Boys of summer, p.18
Boys of Summer, page 18
The others are all lined up in front of a set of double doors, with Luca standing at the very back of the line. He hasn’t turned around yet, but I give myself a moment to trace the hard lines of his back and shoulders. That suit looks fucking delicious. I place my arm through his and he doesn't startle at my presence. Looking down at me, his eyes roam my body from head to toe with a warmth I’ll never get used to seeing.
Leaning in, he whispers in my ear. “You look edible.” His voice is rumbly and low.
Blushing, I squeeze his arm in mine. “Same to you. Let’s get through this so we can sneak off somewhere. You can show me just how well that suit fits.” I wink cheekily as the music starts to play.
The wedding was emotional and beautiful. It went off without a hitch. As I sit here at the head table watching their friends dance, toast, and have the time of their lives, I feel genuinely content for the first time in a while.
The banquet hall is lavishly decorated in creams and blush accents. Roses litter the room and the crystal chandeliers sparkle in the low lighting. Soft music plays as some of the older couples dance in the center of the room.
I’ve been steadily ignoring River all night. Of course, Luca and Carson just had to invite him, and it’s becoming increasingly more difficult to ignore his presence, especially given the fact that he’s been staring at me since the moment I stepped out into the aisle. It’s beginning to grate on me. He looks good tonight, too, which makes everything worse.
His dark-blond hair is brushed out and tucked behind his ears and his suit looks freshly pressed, highlighting the golden tan of his skin. His shoulders look broad and his smile wide. He looks too damn delicious in my opinion. I have to remind myself that he’s enemy number one right now. I half expected him to show up with Casey in tow.
Kennedy sits at their table, happily chatting away with Jax, making me smile. Watching my best friend turned boyfriend bond with my new best friend makes me feel like something really good actually came out of all of this. It feels fucking good to surround myself with genuine people who make my life so much brighter than it was this time last year.
Luca isn’t talking as he sits next to me at the head table. He’s glaring at River as he silently sips his drink. Luca’s dark eyes flash and his wristwatch glints softly.
I nudge his arm. “Who killed your puppy?”
His lips tip into a bemused smirk as he turns his head to me. “He’s pissing me off,” he grumbles.
Sighing, I reach under the table and place a hand on Luca’s thigh. He sucks in a breath. “C’mon, let's dance and stop giving him the satisfaction of seeing me squirm.”
Luca frowns, his dark eyes lowering. “You know I can’t dance. And besides, I think all River wants to do is make you squirm…for different reasons.”
I stand and force him out of his chair. “Tough shit, Mr. Musician. You’re dancing tonight whether you like it or not. I didn’t get all dolled up just to stuff my face with mini sandwiches.”
River’s eyes catch mine as we walk by on the way to the dance floor, their clear-green burning right through me, but I look away before he has the chance to ensnare me. We make it into the throng of dancing couples and start to sway.
Luca is so much taller than I am that we almost look comical, but his arms around me feel so good. We spin in slow circles and I have come to realize that despite telling me he doesn’t dance, Luca is actually pretty smooth on his feet.
Laying my head on his shoulder, I turn my head to the side and watch as my mom and Carson twirl around the dance floor. Their faces are close together and their eyes are ensnared—like they’re the only two people who exist in the world. After years of unhappiness with my father before he left, and another decade of loneliness after that, It’s cleansing to see this new smile light up her face. Smiling softly, I turn my face and place a small kiss on Luca’s chest.
He rumbles as he brings his hand up to run it through my waves. “What was that for?”
Tilting my head up, I smile. “I’m just...really glad I have you back,” I whisper.
His brown eyes soften. His palm comes to rest on my cheek. “I never went anywhere, Nora. I’ve been waiting for you for almost a decade, you just took a while to get on board.” His voice is teasing, without a hint of the bitterness that used to be there. It warms my soul.
“I guess you’re right. I’m still sor—”
He lays a finger over my lips, shushing me. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore. What’s done is done and we just need to move on.” My chest deflates and I sigh contentedly. “Baby, look at me,” he prompts.
