9. Five
Five
Beau
A fter days of forced smiles and avoiding questions I didn’t want to answer, my mood went to shit.
I sprained my ankle when some asshole startled me on a run, put off my first day with Palmer’s crew because of it, and dealt with Sasha’s bleak updates from the picket lines of Studio City.
Redemption aborted. Life officially sucked.
Doom scrolling first thing in the morning did little to help. Tossing the phone on the bedspread, I scrubbed a rough hand over my face and considered smothering myself with my pillow.
Nope. Get up and get going. Your dignity is already questionable. At least drag yourself to die alone in the woods, not in your childhood bed, broke and sad .
Sheets twisted around my torso, and my legs kicked them off violently so I could get out of there. I rummaged through my dresser for clothes. I planned to shower, rub the skin off my body to feel fresh, and find somewhere to fuck off for the day. My ankle seemed sturdy enough to hit the pavement for a run.
Upstairs was quiet, my folks still asleep, and I tiptoed to the bathroom. I brushed my teeth and hummed along to the sputtering water pressure, waiting for it to warm in the shower. My phone vibrated on the counter. Probably my best friend begging me to be on my best behavior during his visit with my sister. I chuckled. With the shit I had on him, he should plead for my mercy.
I damn near choked. It wasn’t Jason who texted.
Fallon: Hey, Beau. Word is you’re in town. Are you free to meet for coffee today?
“Holy shit,” I stammered. Toothpaste froth driveled down my chin as I collapsed onto the tub lip since my knees failed to support me.
Other than my pouting, things didn’t end poorly with Fallon. Circumstances allowed for a fun fucking time—and a lot of fun fucking. It was supposed to be breezy, casual, and insubstantial.
There was no drama. It was pretty simple. The girl I crushed on hard for years was single when I came home for Christmas. We liked each other, always had. Planets, horoscopes, or chakras aligned for the best two weeks of my life.
But the day after Christmas, my dream girl’s ex showed up to give her the present she wanted—his sticking around.
I could leave the message on read and ignore it altogether. I didn’t want to make shit weird, but that text sure piqued my interest.
Would be rude not to answer.
Fingers swiped through my hair, my eyes scanning the busy sidewalk through the smudged window.
“Coffee?” Annabelle asked, holding up the pot and offering me a refill.
Giving up the hunt, I slid my mug over. “Sure. Thanks, Anni.”
“Gotta keep your energy up, Beau.” With a wink, she headed toward the long counter, moving between the stools to serve patrons.
“Jesus,” I muttered under my breath. It should have flattered me that my reputation continued to precede me despite no longer living in town.
Buzzing with activity mid-morning, I’d been lucky to grab a booth at The Diner. Summer in Windmere meant packed shops, stores, and restaurants .
Cutlery clinked on the table as my fingers abandoned my hair and fiddled with the napkin beside my coffee. She changed her mind. Maybe—
“I’m so sorry!” Fallon brushed into the booth, blowing my napkin onto the vinyl seat. “Parking was impossible, and I thought I left plenty of time, but summer is always so hectic.”
Rushed and rambling, she dumped her purse next to her and adjusted the collar of her t-shirt. Her nails were painted a vibrant yellow, but the streak of blue over her thumb caught my attention. She’d been painting her war game figurines.
“Hey, Fal,” I said softly, taking her in as she settled.
The strain on her face eased, her eyebrows relaxing as her pretty mouth slid into an even prettier smile. Fallon had the kind of smile that began in her eyes, a sparkling amber that made me think maybe brown was my favorite color.
Then again, the red of her hair was rather alluring. Shined so lovely in the beam of sunlight hitting her shoulder.
“Hey, Beau.” Her gaze dropped to her hands. “Thanks for meeting up. I wasn’t sure if… Or maybe…” Tapping her thumbs, she glanced up and smiled again. “Thanks.”
I caught whiffs of perfume from across the booth. Floral and efflorescent—a word Kate taught me—making me want to lean closer and trail my nose over Fallon’s body to guess where she splashed it.I closed my eyes, remembering when I had.
“How are you so soft and supple? How do you smell so damn good, sweet girl?”
A slow drag of my tongue along her spine as I positioned behind her, drawing those fleshy hips up high. Hand gripping my length to enter in an unhurried thrust, taking my time because we had all night. Quiet gasps, hardly a whisper, as I moved inside her.
Lifting her back flush to my chest. My hand bracketed her throat and my arm around her waist, pumping slow and deep until she shook and whimpered her release. My mouth on her shoulder, teeth biting down when I came with a groan.
“Beau?” Fallon reached for my hand across the table, her soft palm resting over my knuckle. “Did you hear me?”
I cleared my throat, blinking a few times. “Sorry, uh. I missed that.”
She smiled, her hand still on mine. “It’s loud in here.”
Let’s go somewhere quiet. Like when we sat in your car near the point lookout, talking all night in the abandoned lot. Laughing and telling stupid jokes until the sun came up, and we reluctantly dragged ourselves home.
“It is,” I agreed, sitting up and pulling my hand from hers to push aside the silverware. “What… Uh. What can I do for you?”
I managed to withhold my groan, but she laughed softly. “This doesn’t have to be weird, Beau. I heard you were in town, and I wanted to say hi, catch up, and make sure we’re…” She hesitated, a slow roll of her throat to follow. “Make sure we’re good. Still friends.”
Those bright eyes stared back, so hopeful. Her sweet smile reminded me of all the years between us. The jokes, teasing, and fun. The shy smiles, cute blushes, and giving Fallon her first kiss.
“We’re good,” I said, meaning it. “I’m…” I puffed a long exhale and dropped it. None of it needed to be said. I smiled instead. “We had fun, right?”
Her eyes softened. “We sure did, Beau-Bear.”
I laughed loud enough for several heads to turn toward the sound. I ignored how lovely she looked when she blushed. Her freckles had darkened since the winter, and her face was sun-kissed.
“I never should have admitted that nickname.” I pointed a warning finger. “You swore you would keep that between us. I have an image to uphold.”
With a hand pressed to her chest, she faked a gasp. “I swore it. I meant it. I honored it. Kept only between you and me… and my online blog.” Mischief danced in her eyes. “I posted it alongside a picture of you and those blonde eyebrows.”
She burst into laughter, covering her mouth in a piss-poor attempt to hide her utter delight.
“You’re a wicked one,” I muttered, shaking my head. She really was.
Fallon didn’t argue. “Makes for a more interesting life.” Those amber eyes softened as she studied my face. “You look good. How are you?”
I squinted, focusing on the coat hook on the edge of the booth .
“Well, sometimes I think my life is being written by someone who isn’t sure if they like me, but otherwise, I’m good.”
Fallon snorted, falsely believing I was joking.
“Beau, you’re…” She sighed, her gaze flickering over me. “It’s good to see you.”
I grinned, my eyes locked with hers. “Yeah? It’s good to see you too, Fal.”
“And me?”
I recognized that asshole’s intonation. Grated on my nerves almost as much as his shitty timing.
With an enormous shit-eating grin, Jake Lauder slid into the booth beside my biggest crush. “You happy to see me, too?”