31. Jeb
Chapter thirty-one
Jeb
Fallon Charlotte McCann
Shay just bought another fuking round and she’s tryiiing to get me to talk to some guy at the bar but it’s so loud in here, what the fuck.
Are you ready for that?
Fallon Charlotte McCann
Kind of. I told her I thought I might be ready to move fowrard so she thinks this is the best place to get my feet wet. I told herrr that no dicks will get wet but she said I can kiss someone.
My stomach sinks, and I swear to God, if I had a current passport, I’d be booking a flight to Turks and fucking Caicos. Suddenly, the amount of trust I have for Shay dips below zero. I blow out a deep breath.
Ultimately, what I want and what Fallon needs are two different things, and I can acknowledge and accept that. I’ll support anything that makes her happy.
Taking it slow is a good idea.
Fallon sends me a picture of her and Shay and their multicolored frozen drinks with little umbrellas.
Fallon Charlotte McCann
Shay wants you to send us a picture back.
I send a picture of my lower half on her couch with my sweatpants on. One cat sitting on me, and one curled behind my legs.
Fallon Charlotte McCann
Shay says that’s ultimate rizz. I’m not sure what that means.
Shay found a guy for me to dance with, so I’m going to go.
Jesus fucking Christ. I rake my hands through my hair and across my face. What do I say to that? Do I try to stop her? Encourage her? My mind is spinning, my jaw clenched. I close my eyes tight and adjust my legs to get more comfortable. The cat looks at me and meows like I’m bothering him.
I type a response, then delete it and re-type something else just to delete that also. I want to tell her that I’ll dance with her when she gets home, but that’s not an appropriate thing to say to your friend.
Text me when you get to your room later, and you can tell me how it went.
There, that’s a good response. It doesn’t make me seem like the overbearing friend I feel like at the moment.
By the time I get into bed at ten thirty, I haven’t heard back from Fallon, and the thought of another guy with his hands on her hips, grinding to the music, has my heart rate through the roof and my stomach in knots. I don’t allow myself to think that some man’s lips could be touching hers.
Fuck.
This is good for Fallon , I remind myself. I’m happy if she’s happy. And if she’s able to have some semblance of a typical vacation, I should be elated for her to have the opportunity to let loose. Especially since today was supposed to be her first day as Rhett’s wife.
Except I’m not. Elated, that is.
I stay up until eleven, begrudgingly reaching to turn the light on the bedside table off.
I wish the basement were ready for me to move back in. Temporarily living in Fallon’s house must be messing with my mind. Smelling her, surrounded by her pictures, especially the one of her and Rhett that I talk to daily… it’s all fucking with me.
Rhett’s parents and Corbin being here didn’t mess with my mind like smelling Fallon’s shampoo on the pillow does. Speaking of, the bathroom is finished. It looks so good, Fallon’s going to love it. Dreya and Sal want me to video her reaction and send it to them when she gets home.
They didn’t ask me if I’d be here when she returned. I guess they just assumed I would be. And I’m more than happy to be here to welcome her back from the trip.
Unless Fallon doesn’t want me here. Maybe she’ll find someone on vacation, and they click; worse, maybe she clicks with one of Shay’s coworkers who happens to live nearby.
In the morning, I busy myself with my own project for Fallon and try not to think about the fact that she didn’t text last night. By lunchtime, the surprise project is finished. Fallon's new fully collapsible easel even has latches to keep it shut during transport.
As much as I contemplate texting Shay to ask her if everything is okay, I don’t cross that line. If I don’t hear from her by tonight, I’ll text her again.
She probably stayed out late. She’s more than likely sleeping in. She could be having the time of her life. She could also be kidnapped. She could be sick with alcohol poisoning. Yes, that’s where my mind goes.
Every damn notification on my phone has me wishing it were Fallon texting me. I’m practically driving myself crazy, waiting to make sure she’s okay. It’s none of my business if she spent last night in some asshole’s arms or, worse, his bed.
It’s none of my business , I repeat to myself. Then my phone vibrates, and I check it like a maniac.
