Rylie’s been yawning non-stop since we walked into the house, and I’m not convinced she’s going to stay awake long enough to make it upstairs to her bed.
“I’m going to shower,” she announces with a yawn that shakes her entire body.
“You sure you’re going to be able to stay standing?” I tease, hanging my coat beside hers in the mudroom.
“You offering to hold me up?” she says, waggling her eyebrows at me.
“I thought you said only sleeping?” I point out.
“I did.” Rylie yawns again and then gives me a knowing look while she wipes away tears from the corners of her eyes.
Up the stairs, she trudges in front of me, and I can’t help but watch her ass with each step.
“Stop staring at my a-ass,” she scolds with a yawn in the middle of the word.
“That’s like asking me to stop breathing.”
“So dramatic,” she says with a giggle. “Make yourself comfortable.” Rylie gestures to her bed while she gathers clothing to put on after her shower.
“I think I’ll take a shower after you’re done,” I tell her.
“Yeah, that grime from the shop just kind of finds its way onto everything,” she acknowledges, nodding sagely. “Don’t do too much snooping while I’m gone.” She heads into the bathroom with a wink.
Shaking my head, I begin emptying my pockets onto the bedside table. The muffled sound of running water fills the room and I begin to wander, glancing at the picture frames stationed around the room. Most of the photos are of Rylie and her brothers, or her with their dad. It’s not until I’ve been perusing for a good five minutes that I find a photo with her and I, our arms laid across one another’s shoulders. Well, it used to have Wade on my other side and Jaron on hers.
“I thought I said no snooping?” Rylie says with a giggle when the bathroom door opens and she catches me staring at the photo.
“Is it really snooping if it’s out in the open?” I inquire, pointing to the picture of us.
“I suppose not.” She comes closer and grins when she sees which frame I’m studying. “I’d like to think I improved the picture by getting rid of Wade and Jaron.”
“I’m surprised you still have it up,” I tell her, trying to recall when exactly the picture was taken.
“I haven’t had much time for redecorating,” she explains with a shrug and another yawn.
“That was at Wade’s college graduation, wasn’t it?” I can barely remember the day, or seeing Rylie. I’m pretty sure I was already blitzed by the time she showed up to the party. I look drunk in the picture.
“Yep. I was eighteen and hoping you’d finally seen the light and realized how awesome I am. But you were being too much of a drunken idiot.” She shrugs and then smirks. “I guess it just took eight years for the realization to hit you.”
I bark out a laugh.
“Shower’s all yours,” she advises with another yawn as she crawls under the covers. “I’m just going to forewarn you, I’ll probably be asleep by the time you get back out here.”
“Then, goodnight beautiful,” I tell her, planting a kiss on her forehead.
A dreamy smile pulls up the corners of her mouth, but her eyes remain closed.
When I return from my shower, Rylie is completely passed out, complete with her mouth hanging open as she breathes. She wasn’t kidding about her level of exhaustion. Carefully, so I don’t wake her, I slide between the sheets and wrap my body around hers.
A murmur sounds from her and she burrows deeper into her pillow, a smile on her face.
I fall asleep beside her with a mirroring smile on my lips.
***
“Hey!” Wade calls out from somewhere in the townhouse the moment I walk through the door in the morning. “Where the hell have you been?”
I round the corner to find him pouring coffee into a mug, but he’s still dressed in his pajamas. I suppose without going to the shop and his new job not starting for a few weeks, he’s got nowhere to be.
“Out,” I tell him, finding it difficult not to let my frustration with him bleed into my tone.
“With the girl from the other night, again?” he asks, with a grin.
“Yep.”
“Who is she? Is it that Shayla chick who works at your shop? Because she’s fucking hot.”
I debate for a moment on whether or not I should tell him the truth. In reality, it’s none of his business, but I’d like to think we’re still somewhat friends. “Your sister,” I admit, point-blank. No point in beating around the bush.
“You’re funny,” Wade says with a laugh, then his expression sobers when he realizes I’m serious. “You better be messing with me,” he warns.
