Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
FERN
G atsby didn’t talk about his mysterious ex after our text exchange. I still can’t believe that he not only had a girlfriend in college, but he was so in love with her that he couldn’t date anyone for fourteen years. That’s what real love looks like and what I’m sure I’ll never have.
He loves Maia so much that once they reconnected, he hasn’t let her go. A few months after their reunion, they moved in together, merged their companies—both of them are IT nerds—and now they’re remodeling her house so they can move in together.
Today, Gatz was going to propose to Maia in San Diego. However, mother nature and their constant fucking-like-rabbits habit changed the plan.To no one’s surprise but theirs, they’re expecting a baby.
So now, I’m on the roof of the building Aslan owns—the triplet’s man cave—helping Aslan and Keaton, his fiancée, decorate it so he can propose. We’re trying to copy the setting that Gatz’s contact created in San Diego. Well, most of it. There’s no way we can do this by the beach.
Still, we’re going to make this perfect. I love Maia and they deserve to be happy.
She’s perfect for him. She grounds Gatsby in a way that I never thought possible. She also challenges him the way no one has done before. It’s fun to watch her contradict him. He usually likes to prove people wrong, but with her, he just agrees—no questions asked.
“Gatz and Maia are my relationship goal,” I mumble as I fix the flowers in the vases. We have a hundred vases to fill. I hope Cory and Huxley arrive soon or we’re never going to finish.
Aslan, who has a weird competition with Lysander and Gatsby, glares at me. “We’re not? Keaton and I make a great couple.”
I tap my chin. “You mean the pretend relationship where you fake being with your employee so our mother won’t get mad at you? I’m not sure if that’s healthy or real.” I grin, knowing I’m upsetting him. “You can stop faking it, you know.”
He growls. It’s so easy to taunt my big brother. Keat just laughs and shakes her head.
For years, Keaton has been Aslan’s right-hand and friend. Almost a year ago, he pretended they were in a relationship to avoid Mom’s nagging. I don’t understand the lie when we all knew he adored her.
Aslan might think he can hide his feelings, but his eyes don’t lie. We know when he’s angry, happy, or madly in love. Now, Cory and I give him a hard time about their relationship status because we can. That’s what little sisters are for, right?
“We’re together,” he argues.
“Sure, you are, and I’m the princess of San Francisco.”
Keaton, who knows we’re just giving him a hard time, smiles. She lets us get away with it. This is why we like her so much. Actually, we love her like a sister.
“How can I help you?” I hear the male voice before I lift my gaze and look at him.
It’s Elliot, looking just as edible as he always does.
He not only works for the foundation, he’s also friends with my brothers.
It happened between what are your credentials and can you help me remodel my brother’s house .
During weekdays and weekends, he drops by Aslan’s or Gatsby’s new homes to help them with their current projects.
Sometimes, he goes to Paradise Bay to help Lysander in the vineyard or Huxley and Cory in the bar.
When we fly to Portland to watch Caspian play, he comes with us.
He claims to not like the Portland Orcas, but he loves hockey.
I still don’t know much about him, other than he’s good at his job and I wouldn’t mind spending a night with him.
“Stop eye fucking him,” Keaton mumbles.
“I’m not,” I defend myself, hushing her, but then, I ask, “What’s he doing here?”
“Aslan needs him to help us hang the twinkle lights along the perimeter. I think the electrician is coming too.”
“Hello, ladies,” he greets Keaton and me.
I wave at him and go back to my flowers.
“So the crush isn’t over, huh?” Keaton mumbles.“It’s been what, six months?”
A little more than seven, but who’s counting?
“Be quiet. He might hear you.” I grind my teeth.
I curse the day when I told her that I find him — I lick my lips, staring at his delicious body—delectable.
“You’re gawking.” She laughs. “He’s on the other side of the roof. Unless he has bionic hearing, I doubt he’ll be listening to our conversation.”
“I don’t have a crush on him.”
She rolls her eyes. “You and Aslan share a lot in common.”
“What are you talking about?”
“You like to live in denial.” She smirks.
“I don’t have a crush,” I repeat.
Keaton quirks an eyebrow and crosses her arms.
“Anymore,” I clarify. “He’s good-looking, but he’s not my type.”
“Tall, dark, dangerous… and a good Samaritan.” She licks her lips, but then makes gagging noises. “You’re right, disgusting. Nothing like your dream guy.”
I scoff. “He’s too old for me.”
Her forehead wrinkles as her eyebrows come together. “You’re ridiculous. He’s in his early forties. That isn’t old.”
“He’s divorced and doesn’t have plans to settle down. I’m too old for hookups.”
“You can have a little fun,” she suggests and then adds, “For someone who doesn’t have any interest, you have a lot of information about him, don’t you think?”
“Lysander told me.”
She chuckles. “He’s worse than Gossip Girl.”
Okay, so maybe I threw Lysander under the bus, but I really don’t want her, or anyone, to think that I care about Elliot. It’s just curiosity. I’m invested because a man like him is usually married with two children and probably living in the suburbs—not drifting around the world.
Currently, he lives in a small studio apartment in Pacific Heights. We can’t understand how he can pay for it when he volunteers all week. Unless he works at night from home. I shouldn’t spend so much time with Lysander trying to figure out the life of Elliot McPhee but it’s intriguing.
“You should sleep with him,” Keaton insists. “A farewell present when he leaves town.”
“He works for me.”
“That’s now, once he quits, he’s available. I’m just saying, it could be a good way to break your dry spell.”
I huff. “As of today, Maia is my favorite.”
She smirks. “Ha, I thought you said you would never choose just one.”
“That was until you started pimping me out, plus she’s making me an aunt. Not even my mother harasses me about my dating life.”
“It’s not?—”
Her phone rings, interrupting her lies. She smiles at the phone. “It’s Savvy.”
Keaton is always happy, but when her sister calls her face brightens. “Go say hi to the college girl. I’ll keep getting these arrangements together.”
“Well, they left us alone. Do you need any help with the flowers?” Elliot says.
I glance over at him. “I bet one of your secret abilities is making arrangements and even balloon animals.”
He smirks, and my heart almost skips a beat. Thankfully, I’ve learned to control myself in front of Elliot McPhee. The man is a flirt. “I take it by your silence that I’m right.”
“About the balloon animals, yes. I learned when my nieces and nephews were younger.”
“How old are they now?”
“The oldest is thirty—” He takes a deep breath and stays silent for a moment—“Sorry. It’s complicated. Two of my nieces died six years ago and… it’s hard not to think of them and then?—”
My heart breaks because they must have been children. Losing family is so hard. No wonder sometimes he looks sad, even when he’s smiling.
“Hey, I get it. Sometimes it’s hard to talk about the people we’ve lost.”
He nods, and I want to hug him. It’s hard to lose those we love and harder to live when they aren’t around us again. I don’t know how to fill the silence, and thankfully, we don’t have to since Aslan and Keaton come back almost immediately.
We get back to work. We have a lot to do for tonight.