Chapter 27
Rhyland
I can feel the tension leaving Payton’s body as Ollie disappears upstairs. His heavy footsteps remind me of a petulant child having a tantrum. I wrap my arms around her, holding her to me for a moment, wishing I’d never have to let her go.
Today has been my best birthday in years, and it’s all because of this woman in my arms. The only thing that could top it would be if I didn’t have to hide what she’s become to me—both of them, actually.
It’s getting harder and harder to keep my growing feelings from others, and I know that it’s wearing on Pay, too.
When we know the coast is clear, she turns and buries her face in my chest.
“I hate this,” she muffles.
“I know.” There’s so much want in my two words. “I’m ready to tell them if you are.”
She has no idea how badly I wanted to jump on the table and scream that the man she is dating is me. That I’m the one who put a smile back on her face. We went from one awkward topic to another.
“Not today. I don’t want to make more of a spectacle on your birthday.” She looks up at me, and the world disappears around us.
I press my lips to hers as a promise of “soon.” After a few quick moments before we return to the chaos, I pull back and brush the hair out of her face.
“Now, what do you say we take this cake out there, sing happy birthday to me, where I can make a wish to eat this off you later once everyone has left?”
“Rhyland,” she scolds, but I can see the desire swirling in her baby blues and the pink painting her cheeks. “You’re not supposed to tell your wishes out loud. If you do, they won’t come true.”
I shake my head. “No, I don’t think so. I think if I say it out loud, it will definitely come true today. And that way, as you watch me take each bite, you know that in my mind, you’re spread out in front of me, begging for me to fuck you after every swipe of my tongue.”
My words meant to tease her, but shit, it backfired because my dick definitely approves of this imagery.
“For fuck’s sake, will you get the fuck out of here?” She gives me a giant shove, catching me off guard.
“Just remember what I said,” I taunt back, chuckling as she turns her back to me and finishes up whatever she was doing before I interrupted her.
Instead of going back to my seat, I detour to where Connie sits.
Gabby, who is now awake—I’m sure thanks to her uncle’s dramatic reaction moments ago—reaches her little arms out to me, and I scoop her up.
My focus is on her, but I still hear Connie’s small gasp of surprise.
I’m not sure if it’s because her granddaughter reached for me right away or if it’s for the fierce bond she and I have formed.
Slowly, her look of shock transitions into a smile.
“I won’t take it personally with you being the birthday boy and all,” Connie jokes.
I smile and walk us over to my seat. “Hi, Princess, are you having a good day? I bet this has been a lot for you, and you’re going to sleep good tonight, huh?” I know I will, after I unwrap my present and spend hours worshiping Payton. That’s the least I could do for all she’s done today.
My phone buzzes in my pocket. Carefully, I adjust Gabby to retrieve my phone. My brows furrow when I find a text from Ollie.
Why the fuck is he texting me?
I open the message to find an image, and my heart sinks. It’s a photo of Payton’s purple bra. The same bra I took off this morning. Shit, I forgot that was on my floor.
Thank God there wasn’t anything identifiable that it was hers.
Another text quickly follows.
Ollie: What the fuck, man? I get that you’re a bachelor and shit, but I thought we had a talk about this that I didn’t want you bringing random fucking women around with my sister and niece here.
Ollie: Keep it in your fucking pants, Rhy.
Payton finally walks out holding a cake and starts singing “Happy Birthday” with a giant smile on her face, completely unaware of this debauchery.
Ollie quickly appears behind her in the doorway, wearing a completely new outfit. I avoid his gaze, but I can see him through the corner of my eye as he rounds the table and takes his seat beside his wife as if nothing happened.
Everyone has joined in with their singing, and I’m not sure dying cats sound much better, but I can’t help but smile as Pay sets the cake in front of me.
Gabby’s eyes widen at the sight of the lit candles in front of us.
I love getting to witness this first for her, and I can’t wait for this to be her birthday and she gets to try cake for the first time.
I close my eyes and not only wish for the scenario I told Pay earlier, but also that her brothers don’t make this my last birthday to celebrate after I tell them the truth that their sister is mine.
And then I blow out my candles.
It’s been a few days since my birthday and Ollie nearly caught us—not once, but twice.
I’ve realized that the harder I fall for Payton, the harder it becomes to keep up the lie to the world that she doesn’t mean absolutely everything to me. That she’s not the first thing I think of in the morning and the last thing I think about at night.
