Chapter 26 - Roscoe
It’s been three days, two hours, and fifty-seven minutes since I last saw Annika.
Inside, I’m a fucking mess. On the outside, I look as calm and collected as ever.
I’m just hoping that Nan can pull off a fucking miracle because losing the woman I love is not an option, and neither is going another goddamn second without her.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Carson asks for the fifteenth fucking time.
My eyes slowly narrow as they meet his. “I’ve told you. This was her favorite dream, fantasy, or whatever the hell you want to call it. If there’s such a thing as a good idea, this is it.”
“He’s right, Carson. Annika might be practical, but she’s also a romantic at heart. She’ll adore this.” Dorothea’s eyes take in all of our hard work. “It looks lovely, boys. I’m impressed y’all pulled this together so quickly.”
I shrug. “I’d already had the idea. Just had to implement it a little sooner than planned.”
When she turns, she looks us over and nods approvingly. “I appreciate you boys calling to let me know what was going on. That ex of hers deserves a solid dick punch for what he’s put her through.”
“He’s sporting a black eye thanks to Roscoe’s right hook,” Owen offers.
“Good. I mean, not as good as a dick punch, of course, but it’ll have to do. Jail time wouldn’t suit the agenda at the moment, I’m afraid.”
“Do you think she’ll come?”
She nods at Owen. “Oh, she’ll be here. I’ve done my part and lured her away from her guard dog, but the rest is up to you. Blow this, and you’ll be up shit’s creek without a paddle and no way to call for rescue.”
The woman is brilliant, albeit a little terrifying.
“And what if she just turns and walks out without even giving us a chance?” Carson asks softly.
“Then you use your secret weapon.” Dorothea walks over, grabs her purse, and slips it over her shoulder.
“We have a secret weapon?”
She smiles at me. “You tell her that she’s already made this mistake once, and it would be foolish to do so again. She’s nothing if not practical.”
Carson puts his fingers in a heart shape. “I knew I loved you, Dorothea.”
“I told you to call me Nan. We’re family now. Or at least we will be once you help Nikki pull her head out of her ass.” She walks toward the hallway. “Good luck, boys. You’re gonna need it.”
She disappears into the back, the sound of the rear door slamming shut the only indication she’s gone.
I’m not sure if we made the right decision by calling her here, but we were out of options. Our talk with Frederick resulted in a close call with the sheriff, but thankfully, Mr. Nichols, the hotel manager, said the outsider started it and we were just defending ourselves.
Gotta love a small town. We protect our own.
Unfortunately, the ex-hole didn’t give us a whole lot to go off of, other than the fact that she’d be crawling back to him any moment because they were too much alike for her to deny it any longer.
Whatever the fuck that means.
Each minute seems to span decades, when in reality, roughly thirty minutes passes before we hear her voice call out from the back of the store.
“Nan?”
We jump into action, scrambling to look like we’ve got our shit together when we’re barely hanging on by a thread without her.
The single bulb above the counter provides minimal light in the front of the store, but I see the moment she steps into the main lobby. Her shoulders are slumped, and her hands are playing with the ring Owen gave her.
Fuck. It’s hard to see her looking so damn sad and not be able to just snatch her up and comfort her. This is the one part of the plan we have no actual plan for. We’re winging it, and my impatience demands we get this shit started so we can hold our girl.
“Hello, Nik.” My voice startles her, and she whips around, one hand flying to her chest.
“Son of a biscuit. You scared the hell out of me.”
“Sorry,” Carson says softly. “We didn’t mean to frighten you.”
She looks exhausted, the dark circles under her eyes telling me that she’s slept about as much as we have.
Her hair is hanging loosely down her back, and one bare shoulder peeks out from the soft-looking blue sweater that hangs over plain black leggings that are molded to her legs.
I’ve never wanted to hug someone so damn bad in my life, but she’s more likely to give me a swift kick in the dick right now.
