Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
Riley
How am I here right now? While I’ve never actually slept in this room, it’s far from the first time I’ve slept under this roof.
I don’t even know why I kept paying for the rental I had in town for that summer, because after Cole and I started dating, I spent most of my time here.
Now, I’m lying here under different covers, staring at a different ceiling. I don’t even know how today turned out the way it did.
The mature part of me is grateful he found me and brought me back here. The less mature part is irrationally angry that I even had to face the one person I would have been happy never to see again.
It was worth it, though, because through tolerating Cole’s presence, I was able to see his brothers again. I’ve missed them so much, but I never felt like I could reach out to them because of their relation to Cole. It just felt wrong.
Finn is his same easy-going self with a body big enough to house his larger-than-life personality. A few years older and with more tattoos and muscles, he looks like a damn Viking.
He isn’t a ruthless warrior on the inside, though. He fits the trend of looks like he could kill you… is a cinnamon roll to a tee.
If a sexy nerd and a lumberjack were smashed together, Theo would be the result. He is way too smart for his own good, which is one of the things I’ve always loved about him.
There’s a depth in his dark brown eyes, like he’s an old soul that’s gone through this journey before. Being around him sets me at ease.
I try to push the memory away, but it fights its way to the forefront of my mind.
“Fuck yes. I love this song,” Finn says, rushing over to turn the volume up on the Bluetooth speaker that’s sitting on the kitchen island.
“Why is it always so loud?” Theo grumbles from the opposite side of the kitchen.
I can’t help but laugh as Finn starts two-stepping around the dining room table to the George Strait song that’s playing.
He looks ridiculous doing it without a partner, but he isn’t someone who’s fazed by what anyone else thinks. He does what makes him happy, and everyone else can fuck themselves if they don’t like it.
“Riley, come dance with me,” he shouts over the music.
“I’m cooking,” I say, holding up the large knife in my hand.
“Please,” he says, dragging the word out to be about five syllables long. He dances over closer to me.
Cole leans down, kissing the side of my head. “Go. I’ll finish cutting your peppers after I finish with the onions.”
I barely get a chance to give Cole a quick peck on the lips before Finn’s pulling me away to the open space between the kitchen and living room.
I don’t really know how to dance like this, but he does the best he can, leading me around. He throws his head back, belting out the lyrics. I’m laughing so hard, a cramp starts to build in my side.
“Why the fuck are you so short?” he grumbles as we spin in a circle.
I plant my feet in place, not moving even when he tries to spin me. “I’m not short. You’re just a fucking giant.”
“Giant or not, you still love me, so stop being stubborn and dance with me.”
I give in, letting him lead me around the room. I might be dating Cole, but I’ve gotten very close to Finn and Theo, too. I wouldn’t say they’re like brothers, because that seems wrong for reasons I can’t really wrap my head around, but they’re my friends that I care about deeply.
The song draws to a close as the final note rings out, and a slower country song starts to play.
“Thanks for the dance, but I think someone wants you back now.” He spins me away from his chest until a different pair of arms wraps around me.
“Hey, sweetheart,” Cole says, pulling me flush against him. The Brooks and Dunn song echoes through the room.
“Hey,” I say, wrapping my arms around him. We aren’t dancing around like Finn, and I were just moments ago.
We’re barely moving from side to side, but I don’t care. Cole’s large hands are sliding up and down my back, and his honey-colored eyes are devouring me.
Cole and I have stayed true to the way our first interaction played out. We still bicker with each other daily, but now the banter is filled with lightness that makes me endlessly happy.
Honestly, it always has been, even that first day on the side of a mountain. But we also have moments like this, moments where it feels like our souls are completely connected.
He slides his hands up until he’s cupping the sides of my face. There’s a beat more eye contact before he lowers his mouth to mine. He kisses me as we continue to sway to the music.
When the song ends, he kisses my forehead. “I need to go check the load of lumber we’re taking into town tomorrow before the sun goes down. I’ll be back soon.”
“Okay,” I say, smiling up at him.
“Finn,” Cole hollers as he walks to the back door. “Come help me finish the load.”
Finn groans. “But why me? Theo is just as able-bodied as I am.”
“Well… Theo is also able to cook a meal that won’t give everyone food poisoning, so that means you’re coming with me,” Cole says.
Theo and I laugh. Finn really is a terrible cook. I saw him put a dessert mix labeled as no-bake in the oven. I’m sure you can guess how that turned out.
“Fuck you all,” Finn groans, stomping out the door like a dramatic toddler.
“Was he in the theater when he was in high school?” I asked while walking around the island to stand next to Theo at the stove.
“No.” He laughs. “He should have been, though. Lord knows he’s got enough drama in his bones for it.”
I look down at the peppers and onions he’s sautéing. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“The chicken is marinating in the fridge.” He cocks his head to the side, pointing toward the fridge. “You can start cooking it.”
I grab the bowl of chicken from the fridge and a frying pan from the cabinet next to the stove.
This isn’t my first time cooking in this kitchen. I’ve cooked in here a lot with mostly Cole and Theo, but sometimes Finn, too, if only in an observation role.
We stand side by side at the stove, stirring our pans of food. Neither of us says anything for a while, but we catch each other’s eyes from time to time. We both smile each time we do.
Theo is the quietest of the brothers. It isn’t that he doesn’t talk; he saves it for when he really has something to say.
Being around Theo is just easy. Nothing about being his friend or hanging out with him is complicated. This is the way friendship should be.
You should be able to be around someone else.
“Do you still want me to help you with your website tonight?” he asks.
“Yeah, if you don’t mind.”
He looks down at me like there are words on the tip of his tongue that he wants to say, but he won’t let himself. He shakes his head, briefly closing his eyes. “I don’t mind.”
I shake my head, bringing me back to the present. I might be in the same house, but things are drastically different.
There will be no slow dancing or kissing with Cole. That flame was snuffed out long ago with a few words I wasn’t meant to hear.
One thing that’s still the same is the sense of friendship and connection I have with his brothers. I don’t think that’s something that will ever change.
Even when I leave their house and this town, I need to stay in touch with them. I might not care to ever speak to Cole again, but eight years was far too long to go without talking to Finn and Theo.
It’s with that thought that I roll over and fall asleep.