When I flit my eyes back to his, he smiles down at me. “Just so you know, no matter what happens with you and River or you and Jax, I’m not going anywhere. You’re mine now and there’s no more running away. That goes for both of us. This is new and it’s confusing, but I’m all in. I’m all fucking in, babe.”
His lips touch mine through my smile, but a moment later, a clearing throat bursts our happiness bubble. Reluctantly, I release Luca’s lips to glare at whoever interrupted, but my eyes widen on River.
“Is it my turn yet?” he asks.
I scoff. The audacity…
“Don’t do this here.” My voice is low and my eyes are hard, but he just grins, making my heart do little flips. I hate this reaction to his smile. I hate the way my body lights up when he’s close.
“All I want is a dance,” he pleads with wide, innocent eyes. I don’t buy it for a second.
Luca squeezes my arms lightly and I look to him for help. He smiles sympathetically. “It’s okay Nor, one dance won't kill you.”
Frowning, I grumble, “Might kill him, though.”
River and Luca roll their eyes simultaneously. There’s no scenario here that ends with me getting my way. So, I suck it up and release Luca. River grins before taking me in his arms. I shiver all over at just his simple touch. He’s a bastard, but he's a sexy bastard and he knows it. He’s also a sexy bastard who I’ve been pining after for the better part of a decade.
“You look beautiful,” he murmurs in my ear, his breath washing over my earlobe and making me shiver.
“Don’t try to butter me up. The only reason I’m letting you touch me right now is because I don’t want to cause a scene,” I lie.
Smiling, his hands travel lower until they're tracing small circles over my waist. I fight to keep my reactions hidden. His touch feels so right and it makes me angry for feeling that way. I shouldn’t be feeling anything for someone who spoke to me the way he did—someone who taunts me and insults me, all the while making me crave him until it hurts.
“I’m here to beg your forgiveness,” he says. I look up at him, narrowing my eyes in suspicion. He just blinks at me, without a hint of playfulness now. “I’m being serious. The second you drove away I realized what a fucking ass I was, and I’m fucking sorry. I had no right to say those things…”
“You’re right, you didn’t!” I snap. “I came to make sure you were okay with what you saw, but all you did was make me feel like I was in the wrong. You made me feel guilty for something I shouldn't have. I can’t keep doing this with you, Riv. I can’t let you manipulate my emotions just because you change your mind every two seconds.”
We keep dancing, our words hushed so that we don't cause a scene around all these people, but if someone were to pay close attention, it would be easy to tell something was wrong.
River lets me say what I want to say and takes it all with stoicism that only breaks when I look into his eyes and see the man beneath breaking. Something I've noticed about River over the years I've known him, is that he doesn't wear his emotions on his sleeve the way Luca does. River hides behind false bravado and all of his confidence, but underneath all of that is a vulnerable man.
River holds me tighter against him, as if he’s afraid I'm going to slip away. “I blamed you for my own problems and you didn’t deserve that, and I’m literally begging you for just one more chance.” We twirl around the dance floor, but I can feel us slowing down. He brushes a curl off of my cheek and tucks it behind my ear gently. “I’m so in love with you, Nora. So in love it makes me physically ill to be away from you. I’m a fucking dumbass, and I mess up and say things I don’t mean. I just want that chance to show you how I can love you.”
My heart is racing, hammering in my chest until it hurts. I know in my soul that he’s baring his to me right now, and even though my head is screaming at me to be careful, I know in my heart that River means every word coming out of his mouth.
I consider my options. I can tell him no, and that his chances with me have come and gone. I can walk away right now and let that be the end of it. But that would mean spending countless years watching as River moves on from me, knowing that it would tear me apart from the inside.
Or, I could take the other option and give him the chance he’s begging for. I could open up my heart one more time and see if he handles it with care. Words can’t even describe how much I want to pick option two, but I'm scared. I’m so fucking scared…and so, I tell him that.
