AllFreeNovel
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It’s easy to get lost in the comfort of home.
We’ve been coming here together for years and would typically all watch the fireworks on the beach, but everyone’s been given instructions for tonight. Brady wants us to stay here until the first burst of colors explodes in the sky. Then we can join them.
Of course, my sister has no clue what’s happening.
“Come on, guys,” Nattie pleads. “You can’t be party poopers. The fireworks are starting in a minute. Who wants to go sit on the beach with me?” she pouts.
“Sorry, Nat. I got sunburnt today and don’t feel like getting sandy again.” Lenny’s sitting on Sebastian’s lap, not looking anything like the football heiress she truly is. Content in a way I don’t know Carys and I can ever achieve in front of these people.
Sabrina stretches and places her long legs on Murphy’s lap, then closes her eyes. “I’m just so comfy, Nat.”
“Whatever. You guys all suck.” My sister turns to Brady, completely oblivious to his nerves. “You’ll come with me. Right, QB?”
“Anywhere, Nattie.” He tugs her toward the stairs leading down to the beach and grabs the blanket from the railing.
But Nattie stops and looks my way. “You coming with, Coop?”
“Yeah, that would be a no.” I tilt my beer toward them. “Have fun. I get enough sand every day, sis.”
She pouts for a minute before turning down the steps.
I watch Brady follow her onto the beach, then let my eyes roam over my friends—each coupled up with their girls, happily engaged—then stop on Carys and Chloe whispering to each other. And while she and I agreed we both wanted to keep this thing between us to ourselves for now, I can’t help but be jealous of the way my friends can all enjoy being with their women, while I sit on the opposite end of the table, being careful not to get caught staring at mine.
She’s wearing a black strapless top, that’s tight and crinkly around her chest and loose down to her hips, with a pair of white shorts. None of her laces or bows tonight. Her normally pale skin is sun-kissed, and her dark hair is down and wavy around her shoulders, blowing in the ocean breeze. Her laughter is intoxicating. I want another taste of her skin so fucking bad.
And she has no idea as she sits there, ignoring me.
I tear my eyes away from her when Chloe jumps up and runs inside to grab her camera. “It’s almost time,” she cheers.
Bash picks up Lenny’s hand and kisses her ring finger. “I swear, I figured Brady and Nat would have been the first of us to get engaged.”
“Yeah, man. Me too.” Murph stands and tugs Sabrina to her feet, then punches me in the shoulder. “You gonna stop giving him a hard time about kissing your sister now, Coop?”
Yeah.
I might need to lay off on that one, considering all the ways I want to make Murph’s sister scream.
* * *
Nattie said yes, to absolutely no one’s surprise.
She’s already announced she wants to get married next summer and asked me if I knew when I’d be deployed. I think she might have even picked a date, but I can’t be sure. I’ve never seen my twin so damn excited, and I’m happy for her. I am. But it seems like the happier Nattie and Brady become, the more Carys avoids me.
I know we’re complicated, but I don’t back down from a challenge. And I’ve never been so damn sure about anything as I am about my feelings for Carys Murphy.
As the celebration winds down, I watch her hug Nattie, then turn to leave. So, I kiss my sister and say my goodbyes, then quickly catch up with Carys on the beach.
“Hey. You gonna leave without saying goodbye?”
“You should go back, Coop. Go celebrate. I’m going to bed.” She walks a few steps ahead of me down the sand without turning around, making it past Declan’s house and into Dad’s backyard before the first raindrop falls. But even the rain can’t hide her tears when she finally looks at me.
I pull her back under the covering of the second-floor balcony, hidden from view and the rain, then cradle her head. “You want to tell me what’s wrong?”
“Nothing...” She sighs and looks beyond me, instead ofatme, worrying her bottom lip and holding back a sob. “Everything... I don’t fucking know, Cooper. Maybe this whole thing is a mistake.”
Fuck that.
“Eyes on me, Carys.” When her gorgeous green eyes lock on mine, I refuse to let them go. “We arenota mistake.” She takes a deep breath but doesn’t say anything. “Tell me what’s going on in that beautiful brain, baby.”
