I’d woken up that morning with a woman in my bed and didn’t have sex with her. I didn’t have the ‘talk.’ I didn’t sneak out. I didn’t freak out. I did, however, keep that woman close to me all night and wished all my mornings started the same way. I did get up and make her coffee. I did tell her how beautiful she was. And I did tell her I’d call her, and meant it.

Taylor Hamilton had me tied up in knots. She totally blindsided me the first time we met, then swept my feet from under me the second. The third time, she burrowed so far under my skin, I had an itch I couldn’t scratch until I made her mine. I’d never been in love before, but I was halfway there with Taylor. The possibilities were endless and exciting. Being with this one woman for the rest of my life didn’t even scare me.

I’d screwed through so many women it was embarrassing, not a bragging point like I’d once thought. Since the age of fifteen, sex had been my thing. I loved it, didn’t care who gave it, I was having it. What I was looking for or running from, I had no idea, thinking back on the way I used to live my life - I was downright ashamed. I’d never led anyone on, always made sure every lady I’d fucked around with knew the score. No strings. Just a good time and a place to sink my dick and let off steam for a few hours. That’s what we blokes did, right? Plenty women wanted the same thing. I didn’t leave a string of broken hearts behind me and never promised anything I couldn’t or wouldn’t deliver on. Only one got messy, and to this day I maintained I wasn’t the one to blame.

I’d examined Lucca’s life long ago and decided there was no fucking way I was signing up for that crock of shit. Poor bastard. His gold digging, bitch of a wife would have been enough to scare anyone from thinking about settling down. Stella saw Lucca coming a mile off, sank those claws in deep and refused to let go. He’d lived a life of hell for a long time. For not having ever wanted to hit a woman, I’d come close with Stella more than once. I was so ready for her shit to be done. Lucca was ready for it too, whether he was fully aware or not. He had so much to give if only he could get out from under the poisonous bitch he’d married. Stella had cheated and lied her way through twenty years of marriage, destroying my best friend in the process. She’d sucked him so dry it was too painful to watch anymore.

Lucca didn’t know half the shit his wife had gotten up to over the twenty years of hell he’d endured. In retrospect, I think he chose not to, it was his way of dealing. Extremely clever or extremely stupid? I wasn’t sure. I almost, almost, entertained the invitations she threw at me on a regular basis to fuck her, just so I could put the final nail in the coffin and he’d leave. I couldn’t do it. My betrayal would have killed him. I wasn’t losing my best friend over a woman who wasn’t even worth the shit on the bottom of my size tens. I loved the man too much.

Now there was Taylor...

A woman who was turning my life upside down in all the best possible ways. We hadn’t slept together this time around - yet. I hadn’t had sex for about seven months and was enjoying the taking it slow thing we were doing. Reconnecting, getting to know each other, learning how we liked things. I wanted to show her what we were building was special, to show her I wanted ‘home’ like I’d said. My poor dick hated me.

Me and my clever ideas, huh?

Only this time I had Lucca with me - all in. We were both unconsciously searching for the same thing when I’d brought him down to Beaufort. I was sizing up a new way to start my life with Taylor, Lucca was just hoping for a start. He didn’t like the idea initially, more down to location than anything else, I couldn’t blame him. Our history down South was deep and complicated. As long as we didn’t get dragged back into old vendettas supposedly long dead, all would be well. Lucca made ridiculously smart business decisions even if his personal ones were poor. I wanted him here with me, I wasn’t ready for our professional lives together, to be over.

All in, was all in.

I could feel in my bones that it was the right decision to make, a life changing decision, for us both. He needed that final push, so I lent him a hand. And now? Now, we were standing in the middle of the old Lewis restaurant we’d bought, talking about going to the local bar.

It was time he met my girlfriend, my future wife, my baby maker. Because I sure as hell was having babies with that beauty of a woman. I sure as hell was putting a ring on her finger. And if I had to piss on her to mark my territory, then hell yes, I’d do that too.

* * *

I was pissed at Lucca, furious with Stella. Of course, Lucca slinked off when she’d called. What the fuck was she doing? Why couldn’t she leave him the fuck alone?

The minute I saw Taylor and her sister come into the bar, my irritation settled. I was nervous to meet Laura. The initial wave of guardedness she gave off when I’d met her, soon melted away the more we drank and got comfortable with one another. She was a contradiction - shy and reserved but a hoot of a laugh in the next breath.

Now, the girls were dancing like there was no tomorrow and it was the best night I’d had out in ages. Lucca, the douche, didn’t know what he was missing. I’d texted him our selfie, hoping the poor sod was kicking himself for picking up his bitch of an ex-wife instead of sitting next to Taylor’s very attractive sister. Both girls were beautiful, yet not pretentiously so, they didn’t seem to care that they were getting sweaty dancing, or that their lipstick had rubbed off hours before. Together, they had a carefree attitude I’d not seen in Taylor until then, these girls were close. Closer than even Lucca and me.