“I’m not. Rylie and I have been seeing each other.”
“You’re fucking my sister?” Wade roars, his expression turning murderous. “This better be a joke.”
“It’s not, Wade.” I attempt to keep my voice as calm as possible.
“You son of a bitch,” he growls, lunging for me.
His fist connects with my cheek, snapping my head to the side. I don’t even have a chance to recover before he gets in another hit. I should have been expecting this, really. But I was hoping I could keep the situation from escalating to this level. I should have known better.
“Fucking traitor,” he howls, throwing another punch.
This one, I manage to block and get in my own hook, knocking his nose. Wade cries out, holding his nose and falling backward, leveling me with a glare. I manage to pull myself to my feet and stagger back a few steps from him, my chest heaving and my body vibrating with the adrenaline coursing through me.
Grabbing a paper towel from the counter, I toss it to him to mop up the blood pouring from his nose. It doesn’t look like I broke it, but he’s going to have at least one black eye. Stretching the side of my face where his fist connected, I’m pretty damn sure I’ll be sporting one myself.
“Fuck you, Nolan,” he spits. “I guess it’s a good thing I signed the lease on my new place, then I don’t have to hear you fucking my sister.”
I just shake my head, I’m not sure if Wade will ever be okay with me and Rylie together. But he’s doing a pretty damn good job alienating himself from all his family and friends. “That’s why you didn’t have money for rent,” I conclude, adding together in my head what it would cost him for the deposit, first, and last month’s rent at the new place. “When were you going to tell me you’re moving?”
“When I got a few minutes where you weren’t fucking my sister,” Wade sneers.
“Fuck off.” Shaking my head, I stride into my bedroom and change into clean clothes to head to work. I don’t have time for my roommate’s bullshit. Unlike him, I’ve got a business to run.
“We’re not done here,” Wade continues to argue, following me down the hall.
“Yes, we are. I don’t have time for your bullshit, Wade. I have to get to the shop,” I tell him as I push past toward the front door, clean clothes in hand. I’ll change in my office. “Have fun in your solitude.”
“What the hell’s that supposed to mean?” he calls after me.
Shaking my head, I jog out to my car. Does he really not realize he’s pushed away everyone in his life? The entire drive to the shop, I keep replaying the fight with him. I could have told him about Rylie from the very beginning. Then again, he could have told me about moving as soon as he made the decision—and it sounds like he did that even before he got the new job. The bottom line is, neither of us are blameless in all this, but at least I can take solace in knowing I’ve owned up to my share of the fault.
“Jesus, what happened to you?” Shayla asks, her voice aghast when I push through the front doors of Ansel’s Body Shop.
I almost forgot about Wade’s jab to my face. Running my fingers over the tender skin, I let out a hiss and wince at the pain. “Disagreement with the roommate,” I tell her.
“Looks like some disagreement,” she mumbles, her eyes wide.
“Thanks for opening up the shop.”
Cocking her head to the side, she looks me over, pursing her lips as she does. “This is about a woman, isn’t it?”
Color me surprised. Shayla and I aren’t terribly close. I’d say we’re work friends, but not really any more than that.
“Don’t look so surprised. I think you forget I work at a bar most nights. I’ve seen it all. Whoever she is, I hope she’s worth that black eye you’re going to have,” Shayla says with a smirk.
“She is,” I reassure her, heading into my office.
“A little heads up next time you’re going to be late would be nice,” she calls after me. “Otherwise I’m going to have to increase my rates if you want me opening the shop every morning.”
“I’ll take it under advisement,” I holler back, closing my office door behind me.
Dropping into my chair, I switch on my computer. While I wait for it to boot up, I brush my finger over my battle wound.
Damn, that stings.
It was no lie when I told Shayla that Rylie is worth it, I’d take more than a couple punches for her. I fish my phone from my pocket and notice I’ve got a message. I smile when I read the message from Rylie inviting me over for dinner tonight. Not even the pain in my face can dull the excitement.
Boy, do I have a good story to tell her tonight.