?” I questioned.
“I didn’t say I was sober… I just had less to drink than he did. It was his car anyways and when I got him home, I just crashed at his place.” Myles had a lot of growing up to do. He thought he was doing the right thing by driving Logan home because he was less drunk? I was so fucking done with this conversation.
“Do you even hear yourself right now? It’s one lie after another, and you’re still doing stupid shit. Mom and Dad may be oblivious to all the shit you’ve been doing lately, but I’m not. I’m done, dude. I’m not going to drive you around and be your personal chauffeur so you can get fucked up after work and at the bar every weekend.” I shook my head in frustration and began to walk away.
“You aren’t Dad, so stop acting like it. I can handle my own shit; I never asked you for help anyway,” he called out.
I turned back, looking him straight in the eyes. “Why don’t you ask Logan for a ride home tonight? Maybe he is less drunk. I’m out of here.” I turned around, waving him off as I walked away. It may have been petty, but I was infuriated. He had to learn for himself. I was done enabling him.
I found Paige behind the bar with a perky smile on her face—her demeanor completely different than mine. Obviously, she was having a blast with Sophie tending bar, so I waited for a minute until she wasn’t as busy.
She spotted me over to the side, reading the expression that masked my face.
“Hey, you okay?” she asked, prancing over to me, her bubbly personality beginning to shrink. I wasn’t going to bother her with all of the details before I could fully grasp what was going on.
“Nah, it’s not a big deal. I’m just getting tired. I just wanted to say bye before I head out.” She slipped under the bar, letting Sophie know she would be right back.
“Come here. Talk to me.” She pulled my hand toward the back, where not many people were crowded nearby. “Does this have anything to do with the conversation I saw you having with Myles and Logan?” she persisted.
“Everything is good. Just got in a little argument with my brother and don’t really want to hang around him. If I keep drinking until the bar closes, I’ll just get angry and do something stupid.”
Her hand found my cheek, her thumb rubbing in small circles. Instantly, I felt a sense of calm wash over me from her touch. I didn’t know when it would be the right time to talk more about my anger, but it wasn’t now. Not when Logan was here and while she was working. And most definitely not when I was actually angry. I needed to be level-headed to have that conversation.
“You sure everything’s okay? I can have someone throw them out for the night,” she teased, trying to make me feel a little lighter.
“No need to work harder than you already are, baby. Just finish up and meet me at home. Just a stupid brotherly argument,” I lied. “We will be over it and good to go by tomorrow.”
Home.
That was the first time I asked her to come home. Not to my house. Not my bed.
I had to admit, it did feel more like home when she was there. I built the house intending to fill it with people I loved, and I knew we were headed in that direction. She belonged on Cherry Creek with me. Since I’ve had her around, the nights she wasn’t there, it felt cold and empty. I was already counting down the minutes until she was done working and joining me in bed.
She dropped the concerns she had for now, but I knew she would bring them up again later on. Hopefully by then, I had some answers as to why Myles and Logan apparently knew each other better than I realized.
I got home from the bar last night and passed out pretty quickly. Normally, I was a hard sleeper, but not tonight when I felt Paige slide in next to me. Her cold body in search for something to warm her up. She belonged here, in our bed, whether she knew it yet or not.
Waking up was a different story. My head was pounding with frustration over the fight Myles and I had gotten in. Why did today have to be Thanksgiving? The last thing I wanted was to walk into my parents’ house, with Paige’s family there as well, and be angry at my brother. It was a holiday, the first one Paige and I would be spending together, and I should be thankful for that. I had a lot to be thankful for, but I wasn’t feeling very upbeat like I normally would be on a day like today. I didn’t want to bring my parent’s and everyone else into my issues with my brother. Now was not the time.
I had no choice but to shake it off and put on a smile. I knew I could fake it, but who knew what mood Myles would be waking up in this morning.
My blissful bubble with Paige in my bed, waking up next to her and holding her in my arms, was quickly abandoned. As much as I wanted to lay around all morning, pressing kisses all over her body, we had to get up and get ready. That way we made sure to show up before her mom and Chase got to my parents’ house. I didn’t want them to feel awkward if we weren’t there.
It was also Paige’s first time at my family home in over a decade. She used to babysit us here and that would always be an odd thought to revisit. I hoped my mom and dad wouldn’t make it weird by bringing that up during Thanksgiving dinner.
“You look nervous.” I looked over at Paige in the passenger seat of my truck, spinning that ring on her finger. I reached out my hand, laying the flat of my palm on her thigh with my fingers curling around the inside of her leg. I gave it a light squeeze to try and loosen her up.
“I am a little bit. I haven’t seen your parents in years. I don’t want them to take pity on me and my family, treat us like a charity case. Like we had nowhere else to go for Thanksgiving.” She leaned her head back on the seat, letting out a big sigh.
“Hey, that’s not the case at all,” I said, giving her another squeeze. “You and I are a package deal. Your family and mine being together on such a big holiday is just an added bonus. Plus, my mom hasn’t shut up about you. She asks me every time I talk to her when I’m going to bring you around.” I gave her a wink, hoping to relax her a bit.
“Hopefully, your mom still likes me at thirty like she did when I was eighteen.”
“That won’t be a problem, trust me. You’re easy to love.” I turned my eyesight back to the road, staring so hard forward, I thought my eyes might pop out of their sockets.
I was nervous as fuck that the L-word slipped from my mouth. I didn’t exactly say ‘I love you’ but I did say she was easy to love… That was basically the same thing, right? I knew I had strong feelings for her, and I’d be destroyed if I ever lost her, but I hadn’t admitted to myself yet that I was there with her yet. But I would never bring someone home to my family if I didn’t see a future with them. I’ve seen a future with Paige since our first interaction weeks ago.
Thankfully my family’s cabin came into eyesight, I changed the subject before I said anything else that would put the spotlight on me.
“Does it look just like you remember it?” I asked.
“Hasn’t changed a bit. I’m sure it’s still just as beautiful on the inside too,” she spoke softly.
I put my truck in park. “Wait right here,” I said, jumping out and coming over to her side. I opened the door as I always did for her. Helping her down from the large drop, I grabbed her waist, setting her on her feet just inches from where I was standing.
Taking a loose strand of her chestnut hair between my fingers, I tucked it behind her ear.
“They are going to love you, baby girl, I promise. You have nothing to worry about. It’s just good food and good company today,” I whispered.
She nodded in agreement as I took her hand in mine, leading up to the beautiful modern cabin I once called home.