It’s silly, but when I was buying new supplies for my office, I saw this planner that made me think of Calla.
Okay, so I had to resort to what my heroes would do, due to the simple fact that the guys were over till almost two in the morning. I can only think of a handful of times the weekly group night went that late. It usually stems from one of us nearing a deadline and needing as much help as we can get during a plot hole. Last night was no different.
Graham’s book is due by Friday, and apparently, his new neighbors are a huge pain in his ass, so he asked if he could stay late to write where he knew he’d get some quiet time. So he was there for a reason, and the fact that I almost just had sex with Calla wasn’t it.
I could have easily said I was going to my office and then gone to her room, but then what? I just show up in her room ready for her to pick up where we left off because I was available now? That’s not fair to her.
Hence, buying an apology gift.
She was gone before I woke up today. Where? No clue.
I could simply text how sorry I am for ignoring her after what went down with us, but something shifted between us yesterday, and Calla deserves more than an “I’m sorry I couldn’t have sex with you because my friends came over” text.
I knew it was her brother when the doorbell rang yesterday. Simon is always the first to arrive. We usually hang out for a bit before we write. It never occurred to me until the second ring that, if this works out between me and Calla, what will Simon think?
I panicked a little.
Just because we’re best friends doesn’t mean he wants me to be that guy for his sister. I mean, we are guys; we still need to talk about relationship stuff, you know. How would I do that with Simon?
It would be weird for him, and how would that affect our friendship?
Yesterday was both one of the best days of my life and also filled my mind with more questions than I have answers for.
I leave the small local shop where I got Calla’s planner and then walk a few stores down to Love’s a Brewing for some coffee and to see if my sister is around. She pops in late afternoons sometimes once she finishes her day at Wind Valley Elementary. She and her fiancé, Will, own the coffee shop. It’s connected to our local bookstore, where they offer a deal for coffee and books to any student who shows them ID. It’s pretty genius, and it’s also nice to have my sister living in the same town as me again. When she graduated from high school and ran off to college, I had this sickening feeling she wouldn’t be back. But she is, and her best friend, thank god for him, finally made sure she stayed this time.
I push the door open, the smell of fresh ground coffee beans filling the air. My soon-to-be brother-in-law once told me this specific smell reminded him of success. Seeing as how I associate the smell with wanting to pull out my laptop and write a couple new scenes, he’s not wrong.
“Beck!” my sister squeals and comes around the counter to hug me. “How are you?”
“I’m good, and yourself?”
Hands on hips, she nods and smiles. “Can’t complain. Except maybe that you don’t come in nearly enough to see me.”
“Phones work both ways,” I tease her, but she’s right. Even though we live in the same town, we don’t make nearly enough time for each other as we should.
“Well, if anyone knows what it’s like to work hard to make your dream succeed, it’s you.”
I follow her toward the register.
“Will has really come a long way with this place—it’s amazing.”
“You and your friends should do some of your writing nights here,” she suggests.
“We tried that once before this place opened, and we spent more time being approached by fans or people we knew. We didn’t get much done.”
“Oh, yourfans.” She rolls her eyes. “Wind Valley isn’t big enough to be bombarded by fans, Beck.”
“That doesn’t mean we don’t have them.”
“Probably more than in Melody. That’s no joke. Especially when it comes to the local bookstore.”
She slides a black coffee toward me with a laugh, and I hand her cash. She waves me off, so I drop it in the tip jar.
The local bookstore in Melody she’s referring to is to the one that Calla and Simon’s parents own. Calla once mentioned that she didn’t like my books, and my sister has never let it go. She loves to remind me every chance she gets. Little does she know.
A few more people trickle in, so I say a quick goodbye. It’s when I step outside that a thought occurs to me. My sister might be a good person for me to confide in about my current situation.
Then again, it’s probably best not to bring family into this. Especially not mine. If any of them find out I’m married, they will freak out. Not in the “you got married without us” way. More of the “yay, we can’t believe it! Let’s celebrate” way. Which is great, yeah, if both parties actually want to be married.