His thumb strokes my cheek gently. “I know you are. And if I'm being honest, so am I. I'm scared of watching you walk back out of my life forever. I’m terrified of what my life would look like without you in it. I can’t make you choose this, but what I can do is promise you that I’m all in. You, me, Jax, and Luca. I’m all fucking in if you’ll have me.”
Nora
My eyes are closed, and I’m getting nervous. It's not that I don't trust the guys...I do, but I still want to cheat and take a peek. We’ve been in the car for five minutes, but I already feel us slowing down. Gravel crunches under the wheels.
I decided to say yes to River and give him his chance. There’s simply no other option that I can live with. He and Luca promptly stole me away from the reception, and shoved me into Luca’s car, placing a tie around my eyes like a blindfold.
My mind runs through a million possibilities, but none of them really scare me. I’d seen the look in River’s eyes when we were dancing. Something’s shifted, I just don’t know what yet.
A strong hand snakes up my thigh causing them to clench with need. Again, I want to open my eyes, but I keep them shut tight, just like they asked me to. The car stops and so does the music as the hand leaves my thigh.
Two car doors slam before I feel a gust of wind on my face as mine opens. Unbuckling my seatbelt, I let one of them help me out into the chilly night. His arm wraps around my middle, leading me swiftly until I hear a bang on what sounds like a metal door.
It takes a few seconds, but soon, the door is opening and warm air wraps around me when I’m ushered inside. The smell of floor polish and a running heater hit my nose, my senses coming alive and recognizing the space immediately. My eyes fly open as I rip off the blindfold, and my jaw practically hits the polished wooden floor of Landy’s studio...no, my studio.
A large white banner hangs on the far side wall with big blue letters reading out ‘Welcome Home Nora.’ Strung up around the ceiling and along the floor-to-ceiling mirrors are small, yellow fairy lights, making the whole room glow warmly. Being back here sends a quick jolt of grief through me, but it’s replaced almost immediately by surprise and relief as Jax steps into view. His long hair is brushed out softly, and his dark-gray suit jacket is open with his tie missing and the top few buttons undone.
Jax’s cheeky grin puts me at ease and I toss him his tie. Hands snake over my shoulders—warm and comforting. The scent of the breezy ocean hovers around me as River leans down and brings his lips to my ear. “It’s all yours now, baby,” he whispers. I shiver all over. “You haven’t danced in weeks, and that just won’t do.”
Jax and Luca stand side by side now with wide grins on their devilishly handsome faces. “There’s no reason to be afraid of a building,” Jax says. “Landy wanted you to make this your home, so we thought we’d give you a head start.”
It’s only now that I hear soft music playing in the background. Luca steps up to me, bending down and placing a small kiss on my forehead. “River has a surprise for you.” His eyes flicker up behind me and Rivers's hands tighten on my shoulders.
“C’mon, these losers can follow us later,” he says, running his hand down my arm until his fingers lace with mine. I don’t even question it as I’m led out of the room and into the hallway.
This whole situation is surreal. It feels like I’m walking through some kind of dream. I’m honestly not even sure when any of them had time to set this up, much less River. The last time we spoke, his eyes had blazed with hurt and anger. We’d said things to each other that would be hard to take back. Still, the way he’s touching me softly, with his green eyes sparkling down at me every time he glances my way, it feels like there’s been a shift. A change of heart. That, and the fact that he and Jax were in the same room without throwing a single punch says more than words ever will.
We take the staircase that I remember leads up to Landy’s apartment above the studio. I’ve been in there once or twice, but there wasn't much to it. Landy hadn’t lived here long, only a few months and every time I went up, her things were still packed away in various cardboard boxes strewn around the three room space.
River pulls a key from his pocket and turns it in the door at the top of the landing. I eye him skeptically. “Where did you get that?” My question is slightly accusing, because I specifically remember placing that very key in my jewelry box on the top of my vanity.
River’s eyes sparkle mischievously. “Jax is at least good for some things,” he teases as he pushes the door open.
