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“Sorry,” I say. “What’s up?”
“What’s up withyou, man?” asks Sean, the youngest of us Reynolds brothers. “It looked like you were on another planet just then.”
“Yeah, are you okay?” asks Chase. Both he and Wyatt are looking at me with the type of concern that only older brothers can pull off.
“Yeah, yeah, I’m—” I start to say, but then I change my mind and admit, “No. I’m not okay, actually.”
My brothers keep their eyes on me, waiting for me to go on.
I exhale a long breath. “It’s about Haley. We slept together last night.”
Three pairs of eyebrows raise in surprise.
“Whoa,” says Wyatt. “Really, Mase? She’s your best friend.”
“Yeah, Iknowthat,” I say a little too sharply. “Sorry. I’m just frustrated and confused right now. I thought she was as into it as I was, and I fell asleep last night with her in my arms…then, this morning, I woke up and she was gone. No goodbye or anything. I know she had to go to work early, but still. It feels weird. And she’s not answering my texts.”
“Shit, man.”
“That sucks.”
“Sorry, Mase.”
I nod, appreciating my brothers’ sympathies. “I’m trying not to read too much into it. I know her boss doesn’t like her checking her phone when she’s at work. But I just have this gnawing feeling that I fucked up.”
“How sure are you that she was into it last night?” Chase asks carefully.
Protectiveness flares in my chest. So do potent memories of last night. Her pink, virgin pussy. Her moans. Her squirting when she came. “I’m not going into details. That’s between me and her. But if she wasn’t actually as into it as she seemed, then she’s damn good at faking it.”
Chase holds up his hands. “I wasn’t asking for details. It was just a question.”
“It wasn’t just the sex. It was the way she kissed me. The way she looked at me.” I sigh deeply. “I don’t know. Fuck. I don’t know what to think.”
“Go talk to her,” says Wyatt.
“She’s working.”
“So go there and talk to her. Even if it’s just for a few minutes. She gets breaks, doesn’t she?”
That’s true. Wyatt does have a point. I check my watch. Haley usually takes her lunch break around now. Maybe I can catch her in time.
“You guys mind if I duck out early?” I ask, already reaching for my wallet to pay for what I ordered.
All three of my brothers encourage me to go. I thank them and throw my coat on. I’m about to rush off, but then I pause and set a hand on Wyatt’s shoulder.
“Hey, real quick, before I go—how are things with you and Macy? Everything still good?”
Warmth spreads over my older brother’s face as he thinks about his relationship. Macy is a family friend, and he recently hired her for seasonal work; then sparks flew, and now they’re together, a surprise to us all.
“Yeah,” says Wyatt. “Macy and I are really good. I’ll tell you about it another time.” He nods his chin toward the restaurant door. “Now go figure things out with your girl.”
* * *
On my way to Lonnie’s Bakery, I grab the biggest bouquet that our local grocery store has. It feels over the top, me running down the street with thirty-six red roses in hand, but I don’t care. I want Haley to know that last night wasn’t just some fluke to me, and it definitely wasn’t just sex. When I was inside of her, it felt right like nothing else ever has. It felt like that was where I belong.
I’m almost out of breath as I burst into the bakery, and the handful of customers inside the shop all turn to look at me with curious eyes. I ignore their stares and meet the unhappy gaze of Haley’s boss, Lonnie.
“I need to talk to Haley,” I say.
