She joined Grace, and the weight in my chest felt lighter. Samantha would keep coming back if I paid her again, and Christopher would continue to upset me if I let him.
I needed to take a stance…I just wasn’t sure how.
Monthly Sunday Brunchand Bags was a dumb yet important tradition as we all moved on from college and started our lives. We never missed it, and it was the promise to each other to always stay in each other’s lives. Since Grace and Brock had a house, we tended to meet in their backyard where we grilled out, had a few mimosas, and caught up. Grace and Fritz were midargument about the rules of Bags while Brock stood at the grill watching his wife with the same soft look that conflicted with his grumpy exterior. Seeing them together always caused a weird combination of joy and jealousy. He was so good to her, for her, and I would always be thankful they found each other.
“Stop cheating, you dumbass,” Grace yelled at Fritz as he tried to argue that you could bounce the bag of rice off the grass and onto the board. “Brock, tell him he’s wrong.”
“Fritz, you’re wrong.”
“Oh, beat me up, big guy,” he fired back, earning a middle finger from Brock.
I laughed, seeing the people I loved most in the world hang out, and enjoyed a nice long sip of orange juice and champagne.
“You still refusing to date anyone, or can I set you up with this adorable teacher at my school? She’s your type, Fritz, I swear,” Grace said.
“No.” His tone darkened, and just like that, the momentary bliss I felt evaporated like an ice cube in the Midwest summer.
“No, as in you are interested in someone else?”
“No, as in I’m not dating.” His jaw tightened, and I had to set my drink on the armrest to place my hands on my legs to hide the tremble. “Samantha sent me a message last night.”
“What?” Grace yelled, causing Brock to frown. Even the grump knew about the hell Fritz went through.
“Yeah. It said,hey you.” Every line on my brother’s face hardened, and I hated this woman even more.
“Did you respond? You can’t. Gilly, did you know this? Why now?” Grace said so fast, she didn’t breathe between statements. Her gaze moved to me.
I shrugged. “He told me.”
“I’m not responding. There’s nothing to say.” He took off his sunglasses and ran his hand over his face. “I shouldn’t have said anything. I can feel the anger off both of you. Let’s just…play bags and eat. I’m not in the mood to have you two analyze my emotional scars today.”
Grace snorted. “Fair enough. I will try to analyze you later though.”
Fritz grinned, and it eased the sudden tension for everyone else. Not me. I got up and excused myself. “I think I left something in my car. Be right back.”
They didn’t pay me any attention as I got up and used their side gate to move into the front yard. I needed to get it together. Like now. With a shaky breath, I moved my limbs like I was stretching before a game, and when I was done, I gasped at the vision in front of me.
Christopher was there. Shirtless and sweating and ten feet to my right. He took a long swig of water and some of it splashed on his very muscular chest, and my entire body tightened with need. He was so damn hot andoh my God.His body wasn’t even fair. Broad shoulders and defined biceps that made my toes curl into my sandals. He was effortlessly handsome and took care of himself, andshit.His attention moved to me and widened with the same panic mirroring my own reaction.
Time seemed to freeze for what could’ve been a minute, or maybe two hours. I wasn’t sure I cared. With his wet skin shining in the sunlight, I couldn’t look away. His gaze traveled from my face, down my body, stopping at my cleavage before moving to my legs, lingering there.
What is happening? Why is he next door? Where is his shirt? Can I take a picture?
His mouth parted, and despite the fact we didn’t get along, memories fromthatnight flushed through me. The way he used his hands, his mouth, his teeth. How defined his chest was and how hard his body felt when I explored every inch of it. He hid his body at work, and it was easy to ignore my attraction with all those sweaters and goofy outfits, but now…I shifted my weight back and forth between my feet the longer we stared at each other. Was he trying to remember why he hated me, too? Because if he told me to touch him right now, I would.
“No way!”
A young girl’s voice broke the moment, and I shook my head, blinking away my unwanted lust, and my eyes about bugged out of my head.
“Kayla?”
“Wait, you knowmy sister?” Christopher almost yelled as Kayla walked down the front porch and over the driveway toward me in ripped jeans and a large shirt.
“Yes! This is the woman I was telling you about yesterday. The one who has an awful coworker who really upset her.” Kayla beamed at me as my entire body turned red. She had no idea that her brother was the person I was referring to, but her brother definitely did.
I watched as he swallowed, hard. So hard I heard the click of his throat, and he had the gall to look at the ground.
“Do you live next door? That would be awesome!” she said, jumping up and down a bit. “This guy is my brother. Sorry, he’s in a bad mood because he and my dad were fighting about money, again.”