“Hello?” I answer on the first ring when I see Fallon’s face on the screen. “Everything okay?”
“Hey, yeah. My phone had a little run-in with water last night. It fell in a fish pond on the way back to the hotel room, so we’ve had it in a bag with rice since. I took it apart and dried it all out, and now it’s finally working again.”
“Oh, good.” I blow out a breath, still wondering what else she did last night. Even though it’s none of my business, I ask anyway. “How are you feeling after last night?”
“A little headache, but I’m fine. Shay and I danced for a few songs, but then the alcohol hit me. I haven’t had hard liquor in years—and apparently, it makes me tired. I think I was in bed by nine.”
My head lolls, and the tight band of worry snaking around my spine uncoils. The tension in my shoulders breaks loose, and the strain in my face lifts.
“Sounds like me when I have wine.” I try to play it cool and not show her my cards.
“Shay and I are going to a restaurant here at the resort tonight. They have a two-for-one margarita special, so be ready for my drunk texts. I tried to convince Shay to let me text you from her phone last night, but she said every message I wanted her to type was too lewd.”
Fucking Shay. One text would have been much appreciated.
“What were you going to say? Do you remember?”
“I remember I was going to ask if you had more pictures of…” She starts giggling, and then her deep belly laugh quickly turns into a high-pitched hyena sound. Once she catches her breath, she snorts. “Well, now I know why Shay said no texts. I was going to send a message asking to see another picture of my pussy on your lap. Oh my God, that would’ve been terrible.”
Not terrible. Terrible happened in the scenarios in my head where Fallon was held hostage on a foreign island.
I laugh. “That would’ve been funny, so tell Shay you have free range to text me tonight.”
“I will,” she says, then continues to gab about last night. Even saying that she felt normal … which for us is a big thing.
I don’t want to, but twenty minutes later, when I’m about to be late for work, I tell Fallon I have to go. Before we hang up, I promise her to send a couple of pictures of the cats. I crack a smile when I snap a photo of Tuck curled on her pillow. I caption it wish you were here knowing she’d assume the message was from Tuck, not me.
Fallon Charlotte McCann
We’re at the resort next to ours, at a swim-up bar. Some guy asked me if I was single, and I didn’t hear him, so I said, “What did you say?” And he said, “Is anybody waitin’ on you back home?” and I said, “Yes!” thinking about you at my house. Shay laughed hysterically, and the guy walked away.
Technically, I am waiting for you at your house, so it is true!
Fallon Charlotte McCann
You’re cock-blocking me from a thousand miles away lol
I gasp, literally gasp, when her text comes through. If I were drunk with zero inhibitions, I’d mention other things I could do with my cock. But I’m as sober and as clear-headed as they come, so I don’t mention anything, joking or otherwise.
Fallon Charlotte McCann
He wasn’t my type anyway, so it was an easy way to let him down.
Why wasn’t he your type?
Fallon Charlotte McCann
He gave the vibe of being the newest car salesman on the lot. The guy who brags about his bonuses, but he spends all his money on OnlyFans. He’s that guy who pays the bar tab for the whole group at a bachelor party and then checks his bank account later to make sure he has the money for it.
So, no car salesman/only fans/bachelor party guys. Weirdly enough, I feel like I can picture him. Does he go golfing on the weekends, too? A little too handsy with the cart girl?
Fallon Charlotte McCann
One hundred percent. That’s the exact vibe.
Let me know when you scare off the next guy and we can make up his life story, too.
Fallon Charlotte McCann
I don’t think there will be any others today. This place is full of old men.
Old men will try to get with you, too. I assure you.
Fallon Charlotte McCann
Ok, well, that’s not my vibe, so add old men to the list of Fallon’s red flags.
Let me get my pen out. So far, four red flags and no green ones. Not good odds for the men on the island.
Fallon Charlotte McCann
No, not at all. I think Shay wants to go back to our resort, so maybe I’ll find some green flag guys.
Keep me updated!
For the list.