I let myself in first, slipping past his body, but when I do, he makes no move to get out of my way. Stopping, I tilt my head up to look him in the eyes. Brushing a hand along my cheekbone, River chews on the inside of his lip almost nervously. “Please keep an open mind, alright?”
Frowning, I turn and push the rest of the way in. When the lights flip on, my jaw once again drops. The room looks nothing like it had the last time I was here. The once barren sitting room now has two huge loveseats and a cozy little chaise lounge in the corner by the window. The walls are painted a neutral violet-tinted gray, but that’s not what has me snapping my eyes to River in question.
Scattered along the walls are framed photographs in black and white. Every single one of them contains either myself, or me and one or two of my guys over the years. I can feel my eyes glossing over as I stalk further into the room. There are photos of my mom and I, of me dancing at my old studio, and even some photos of myself and the rest of the Pembroke kids. Each picture is familiar and I can remember the exact points in time in which they'd been taken. Most of them are selfies that I know were either on my phone or stored on my laptop, so immediately, I realize Jax is behind it. Either that or one of them broke into my room and used my computer. Regardless, It’s such a thoughtful gesture that I just let the tears fall down my cheeks.
Turning around to question River, I pull up short with a small yelp, because he’s as close to me as he can possibly stand without touching me. River towers over my short self, looking into my eyes with a small smile and so much affection I could choke on it. Gone is the anger that’s simmered in those green gems for the last two months. Gone is the sneer that made me feel all jumbled up inside. Back, is the River I grew up with—the kind, funny, flirty goofball I fell in love with at fifteen.
“This place is yours now, baby. We just wanted it to feel like yours.” He shrugs his shoulders. “We might have also had a little help from your mom, Carson, and Kennedy.”
Raising an eyebrow, I use my palms to swipe at my tears no doubt smearing my makeup all over my cheek. “I, literally, don’t even know what to say.” I laugh as he moves in closer. “I can’t believe you did all this for me before you even knew what answer I’d give you.”
His face sobers, and he swallows thickly. “Even if you turned me away, I would have done anything you asked of me, Nora.
Sucking in a breath, I narrow my eyes at the tall, impossibly-handsome man spilling his heart out to me. “You really do mean it, don't you.”
He tilts his head down and I have to look up just to meet his eyes. “I wouldn’t joke about something like this. I love you. I’ve always loved you and I’m never going to stop. Jax or no Jax, Luca or no Luca. I’ll put up with their dumb asses if it gets me you.”
Slugging him in the shoulder, my face breaks out into a wide smile. “More like they have to put up with your stubborn ass.”
His green eyes light up. Pressing in, his mouth devours mine, tongue swiping my lips apart as his strong arms wind around my body, pulling us flush together. His kiss is hot and intense, and now that I don’t feel the need to push him away or slap him across the face, I let myself sink into it, enjoying the feel of him in earnest for the first time.
He pulls away, leaving me wanting, but only long enough to scoop me into his arms, wedding style. “I have one more surprise for you.” I let him carry me into the hallway where he kicks open a door, revealing a large master bedroom, complete with a brand new king-sized bed. I recognize my own comforter laying over the top, along with familiar throw pillows.
I squint at River. “How the hell?”
He smiles before pecking my lips quickly. “Jax snuck out early, didn’t you notice? Thought you might feel a little more at home with your own shit here. The movers worked fast, but Jax words faster.”
“You’ve got such a way with words, you know.” I shake my head.
“I’m about to have my way with you,” he quips. Stalking in further, River throws me down onto the bed and I bounce a couple times.
I’m laughing hard now, but I force myself to swallow it when he kicks the door closed and starts to remove his tie. “You’re eager,” I tease.
His eyes darken to a deep-forest-green as he comes closer. His nimble fingers work at the buttons of his dress shirt and my eyes track them the whole time. “I’m gonna fuck you into next week, babe,” he promises. I would have chuckled, but I think he actually means it. “You have no idea how many nights I dreamed about this.”