“Could’ve fooled me.” She licks her lips, avoiding looking in our direction. “What are you doing here in the dark anyways? I’m supposed to be meeting…” She pauses mid-sentence, angry eyes flashing to ours. “Son of a bitch. She fucking set me up. Why?”
“Because we knew you wouldn’t talk to us simply because we asked you to.” Owen takes a step forward but stops when she backs up. “We were desperate, Nik.”
“He’s right.” She turns to me, her lower lip being tortured between her teeth. The urge to spank her runs through me so fiercely I have to take a deep breath and exhale to get myself under control. “You left without so much as an explanation. We deserve at least that much, don’t we?”
“I changed my mind,” she says softly.
Carson flips his hat around, threading his fingers together behind his neck. “That’s what Cass said. That you told her you made the wrong choice. But what does that mean? We were with you, and everything was fine. No. Better than fine, actually. The next second you were just…gone.”
She’s wringing the bottom of her sweater between her hands, which is so unlike her.
She’s not a fidgeter. What I really want to do right now is scoop her up and just hold her.
Tell her that whatever it is, we can work through it together.
The fact that I don’t have the right to touch her anymore is killing me more than anything else.
“I just had some time to think and decided that this type of relationship isn’t… I just don’t think… I want something…simple,” she finishes lamely.
“Simple,” I repeat, staring at her beautiful face, wishing she’d look at me for even a moment so I can better gauge what she’s truly feeling.
Instead, she continues to stare at the carpet, getting us nowhere.
“Annika,” Owen murmurs, using her full name for the first time in forever. “Did you forget what that ring you keep playing with symbolizes? It was a promise. One you eagerly agreed to. If that’s changed, then I’m going to need you to look me in the eye and tell me that.”
Her fingers stroke the ring on her right hand, twisting the metal round and round, still refusing to look at us. Then my gut goes into free fall as she slowly slides the ring off her finger, holding it out with shaky hands.
“This is yours. You should keep it. I don’t…” Her voice cracks. “I don’t need it anymore.”
When none of us move to grab it, she spins, walks over to the counter, and places the ring on top. Her fingers linger, hovering over it for a long moment before she snatches her hand away.
“There. Take it with you when you leave.”
She storms toward the hallway, but Owen stops her in her tracks.
“Didn’t think you’d ever make the same mistake twice.”
God bless the man. In my hopelessness, I’d completely forgotten about our so-called secret weapon.
Whipping around, she glares at us. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“This is the second time you haven’t come to us to discuss a problem.” I cross my arms over my chest, staring her down and daring her to argue.
“There is no problem. Isn’t a girl entitled to have a change of heart?”
“They can,” Carson hedges, “but we’d like to at least get an explanation of what we did that warranted the change in the first place.”
“You didn’t…” She stops herself, fists balling by her sides. “I just need to go.”
“I think you need to see something first.” I walk over and flip the light switch.
Dozens of twinkle lights flicker to life, decorating the strings draped over sheets that hang in huge swaths from the ceiling fixture, down to the corners of the room.
They give the space a warm, romantic glow that has flashes of color splashing across her shocked face.
She takes it all in, eyes darting to the floor layered with soft mats and so many blankets I lost count. Then to the pillows surrounding the interior walls and the record player that slowly begins to spin a soft instrumental record.
The entire time, I’m focused on Nik. The way her eyes go wide and her lips tremble.
The rapid rise and fall of her chest. The first tear streaking down her cheek.
I can’t physically hold back any longer.
In a few short strides, I’m standing before her, grabbing the hand that once held the promise we made to her, and tenderly kissing the back of it.
“Please, Nik. Say something.”
Glassy eyes rise to meet mine. “You remembered.”
“When it comes to you, it’s impossible to forget.”
Then the woman who has always been so strong and so fierce simply breaks down.
Her face crumples, and the first sob slips free.
I don’t even question it. Pulling her into me, I try to stay steady while she buries her face in my chest, her entire body shaking so hard she grabs fistfuls of my shirt to steady herself.