I couldn’t take my eyes off my girlfriend. The muscle in my chest thumped harder as I eyed Taylor up and down. I was so seriously screwed over her, I barely knew what day of the week it was half the time. Watching both women fooling around and dancing with one another ignited excitement in me and I wished my buddy was here, he could’ve let go for a few hours. He would have enjoyed himself, put his troubles aside for a few hours. I’d no doubt him and Laura would have made firm friends. It was plain to see she had deep, dark secrets. It was in the way she held herself, the way she looked around as if unsure. The way she clung to Taylor. Not a bad way, just an awareness, like she couldn’t fully relax and was always looking over her shoulder. Laura and Lucca shared these things in common. While I knew what haunted Lucca, I had no idea what plagued Laura. Taylor talked of her sister often, surface stuff really, nothing that would tell me of her past, she assured me that both felt safe in Beaufort and that went a long way to helping me lighten up.

We spent the night talking and laughing, the girls sometimes dancing. It was the most natural thing in the world and I found myself hoping Laura liked me. She’d be an awesome friend to have. I’d reined in my wandering hands and overtly possessive behaviour, so I didn’t annoy Laura. I didn’t think it mattered. Laura was much like Taylor – if her sister was happy and safe, she didn’t seem to care all that much what she was getting up to. Not once did I want to hurry the night along, I was quite happy where I was, letting Taylor slip under my skin a little more and getting to know her sister.

So yeah, I thought I’d found my home. Right there in sleepy little Beaufort. Right there with Taylor. Life was just beginning.

Stumbling out the bar at around midnight, we carried on like teenagers high on life. It felt so fucking good even if I was disappointed Lucca had left. I offered to walk the ladies home and we skipped down the road like a scene from The Wizard of Oz; arms linked, jaunty steps. Laura was on one arm, Taylor on the other and I was King of the fucking world for a night.

This was what I wanted. The girlfriend, the best buddy and maybe, just maybe, the sister-like friend. I was done with fucking around, tonight compounding the fact. I leaned over and nuzzled into Taylor’s neck as she dragged us along the road. I was one happy motherfucker and wanted to shout it to the world.

My phone vibrated in my pocket as we stopped to cross the last road before reaching Laura’s place. Untangling the girls’ arms from me, I scooped out the nuisance phone sensing it was Lucca before I even answered. Who else would it be at this time of night? I figured he’d be asking if I was coming home so I could save him from Stella. He’d not asked where I’d been sleeping since we’d arrived in Beaufort, he knew the score; Taylor wasn’t a flavour of the month. He didn’t need to worry who’s bed I was lying in. I’d kept it in my pants since I’d first laid eyes on her again in that goddamned awful hotel suite that night. Those scenes sobered me up real quick.

Shaking my head clear, I swiped open the text icon and knew within a split second something wasn’t right.

Lucca: @ Docks

“Shit.” I shrugged out of Taylor’s hold.

“What’s wrong?”

Realising I’d somewhat scared her, I drew her in closer and showed her Lucca’s text message. She reached up, kissed my nose and whispered ‘go’ before pulling away.

Not hesitating, I hightailed it in the direction of the pier, sobering quickly. I ran back the way we’d walked and raced down the boardwalk, my heavy boots slipping on the frosted planks as I searched frantically for Lucca.

I only slowed when I saw my friend swaying at the end, a few feet away. I hurried to him as he plonked his arse down in front of our restaurant, a bottle of Jack Daniels tipped to his lips. He guzzled it down like his life depended on it. This was not my bro at all. He didn’t drink from a bottle, never mind Jack.

Cautiously scanning his body for any signs of injury, which was the norm after Stella went at him, I sighed in relief when none were evident. It was a sick feeling looking for signs of blood on your best friend, tonight I saw none thankfully. His feet grabbed my attention.

Mid-winter and he’s sitting outside with no shoes on?

I shifted nearer when he looked up, sensing me there. I gave him a tight-lipped look as I reached down to untie my boots, hauling them off. Crouching next to Lucca, unable to gauge his mood, I worked on getting his ice-cold feet into my warm boots. The desolate look plastered on his face was all too familiar, one that gutted me. Gravely taking him in, I saw it all. More than despair, more than hurt, more than tired.

Lucca was broken.

The bitch had finally done it.

Swiping the bottle from his hand, I threw it into the water behind us. All I could think to do was pull him into me, and hug the shit out of him. I held him the tightest I’d ever held anything in my life, hoping he could take some strength from me. He didn’t need any words. Not now, not here. He hesitated when I squeezed him closer, my heart breaking as he did.

There was no coming back from this moment, the final straw had finally broken.

Lucca lost his fight and clutched at me, his strong arms came around my waist and held on. His hands gripped at the back of my coat and he sobbed. The man I’d always looked up to and admired my whole life, cried. His desolation tearing me to shreds.

We hung on to one another a long while, the iciness numbing my fingers and the tips of my ears. I refused to let go. The pain I encountered seeing my man like this was unbearable and eventually I collapsed into him too. Lucca falling apart in my arms was agonising, I didn’t even know who was holding who up anymore. For the first time in my life, I let my own tears fall unbidden, right along with my brother’s.