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“Beau?” Is he here? If he is, it means last night happened—the good, the bad, and the ugly.
As I turn the corner he’s not fighting a fire, he’s fighting the wall fire alarm. Curse words stream from Beau’s mouth.
I rest my body against the wall, staring at Beau’s naked back. How his muscles contort and how his shoulder dimples when he moves a certain way. I love how the curls of my hair drawn on his skin waves as he finally pulls the entire alarm out of the wall and the beeping stops.
He turns around and our gaze collides, and we both look away. “Hey. Sorry I woke you up.”
His jeans are unbuttoned, and his light-blue boxers are peeking out. The sides of his torso have tiny scars all over his skin. Last night, at his house, I was lost in the touch of his hands and the feel of his lips on me. He stole my breath when we were young and still does to this day.
Am I supposed to kiss him good morning? We’re in a strange place after last night’s confessions.
“It looks like you need help.” I shoot him a half-grin.
He approaches me slowly and hesitates before reaching for my hand. “I wanted to make you breakfast but I burnt the toast in the oven. I did manage the bacon and eggs.”
Nothing could be sexier than Beau in this moment where he failed at something. I’ve never seen him fail at anything. But when he leans down, kissing my forehead, I’m done. He has me if he wants me.
“Thanks. Can you open up the French doors while I make some new toast. Do you still like sourdough bread?”
He opens the French doors and says, “I do.”
“Great, Mrs. Potts baked some a few days ago and brought me a loaf of it to work.” I butter it and place it in the oven, leaving the oven door slightly open, like my dad taught me. “Would you like orange juice?”
“I have coffee.”
Uncertainty fills the air, both of us walking on eggshells, not knowing where we stand.
I didn’t know Beau and Beckett had a fight the night I kissed his brother. We were both blindsided, but I need to know how he feels, today.
I hand him my white ceramic plates that have raised white dots around the edge. He spoons out the eggs and places the bacon on the plate. Then I add the sourdough toast and grab my juice.
We sit at the kitchen table that’s overlooking the patio and the vast green space surrounding my house.
He finally breaks the silence. “This sourdough is amazing.” His teeth bite into it, and I watch his jaw chewing his food; even the muscles of his jaw are sexy.
“I know, right? Maybe Mrs. Potts should start a bakery.”
“Sorry about the fire alarm. The damn thing wouldn’t shut off. Ben’s people called so at least we know everything is working.” He chuckles. “I wanted to serve you breakfast in bed. You were exhausted.”
My hand glides over his arm. “I’m not sure I can eat until…until we talk about where we go from here. I’ve spent my life in limbo since that night, and I just can’t do that anymore.”
He pulls on my arm. “Come here.” He scoots his chair, pulling me into his lap. “I want what I’ve always wanted, to make you smile. To feel your heartbeat against mine.”
“What about Beckett?”
He blows out a sigh and ducks his head into my chest. His blonde hair is messy, and I kiss his head. “Would you have said yes to being his girlfriend when I gave you the note if you knew it was from him?”
“No, because you were the one I liked.”
“Back then, we were essentially the same person. Wore our hair the same way, although he was a tad taller, and we did everything together.”
I lift his chin to look me in the eyes. “You were different to me. There was something at the end of your smile that was different. Like I was the only person in the world that would ever seethatsmile.”
“I miss him, Nessa. I haven’t seen or talked to him since that night. I can say the war kept me from seeing him but when I had leave from the military, my parents would meet me somewhere for a vacation. They gave me small updates, like he had moved to Kansas City then to Louisville. No girlfriend. I don’t think they know about what you told me.”
“That he tried to kill himself?”
Nodding, he says, “I think my parents would have told me.”