“Talk to us, baby girl. Seeing you like this is tearing us apart.”
“H-he said I was like him. That I’m s-selfish for p-putting my own wants and needs first. T-that you’d end up regretting g-giving up the l-life you’d planned to s-stay here w-with m-me.”
Gripping her chin, I force her to look at me. The tears are flowing harder now, her eyes puffy and swollen. Unsurprisingly, she’s still the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen.
“What exactly do you think we’d be giving up?”
Sniffling, she peeks at the other two who have come up beside us before turning back to me with a ragged exhale.
“You all have teams ready to draft you. That’s major contracts, new cities, more money than I’d even know what to do with, brand deals…
The sky’s the limit. You’d be giving all that up if you stay here in Cedar Vale.
In the beginning, you’ll say it’s what you want, but somewhere down the line, you’ll look back and resent me for chaining you to this place. ”
“You ridiculous girl.” I smile as I shake my head. “So you were…what? Saving us from ourselves?”
Her nose scrunches up, confusion flashing across her face. “I was being selfless. I don’t want to be the reason you’re miserable ten years from now.”
“We were never going to sign contracts or play professional football, Nik.” Carson brushes a damp piece of hair behind her ear.
“Or, at least, Roscoe and I weren’t. We have other plans for after graduation that would keep us right here in Cedar Vale, and before you try to argue that I’m just saying that to appease you, we were in the works to purchase land before we knew you were coming back. ”
“What?” she gasps, her mouth dropping open then snapping shut while her brows furrow so deeply ridges appear between them. She shakes her head. “But…”
“But nothing, baby girl. You were fed misinformation.”
“But what about Owen? He—”
“Is likely not going to play ball either,” Owen interrupts.
“Though I’ve been struggling with that decision under the heavy expectations and obligations of my father.
All I’m really sure of is that I don’t want to leave Carson and Roscoe.
Wherever they are is where I’m supposed to be. We’re a team. A family.”
“So the contracts, the teams, the money…”
“Wouldn’t have happened even if you weren’t in the picture, love bug.”
“But he said—”
“He lied,” I growl, anger rising in my chest. I should’ve just busted that dude’s balls for good.
He should never be allowed to reproduce.
“We should also probably tell you that he tried to blackmail us.” Owen slips his hand around her bicep, pulling her away from me and into his arms.
I’d punch him for that, but I’m sure he needs the steady weight of her against him as much as I do.
“I’m sorry. He did what?”
“Offered us money if we walked away from you.”
“A lot of money,” Carson adds.
Owen drops a soft kiss to her forehead. “But we told him where he could shove his threats. You’re ours, and we wouldn’t give you up for all the money in the world.”
“I’m…” She shakes her head. “I’m honestly not sure what I am right now.”
“You’re ours, baby girl. Say it and let’s forget all about this changing your mind nonsense.”
Indecision is written all over her face as she glances at each of us. “But what if—”
“Life is full of what ifs, Nik. Maybe it’s time to say who cares instead because as long as we have each other, we can get through anything.” Carson offers her his hand, and we collectively hold our breaths.
She stares at it, her face giving nothing away. Then she turns abruptly, and I think I’m about to be sick…until she picks up the ring, places it back on her finger, and turns back to us with a shrug.
“I’m good with who cares.”
Before I can reach her, Carson lifts her off her feet and into his arms, spinning her around. Her laughter is the best thing I’ve heard in days.
“Does this mean I can beat that prick’s ass now?” I ask casually, cracking my knuckles at the thought.
Carson sets her on her feet, wraps his arms around her from behind, and leans his chin on her shoulder.
“As much as I want to give you the green light on that, I have a much better idea. Leave the ex-hole to me.” She bites her bottom lip when I give her an exaggerated pout. “How about you give me a tour of this awesome blanket fort instead?”
And just like that, my mind shifts from assault to a different type of physical contact. This time, she’s the one that holds out her hand, and with zero hesitation, I take it. I’m ready to put the past behind us for good and show her just how fun making up can be.