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“See you soon. Love you, too, Sis.” Andrea ends the call with Adalyn and gives my phone back.
I type a quick message to Charlie: Are you two headed to Adalyn’s yet?
It only takes her a moment to reply.
Charlie: Yes, sir. We’re leaving the café now. You should have seen their faces when they realized I wasn’t Andrea. They scrambled back to their vans and took off towards Jack and Andrea’s. LOL!
Before I think about what I’m saying, I type my message and send it.
You’re the best, babe. See you soon.
When I put my phone away, I catch Jack smirking at me out of the corner of my eye. I don’t address it, and thankfully, neither does he. Andrea must not be paying attention because she would have called me out for smiling at my phone like that for sure.
When we arrive, the party is in full swing, and everyone seems to be having a great time. My eyes find Charlie across the room for the hundredth time today. It’s killing me that I can’t just walk over and put my arms around her.
My gaze slides over her long, tanned legs on full display in her summer dress. Her legs are propped up on the coffee table in front of her. The deep emerald green shade of her dress makes her hair and eyes pop. I groan mentally and try to discreetly adjust myself. My cock has remained in a perma-hard state since she got here a few hours ago with SJ.
It takes an enormous amount of effort to divert my eyes, but I finally do and turn back to join the conversation with Jack, Joe, Nathan, and SJ. We’re sitting around a bonfire with the back patio doors wide open where we can see all the girls sitting on the couches in the living room.
I can’t help but glance back over, searching for Charlie only to find her and Andrea cutting up with each other. Andrea’s head is thrown back in a hysterical laugh, and Charlie has a mischievous look on her face.
That girl is always up to no good, but she’s the life of the party. I’ve started to realize how much happiness she brings to mine. My chest aches. I rub the spot on my sternum and pry my eyes away from her once again.
“I know you worry about her, about both of them.” Joe’s voice pulls me from my wayward thoughts about Charlie.
I furrow my brow in confusion, then immediately straighten it out once I figure out who he’s talking about. My mind was on Charlie, and that’s where my thoughts immediately went.
Joe has leaned over to speak directly to me. Nathan and Jack are deep in a conversation about a bachelor party. I make a note to try to pull together something special for Jack. It’s the least I can do after everything he has done for Andrea.
I nod. “Yes, probably too much. I know they’re grown and have their own lives, but I’ve spent too many years worrying about their futures. I can’t just turn it off.”
“It wasn’t your job or concern as a child, just as it isn’t now. I can tell how much you love them, but you have to live your own life, kid.”
I take a sip of my beer and nod again. If he only knew how much of my youth was robbed. How many nights I lay awake, worrying I’d made the wrong decision and their choices would be taken away, anyway.
“That’s easier said than done.”
He shrugs. “That may be, but I bet it’s a hell of a lot harder to hold onto those burdens. They want you to be just as happy as they are.”
I look over at Andrea and Addy. Their eyes are full of joy, their hearts full of love. Then I glance over at Charlie because my eyes can’t stay off her for longer than a few minutes. Plus, I’m a glutton for punishment.
I find her watching me, her eyes alight with happiness. There’s an unmistakable sexy smirk on her face. An unstoppable smile overtakes my expression. This woman makes me feel lighter and freer than I have in years. My soul yearns for more of it.
Just then, Andrea shrieks and jumps up from the couch as she frantically looks for something. I’m out of my seat heading straight towards her when I hear her holler out.
“Where is the damn remote?!”
Charlie and Addy stand, already helping her look. Irene’s gaze is glued to the TV. I follow it to find a breaking news report scrolling across the screen.
“What’s wrong?” Jack asks as he hurries into the living room. Nathan, SJ, and Joe follow right behind him.
“Auntie Andrea needs the remote, Jack! Didn’t you hear her?” Sophia’s sass is almost enough to make me laugh, but then I remember the breaking news banner.
“Ahhh! There it is!” Andrea turns and pushes the button on the remote for the volume. The news anchor’s voice comes in loud and clear in the almost silent living room now.
“This just in: Anthony Morales, a key witness in the Christopher Gates trial—a senator from California who is accused of attempted murder, embezzlement, along with a slew of other charges—has recanted his bombshell testimony from last week.”
“Morales was a key witness for the defense, alleging that Andrea Shaw—Gates’ former fiancée—was actually a mastermind in the embezzlement scheme. His defense lawyers even went as far as to say that Gates was acting in self-defense against Shaw when she was shot in the shoulder by Gates.”
