Chapter 33 #2
Lio’s breathing steadies, and I feel my heart trying to match the rhythm of his improved breaths. “You’re okay,” I say, a mantra for both of us. “You’re okay.”
He starts to cry, scrunching up his face and trembling. But just as I want to pull him to me, he presses out between sobs, “Uncle Hunt.”
A sharp pain slices through me when he puts his little hands out for Hunter, and Hunt struggles to stand before he bends down and picks up Lio.
He moves over to sit on the edge of the small bed with Lio on his knee, his face buried in Hunter’s chest, while he soothes him, stroking his little head, whispering softly.
My own son prefers his uncle to his dad.
Not that I could hold it against him.
I would too.
“There she is!” Tim hollers from the back of the restaurant when I arrive for my shift, still shaken from what happened since I left here last night. Between North and Nash, the talk with Saylor, Hunter’s story, and Lio’s fainting spell, I’m still reeling.
And the smile on Tally’s face as she comes out of the kitchen tells me I’m not catching a break here.
“Aaand?” she singsongs when I pull off my jacket and step up to them.
“And what?” I ask, acting dumb.
Not that it will help anything.
“Spill, girl. What happened? Our eyes nearly fell out when we saw North getting up to follow you out without saying goodbye to anyone.”
Tim grins. “True, though Nash looked like he was tempted to kick North’s ass. He only lasted ten minutes longer before he said goodbye and went after you guys.”
“We need to know what happened, Sloan. I couldn’t even sleep,” Tally pleads with puppy dog eyes.
She’s such a little gossiper, and I adore her.
“You’re not the only one,” I mutter, making her gasp and slap her hand over her mouth.
“You made the hat trick?”
I furrow my brows. “God no, although I nearly kissed North.” Tally gasps again. “Or he nearly kissed me. I don’t know. Maybe I imagined that part. What I didn’t imagine, though, is having sex with Nash again,” I mumble, feeling uncomfortable saying it out loud.
I’m such a fucking idiot.
The way he acted this morning like nothing happened?
Oh, he’s so done with me.
And it hurts more than I care to admit.
“No fucking way,” Tim exclaims, pulling his phone out of his pocket.
“I swear to God, little Timmy, if you text him about that,” I warn, but he gazes up at me, confused.
“No, it’s not that, it’s just… he always texts me when he gets laid.
It’s fucking stupid, but it’s kind of a running gag since he wants to rub it in my face that I’ve only ever had sex with Tally, and he’s out there, well, you know, fucking his way through Maine.
” I bite my lip, and he’s quick to say, “Fuck, I’m sorry. ”
I can’t even blame Nash. I knew what I was getting myself into.
“Tim makes sure to text Nash when he gets laid too, and let’s just say Tim is leading by far,” Tally puts up a hand in the air, and Tim high-fives her, making me chuckle.
“Anyway, what I’m trying to say is he hasn’t texted me. Last time when you guys had your little bar encounter, he texted. Last night, he didn’t.” Tim holds his phone out to me as if to show me there aren’t any texts.
“What? You think I’m lying? Believe me, I would rather tell you I didn’t do it again,” I mutter, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Why? Was it bad?” Tally scrunches up her cute nose. “I only ever hear that he’s amazing in bed, but he also only ever sleeps with a special kind of woman. Maybe they just don’t know better.”
I laugh at her. “Gee, thanks.”
“No, you’re not that type. That’s what I’m trying to say. Maybe you think it’s different because you’ve had better.”
I’ve never had better in my whole damn life.
“Nope.” I shrug, adding, “Unfortunately, every one of his long line of women is right.”
“That just leaves one possibility.” Tim grins broadly.
“And what would that be?” I ask him, feeling more and more uneasy.
“That he fell for you. I already suspected it. But not bragging about sleeping with you… that boy is in love.” Tim claps his hands together. “Monopoly nights for four, here we come.”
Tally laughs but stops when she sees my expression. “Hey,” she says, stepping closer and reaching out to hold my wrist. I look down at her hand around me, surprised that it doesn’t trigger anything. Momentarily stunned, I’m silent until she asks, “What is it?”
Getting my thoughts back to the present, I tell her, “He left the second it was over. And he acted like nothing happened today. He got what he wanted, and that’s it.
He’s done, just like with every other girl he gets in bed.
I’m nothing special,” I tell her, trying to sound as if I don’t care, but the crack in my voice in the last sentence betrays me.
“Come here,” Tally beckons, pulling me into an awkward hug because her belly is in the way. “If he doesn’t see how amazing you are, he’s an idiot.”
“She’s right,” Tim agrees, coming to stand beside me and putting a hand on my shoulder. “I love the idiot, but he doesn’t deserve you. At least not if he’s acting like that.”
Tally leans in and whispers in my ear, “Hunter is way better anyway.”
While the idea of Hunter is appealing, I know that crossing the line with any of the Jones brothers is a mistake. One I need to make sure I don’t make. The better option would be to leave.