Chapter 9 #2
“Yes, you.” Beth’s head dropped back on her neck.
“I’m so tired of everyone thinking you are so perfect.
Asher will look after the family. Pay the bills.
Hell, you could probably solve world hunger if you tried, and I’m just the colossal fuckup.
You don’t get to have my best friend think you’re perfect too. Someone has to pick me.”
“Jesus, grow the fuck up, Beth,” I snarled. My sister was acting like a petulant child. She had three fucking children and still couldn’t be the grownup in the room.
Beth reared back like I’d slapped her. “Don’t tell me to grow up,” she yelled.
“Then stop acting like the world has done you wrong. Have things been hard for you? Yeah, but take a look in the mirror. You aren’t in this position by accident.”
“I didn’t ask to get pregnant the summer I graduated from high school. And I sure as hell didn’t ask Brian to be a deadbeat dad.” She glared at me. “You got to go off to school and live your life. You’re back here by choice. I’m stuck here.”
“You had three kids with him, Beth. Seems like a choice to me,” I snarled.
Anger surged through me. Yes, I’d gone away for school.
But I’d come back because of my family, and I’d done everything in my power to make my sister’s life as comfortable as possible.
Hell, the only reason she even found out about Nat and me was because she’d shown up to ask for more money.
“You think everything has been easy for me?” I asked. “I lost my best friend because of you.”
“Brian’s an asshole,” Beth snapped.
“Yep, he is. Doesn’t mean it didn’t suck to learn just how big of an asshole he was.
When you two got together, I told you that you could do better than him, but I didn’t stand in your way.
I stood by you instead.” I pinned her with a stare, daring her to argue with me.
I remembered the day I found out they’d been going around behind my back, and it hurt.
That was why I was cutting her so much slack about this thing with Nat. But that slack was quickly running out.
“I defend you to Mom and Dad constantly. I pick you over my wallet. I pick your kids over my free time. Anytime you need anything, I drop everything because you’re my baby sister and I love you. I have never once asked you for anything. Until now.”
“But you could have anyone in this town. Why does it have to be my best friend?” she whined. “I don’t want you to be together.”
Why had I not realized how spoiled my sister had become?
Maybe rescuing her all the time wasn’t actually helping her at all.
She sure as hell didn’t seem to appreciate it.
She just took it for granted that what she wanted won.
But not this time. Her selfishness was really pissing me off.
I took a deep breath to calm myself down.
Natalie’s knee tapped lightly against mine, and the gentle reassurance that she was there loosened the knot in my chest. “Don’t I deserve to be happy? ” I asked.
“But you were happy before she got here.”
“Was I?” I asked. “I was going through the motions, sure. But really living? Not even close.” I glanced at Nat. It might have only been a few weeks, but my entire world had changed since she arrived.
Natalie placed her hand in mine, squeezed, then looked at my sister.
“We’ve both just been going through the motions of life.
And I know it’s not what you want to hear, Beth, but Ash is it for me.
You remember when we were little and we used to talk for hours about our husbands and our weddings?
And you would bug me about Prince Charming not being real? ”
“Yeah.” Beth nodded.
“He’s real,” Natalie whispered.
I looked over and Nat’s eyes were filled with so much love. My chest tightened. I couldn’t help myself I leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips. Screw what my sister might think.
“Really?” Beth asked. “Ash is Prince Charming?”
“One hundred percent,” Natalie agreed.
“I’ve always been there for you, Beth. Nat and I being together doesn’t change that. If anything it just means you have one more person in your corner on the daily.” I looked at my little sister. “You deserve to be happy. But so do I. And Nat makes me happy.”
Beth stared at us both for several seconds. Really studying us. “So, this is the real deal?”
“It’s the real deal.” I nodded.
Beth tilted her head to the side as she looked at me. “I thought you said the whole fairytale happily ever after thing was made up to sell tickets.”
“You said that?” Natalie accused, then slapped my arm jokingly.
I shrugged. “That was before you came around.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Good answer. But don’t worry, I believe in the fairytale enough for both of us. Besides, I’ve made a whole career on the fantasy. Now I get to live it.”
“Well, shit,” Beth grumbled.
“What?” I turned and looked at her.
“How the hell am I supposed to be mad about you being together when you are all syrupy sweet and gross together?”
I smirked at her. “You’re not.”
“Does this mean you’re okay with us?” Nat asked.
“I suppose I have to be.” Beth’s face softened. “I do like the idea of having you nearby all the time.”
“Me too,” Natalie replied.
“And I really like the idea of you owing me one,” Beth said, waggling her eyebrows at me.
“Owing you one? How do you figure? I think the scale is still firmly tipped in my favor on that one.” I shook my head at her. “Or even at the very least, since we both dated each other’s friend.”
Nat’s hand clasped my arm. “Take the win, big guy,” she teased.
I grinned at her. “Fine.”
“Speaking of owing me one,” Beth began, “I might need a little loan to cover daycare this month.”
And we’re back. That didn’t take long at all. “Loan?”
“Well, loan that I don’t pay back. But Brady and Charity will pay you in love and hugs, and D might even let you win at video games when you play as a thank you.”
“Might let me win? Huh. I kicked his ass fair and square last time.”
Natalie giggled. “You do realize you’re proud of yourself for beating a ten-year-old at a game. Right?”
“Damn straight I am. The kid’s a shark. He’s swindled me out of more money than I’m proud to admit.”
Beth plugged her ears. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that you’re teaching my child to gamble.”
“So we good?” I said directly to Beth.
“Yeah, we’re good.” She stood and walked toward me. “Sorry I was such a bitch.”
“I’m used to you.” I twisted her into a headlock and noogied the top of her head.
Beth squealed and slapped her hand on top of her head. “My hair.”
I snorted. The thing had been in a wild, messy rat’s nest on top of her head when we arrived. I’d say this was an improvement. I caught Nat’s eye and laughed at the “don’t you dare say it” look on her face. She knew me so well.
Beth released me and wrapped her arms around Natalie. I smiled as I watched them. I couldn’t hear what they said to each other but the resilience of lifelong friendship was evident in the warm embrace.
Finally, they released each other.
“Sorry I didn’t tell you earlier,” Nat told her.
“I probably would have behaved just as badly no matter when you told me,” Beth said. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at Natalie. “I’m sorry I was so awful. I didn’t mean most of what I said. You know me, I lash out when I’m hurt.”
Nat nodded. “I’ve just never had it directed at me before.”
“I know.” Beth winced. “You deserve to be happy, Nat.” My sister’s eyes met mine. “You both do.”
“You do too, sis.”
“From your lips to God’s ears.” The words had barely made it out of her mouth before a piercing yell for Mom echoed from inside the house.
“Duty calls.” Beth sighed, then padded across the deck toward the house.
Turning to Natalie, I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her tightly against me. “What do you say we go home and celebrate that we are officially all in love and shit?”
“Are we in love?” she teased.
“I know I am.” I looked into her gorgeous hazel eyes, enjoying the way the sun shimmered off the different colors. I was most definitely in love with this woman.
“Me too.” She stood up on her tiptoes and quickly kissed my lips. “I love you, Ash.”
I tried to pull her back for another kiss. Unfortunately, she pressed her hand against my chest. “Now, what do you say we swing by that house I was telling you about, and you can tell me if it could be made into a studio?”
I groaned. Not exactly what I had in mind. “Fine, but only because once you sign a lease for a studio, there’s no backing out of moving here.”
“Trust me. I won’t back out. There’s nowhere I’d rather be than with you.”
“Ditto.” I clasped her hand in mine. Enjoying the way my palm engulfed her tiny hand. “Let’s go get you a studio.”