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Chapter 9
SEAN
I trudge up the stairs with an exhausted Georgie slumped over my shoulder, gently snoring. It was a massive day for her after all the riding, the running around, and the games with her cousins and uncles. Not to mention, she insisted on helping me wash her four-wheeler before bailing when it was time to clean my dirt bike.
Pushing through to her bedroom, I lay her down in her bed and switch on the baby monitor before kissing her forehead and heading back downstairs. I grab two beers out of the fridge and hand one to Tom before dropping down onto the opposite couch, utterly exhausted.
Tom watches me with a curious stare, the same one he’s been giving me all day, but doesn’t say a word, and it’s driving me insane. I know exactly what this is about, and I’m almost daring him to bring it up. “Dude, what the fuck?” I question, ready to have this out.
His lips pull into a thin line, and I can see him debating if he actually wants to ask me what’s on his mind. Then with a breath, the bastard lets me have it. “What’s the deal with this chick?”
“You mean Gigi?” I ask, knowing damn well that’s who he’s referring to.
“Yeah, her,” he grunts with distaste, making it clear he doesn’t approve of her, though I have no fucking idea why. She was great with my family, not that there’s anything to approve of in the first place. “Is there something going on between you two?”
“No,” I scoff. “Logan invited her out so we could thank her. I told you what she did for Georgie. It’s called being nice, something you could learn from.”
He rolls his eyes and it has me itching to drop him. “So, there’s nothing going on then?”
“Nope,” I lie, knowing that after a lifetime of friendship, he can see right through me.
“Get fucked. Stop lying,” he grunts, getting worked up. “You doubled with her on your bike. You pissed off for half an hour. You looked like someone kicked your fucking dog when she left. And then you watched your phone all afternoon, hoping she’d text you back.”
I shake my head, ready to deny it until I’m blue in the face. “It’s not like that,” I say, realizing for a fucking top-notch lawyer, I’m a shitty liar. I should probably work on that.
“That’s fucking bullshit and you know it,” he says, “Then tell me, what’s it like?”
“I don’t know, she’s a cool chick.” I shrug. “What’s your fucking problem?”
“Really?” he questions, not buying my casual attitude.
“Really,” I confirm. “She’s just . . . I don’t know. She’s cool, a breath of fresh air. And for the first time in ages, I wasn’t sitting there today, watching my family being in love with their partners and feeling like a fucking third wheel to them all. I’m not with Gigi if that’s what you’re asking, but it was fucking nice having company for a change.”
“Okay,” he scoffs, giving in and leaning back into the couch, clearly not on board with a damn thing I’m saying. Tom was great friends with Sara, they loved each other like siblings, so it’s damn clear where all this bullshit is coming from. Hell, I fucking get it myself. I’ve struggled with the guilt all day.
Leaning forward, I rest my elbows on my knees and look down at the floor, not wanting to meet his eye. “Relax, alright. Yes, I think Gigi is fucking awesome. Yes, I might be attracted to her, and yes, she’s the first girl to make me smile in a long time, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about Sara. I’m not replacing her, and I never will.”
“Better not,” he grunts under his breath.
“Look,” I say, deciding it’s best to be upfront with him. “Logan’s been talking about me starting to date again, and I think it’s not a bad idea. It’s not an easy pill to swallow, but he’s right.”
A scowl settles across Tom’s face, and I hate that I’ve put it there. “You’ve got to be shitting me,” he says with a shake of his head. “So, because Logan thinks it’s a good idea, you’re just going to go along with it?”
“Don’t give me that shit,” I snap. Logan and Tom have been thorns in my side since we were teenagers, and the two of them have constantly butted heads. “This isn’t fucking easy for me, Tom. You lost a friend, but I lost my fucking wife, the mother of my child. She was the only woman I’ve ever loved, and in the blink of an eye, she was gone. I didn’t even get to say goodbye. It fucking kills me to even think about starting to move on, but I have to for me and Georgia,” I say. “But just because you’re holding on to the past doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try to find some semblance of happiness. Or would you prefer I just stayed this way, fucking miserable and pining for someone who’s never coming back?”