Payton is off today because her mom had some appointments, and Holland is away on a photo shoot.
I wish I were home with them. Being in the kitchen used to be where I found my solace and felt grounded the most, but I’ve figured out that it’s not actually a place that does that but a person—or people.
I guess I hadn’t put two and two together since I’ve had Payton in the kitchen with me, or at least in the same vicinity.
But today, with her being off work, things have become abundantly clear.
I just feel disconnected from this place.
So far today, I’ve nicked the edge of my thumb while prepping and burned my palm when grabbing a tray from the oven.
I can’t stop my mind from drifting to what Pay and Gabby might be doing at home. Are they lounging on the couch, watching Gabby’s newest obsession—a YouTube star who teaches kids sounds and sings songs—or maybe they went for a walk around the neighborhood? Whatever it is, I wish I were there.
“Rhyland,” Ollie shouts, pulling me out of the haze.
I follow his gaze to the stove with smoke slowly rising from the pan.
“Fuck,” I hiss and rush over to grab the pan and toss it over to the sink. I can’t help but laugh to myself, remembering the same scenario the night of Payton’s and my first date here. Great, I’m still trying to burn the place down, apparently.
“What’s your issue today?” Ollie says.
I bark out a laugh. “Well, if that isn’t the pot calling the kettle black.
” Since I got in today, Ollie has seemed to take a page from his brother’s broody playbook.
Holland left yesterday for a weeklong on-site photo shoot, and Ollie has been a grumpy asshole ever since. He’s been snippy and grouchy.
“Yeah, well, I have every reason to be moody. My wife left me.”
I roll my eyes. “For a fucking week, you dumbass.”
“Yeah, but that’s like forever in married time.”
I guess I can’t fault him. It’s been only hours since I left Payton, and it feels like forever. But of course, I can’t tell him that.
“Maybe you should call up the owner of that sexy little number I found in your room on your birthday. I think you need to release some of that pent-up aggression you got going on there, buddy. But for real, don’t bring that shit around my sister and niece.
I hate what that dickhead did to Payton, and she’s already fucked-up from that.
I think she’s more fucked-up than she leads on.
The last thing she needs is your man-whoring ways corrupting her, too.
Bad enough my niece has that piece-of-shit’s DNA running through her veins.
That will probably fuck her up in itself. ”
I grip the counter tight enough to make my knuckles turn white from the strain as he keeps talking.
At some point, I block him out. I hate hearing Ollie talk about his sister like this, but especially when it’s not true.
Yes, Joel was manipulative and vindictive and fucked her up—but not beyond repair.
Because I came in and showed her what a genuine relationship is and how a real man is to treat the woman he cares about.
“Anyway, you should—” Ollie begins, but his phone rings, interrupting him. In my head, I finish his statement with you should probably shut the fuck up , but thankfully, he holds up his phone, showing a picture of Hollie in…well, umm, quite a scandalous photo— what the fuck.
“Hey, baby, I’m dying here without you,” he says, turning and leaving the kitchen.
Pressing my hands on the counter, I flatten my back and try to calm my racing heart. I will not punch the ever-loving fuck out of my best friend, boss, and girlfriend’s brother , I repeat over and over.
But I’m not sure how long I can keep this to ourselves. I make a mental note to bring it up with Pay tonight when I get home. I’m done hiding this—I’m ready to show the world she’s mine and I’m hers.
By the time the dinner rush is over, my head feels like it’s about to explode. Thankfully, Ollie never had time to return to the kitchen to finish our conversation. I step out to the back alley, and without a second thought, I’m dialing Payton’s number.
“Hey,” Payton’s voice comes through the phone, and I relax. “Is everything okay? Why are you calling me from work?” I hear her shuffle around on the other end. “You didn’t get in another fight and I’m your one phone call from jail, right?”
I laugh and rest my head back against the brick. Just that small laughter makes my chest feel lighter. “You think you’re sooo funny?”
“Yeah, and usually, so do you,” she teases back, knowing she’s right. “But seriously, are you okay?”
I sigh. “Yeah, I just—” How do I even put this in words without sounding like a crazy person and maybe sending her for the hills? After a few seconds of silence, I decide to say fuck it. I only ever want to be honest with her. “I just needed to hear your voice.”