Chapter Seventeen
The week has moved at a snail's pace, each hour crawling by as if the day will never end. When I finally crack my eyes open late Wednesday morning, I’m a ball of anxious butterflies.
Gareth’s declaration at the bar has been replaying in my mind, over and over, while I imagine different scenarios of how things could be between us and the reaction my brother will have.
At this point, I’ve made peace knowing Dylan is going to be upset, but like Gareth said—we’ve gone too long making him the priority.
We were kids when Dylan told me he would never forgive me or Gareth if we got together. I’ll never forget the look on Gareth’s face when he stepped out of the locker room at the very moment that promise left Dylan’s mouth.
None of us have breached the topic again, though, so who’s to say Dylan’s reaction would still be the same? For all I know, he could be thrilled for us and think it’s a good thing.
It is a good thing.
Since we were thirteen years old, it’s always been the three of us. Our dynamic would be different, but we wouldn’t be. Gareth and Dylan would still be best friends. Him and I would still be siblings. The only thing that’d be different is Gareth and I could finally be together.
Honestly, things would be better. These last several years have been strained, to say the least, because I’ve been doing my damnedest to stay away from Gareth, knowing I didn’t have the willpower to resist the pull to him forever.
It was only a matter of time before this day came.
I knew it with every fiber of my being, but I’m utterly terrified to know what Gareth and I being together would ultimately mean for the relationship between me and my brother.
But first, it’s time to explore my relationship with Gareth. Excitement and nerves fill me knowing tonight everything will change.
I go through the motions of my daily routine, hoping to pass the time without hyper-fixating on tonight. I scrub the hell out of my kitchen, working until the stainless steel appliances and sink shine better than they did when I moved in.
A long shower calls my name next, so I step inside and let the hot water cascade over me until I am pruney and the water turns chilly, then I take my time doing my makeup and getting dressed.
By noon I’m going stir crazy, so I throw an oversized flannel over my sports bra and tug on a pair of Uggs. The sun is shining, but I’m in the mood to be cozy until I have to get ready for the game. My yoga pants hug me like a second skin, so I still look put together as I head out the door.
The drive to Andromeda is fast, the bar quiet when I use my key to go inside. I know Rosie is here—she’s always here, so I make my way to her office.
Her eyes barely lift from the laptop when I burst in, and she flails her hand in greeting.
Making myself comfortable, I grab a snack-sized bag of popcorn from the basket on top of her mini-fridge and sit on the plush area rug with my back against the worn leather couch.
The rhythmic clicks of her fingers hitting her keyboard are comforting as we sit in silence, her finishing whatever she’s working on and me crunching on the snack I just stole and using my thumb to spin my ring.
“How are you feeling over there, Punk Princess? Ready to take the leap?” she says a few minutes later, closing her laptop.
I swivel my head to look at her. She’s organizing the papers she had strewn across her desk. “I’m okay. It’s a relief knowing Dylan is gone so Gareth and I can have a couple of uninterrupted weeks to figure this out.”
“I don’t think there’s much for you to have to figure out. That man is clearly obsessed with you, and by the looks of it, the feeling is mutual. I sense a lot of banging in your future.”
My pussy flutters just thinking about Gareth and I banging.
It’s been a long time coming.
Movement from the other side of the floor-to-ceiling one-way glass that lines her office wall catches my attention, and I turn and watch Cain walk in with King.
Cain flips the lights on, then goes behind the bar as King takes a seat on a stool.
Two lowball glasses are placed on the bar top, and Cain pours them both a drink before leaning forward on his elbows and clanking his glass against King’s.
“How did you know Cain was the person for you?” I muse aloud.
For me, I knew the second I met Gareth, and I can’t help but wonder if my friend had the same experience.
Rosie stands, coming around the couch to sit next to me on the floor. For a moment, we’re both quiet, watching Cain and King who are now deep in conversation.
“I’ve never told you all of our history, have I?” she asks lightly. The tone catches me off guard, and I look at her, but her eyes are trained on her husband.
I shake my head even though I know she’s not watching me. “No, but I definitely can sense you guys have a wild story.”
This pulls her mouth into a smile. She turns to me.
“Cain is my ex-boyfriend’s brother. I dated Brent when we were barely old enough to call ourselves adults and ended up moving with them from Northwood out to here.
The three of us rented a place together, all of us looking for a fresh start, but Cain’s brother was just a means to an end for me.
I knew he wasn’t endgame, but I needed to get away from my hometown—get away from my life.
There was something about Cain that always called to me.
I couldn’t explain it, but I felt it deeply, and I knew I was in love with him.
” She looks adoringly through the glass at her husband again, and I can practically feel her love radiating through her.
Then she turns back to me with sad eyes.
“But Brent was my boyfriend, so I felt like I owed it to him to try and make things work. Unfortunately, I was dealing with a verbally abusive narcissist. Eventually I reached my breaking point, begged Cain to come with me, but he chose the loyalty of his brother instead. Honestly, our story is a little like yours.”
I nod, my heart sinking. I glance over at Cain and can’t help but feel like I relate even better to him now—I know the exact struggle he went through. “He chose his brother,” I mutter more to myself than to Rosie.
Turning my head with her finger pressed below my chin, she looks me straight in the eyes.
“In the end, love always wins, Indy, and at some point, you have to surrender to it and not give a damn about what anyone else might think. Even if that someone is your brother. Listen to your heart.” She starts laughing as she glances through the window back out at the bar, a huge smile transforming her face.
“Yeah, he’s definitely obsessed with you. ”
I follow her line of sight and see a man walking through the doors carrying a huge bouquet of black and pink roses and a gift-wrapped box.
Cain and King stand simultaneously and approach the guy who now looks like he might piss his pants from the two bikers boxing him in. The man practically flinches as King reaches to sign for the package.
It’s obvious it’s for me when they both turn and walk in the direction of the office after making sure the delivery man is out of the bar.
“What do you think is in the box?” she asks curiously.
I shrug, honestly having no idea. When we were kids, Gareth would leave little gifts in my room—notes, candy, trinkets that reminded him of me.
“Could be anything. I have no clue.”
“What time do you need to be at the game?”
“It starts at four, so I was going to call for an Uber around three-thirty. I don’t want to get there early and seem too eager.”
“You should be eager! You’re going to a Bears game, sitting in the VIP box, and you’re gonna bang the third baseman tonight. I don’t see why you wouldn’t be excited about that.”
I laugh, and the door to the office flies open.
“I’m not saying I like the guy,” Cain announces as he walks into the room, “but these roses are impressive.”
“Oh, stop,” Rosie scolds. “You have no reason not to like him. Plus, if Indy likes him, then he is a friend to us. Don’t question it.”
“He got up in my face.” Cain narrows his eyes at Rosie. “He’s lucky I didn’t deck him square in the nose.”
“In his defense,” she argues, “he thought you were banging his girl.”
“I’m only banging my girl.” Cain stalks over to her, abandoning the roses on her desk. Once he’s towering over her, he reaches down and effortlessly lifts her to her feet, cinching her against his body with his giant hand splayed against her lower back.
He peppers kisses all over her face—a sweet gesture for such a terrifying man.
“Fine. I guess I’ll give him another shot,” he says in between kisses, and Rosie smiles, knowing she’s won.
Then he cuts a glance in my direction. “But that little misunderstanding better be over because I am not holding my fist back next time.”
“Heard it loud and clear, bossman.” I salute him, my smile now matching Rosie’s.
Next to me, King sinks onto the couch, crossing his ankle over his opposite knee. He gives my gift a shake before setting the box down on his lap.
“You going to open my present?” I ask, pushing myself up onto the couch to sit beside him.
“Maybe I should. Technically, the box isn’t addressed to anyone, just the flowers were,” he teases, elbowing me in the side. Another scary biker dude who’s really just a giant teddy bear.
“I’ll make you a deal,” I drawl. “The box is yours, but whatever’s inside, you have to embrace wholeheartedly.”
His eyebrows shoot upward. “Meaning what, exactly?”
Now Rosie and Cain are both watching curiously, still wrapped in each other's arms.
“If it’s a food item, you get to eat it. If it’s something fancy, like a watch or jewelry, you get to keep it. But if it’s lingerie or something similar, you have to wear it. And you have to model it for all of us.”
“Fuck that.” King groans and immediately hands me the box.
Rosie barks a laugh, teasing King to take me up on my offer as I pull the red satin bow, unraveling the pretty presentation, and lift the top. Anticipation flares as I pull apart the tissue, revealing a Bears jersey and a black envelope with my name on it in shiny silver marker.
Lifting the jersey, I grin. Turning it around, I smile so wide my cheeks instantly hurt. Gareth’s name and number are on the back.
He wants me to wear his jersey.
Gently, I place it back in the box, then rip open the envelope. In a masculine scrawl is a note from Gareth.
Trouble,
I’d much rather you be wearing my actual jersey, but since I am required to wear it on the field, this will have to do. I’ll see you later.
-Your Golden Boy
Whether presumptuous or confident, Gareth knows I’ll be there. My heart rate skyrockets, a mixture of nerves and excitement. When I look up, I see my friends staring back at me, waiting for me to say—well—anything.
“How did he know to have it delivered here?” Cain asks after a minute, breaking the silence.
I purse my lips, wondering that same thing. “I’m not scheduled today, so that’s a good question. Maybe they tried to deliver to my house but I wasn’t there, so they called him and he gave them the bar's address?”
“I doubt it.” Rosie scoffs. “That man is in love with you, girl. He knew you’d be here. I bet he knows your life better than you do.”
He did tell my brother he’d make sure I was safe.
“Maybe,” I say more to myself than anyone else. I glance at my phone, noting the time.
The game’s starting soon.
King's eyebrow raises in a silent question, like he wants to press me for more information but knows it’s not his place. It’s not like we’re friends, we’re just friendly. He doesn’t need to know the full story about me and my Golden Boy.
Plus, it’s still being written.