Chapter 29
Adam
I knocked on the door to Tara’s parent’s house before letting myself in. She was in the kitchen where she was moving a batch of cookies onto a plate. It was pretty much the only thing she had any skill at cooking. This time they were my favorite; oversized M&M with oatmeal. She looked up and smiled, cocking her head at the bouquet of flowers in my hands.
Red tulips. They fit her well.
“What are you sucking up for?” she asked, her lips painted in a red that matched the flowers.
She’d finally gained back the weight from after the accident, but she was still leaner, having picked up yoga and pilates as a way to keep her mind busy. Not that she wasn’t busy enough doing our social media, managing our website and now, helping to book promo for our new album’s release. I leaned down and kissed her cheek, handing her the flowers.
“I can’t get my favorite gal flowers?”
“Favorite gal?” she pursed her lips, or tried to, but she was smiling too much. She covered it up by dipping her face into the tulips and inhaling.
“Yes,” I replied, stepping closer to her. My body was suddenly on autopilot because it wanted to be close to her as much as my heart desired it. My brain usually stopped me, but there was something about the way cookies sweet scent mixed with her cologne and that smile on her face.
Her smile softened, eyes lidded as she looked up at me. “I like that idea.”
Her cell phone vibrated against the counter, and she shook her head as if she was being pulled back into reality with it. Maybe it was the name on the screen that did it.
River.
She swiped her finger across the screen, and her mouth dropped slightly.
“What?” I asked, grabbing a cookie and shoving it in my mouth to erase the metallic taste of disappointment and temptation that lingered.
“River is just wondering if we have some spare time to help move stuff,” she replied, her gaze still on the phone.
My mouth was full as I asked, “Move things?”
“Yeah, apparently she and West are moving in together,” she said, her voice distant. She went to the cabinet to get a vase, and my eyes wandered as she leaned up. Her ass was somewhere between JLo and Kardashian, but so much more believable. She turned, catching me staring and quirked an eyebrow. I swallowed the cookie in my mouth, feeling it go down and drop into my stomach. She was too much. My body went on autopilot again, closing the gap between us and pulling her into me. Then my lips were on hers, months of attraction and emotions that stretched between us coming out. She tasted like the cookies, but sweeter and hotter.
So much hotter.
Her body was tense at first, but then she melted into me. Her mouth opened in a gasp as my lips trailed to her neck and my hands slipped to that perfect ass. She went tense again, and her hands moved from my neck down to my chest, pushing me away.
My face burned.
Her chest heaved as she stared up at me, and my eyes fell on her lips. The red was somehow still perfectly intact on her swollen mouth.
“This is about River moving in with West isn’t it?” she asked, and my stomach dropped.
I stepped back. “Not at all.”
“Then why now?” Tara looked down at her hands, tongue darting over her lips.
I laced my fingers behind my neck and dipped my head back. “My brain stopped fighting my heart, I guess.”
Her brows furrowed. “What?”
I stepped forward, tipping her chin up. “I have feelings for you. I’ve felt guilty as fuck for so long, but I just don’t care anymore. River permitted herself to be happy with West. That’s what Bobby would want, and I think he’d want us to do that, too.”
“You’re not holding onto anything for River, then?” she asked and her eyes locked on mine, flicking across my face.
“There’s one thing,” I replied, and she winced. “But I think I know exactly what I should do with it.”
West was moving in with River, and I hoped this would be the thing that helped him to do what he should’ve already.
~~~
“Holy God,” Tara said, her mouth forming an O as she stared down at the ring. “This is gorgeous.”
“Bobby paid for most of it,” I said, sighing. I tapped my thumb against the steering wheel as if it was the strings of my bass guitar.
Tara chuckled to herself, and I glanced over with my brows knit together in question. She snapped the box shut.
“One last gift to her,” she said, reaching up and taking my hand. She weaved our fingers together. “It’s kind of perfect.”
“What do you mean?”
Tara’s eyes looked far away, and then came to mine. “The color…it’s a combination of West and Bobby’s eyes.”
I shook my head. “I guess you’re right.”
“Do you think he’ll take it? I mean, he was engaged before. How do you even know if he wants to marry River or anyone for that matter?”
My shoulder’s lift into a half-shrug. “West looked like I sucker punched him when I told him I was going to propose to her but never did.”
Tara bit the inside of her cheek. “What if you’re off-point?”
“I’m not,” I replied and she lifted an eyebrow at me. I laughed. “I’m not. I know what I’m doing. They’re moving in together. They’re meant to be together.”
Tara glanced over at me, and I brought her hand up to my lips.
She rolled her eyes. “You’re ridiculous. I hope you’re right about this. Otherwise, you’re giving away a 2,000 dollar ring.”
I pushed my tongue into my cheek, and her jaw went slack.
“$3,000?”
I cracked my neck. “$4,000.”
She guessed again. “$4,000?”
My head moved from shoulder to shoulder.
“Are you fucking serious?” she asked. “$5,000?”
“Close enough,” I replied, and she blinked at me rapidly. “Don’t worry, you’ll get something just as nice, but I have a feeling you’ll want one giant diamond.”
Her head moved back, eyes widening and my body tensed. She leaned over and kissed my cheek, moving her lips to my ear.
“Damn, right,” she said just as I pulled into West’s driveway. Her breath made my skin prickle, and I fought the urge to pull her face to mine as I put the car into park. I looked around and then gave in.
When I pulled away, River stood at West’s — now her — front door, arms crossed with a smile plastered on her face. She wiggled her eyebrows as I pulled away from Tara.
“Glad to see you two finally figured things out,” River said, nodding to us as we got out of the car. Tara went red, which made my body warm. She was so damn cute when she was embarrassed, especially when it happened so little.
She rolled her eyes. “Thanks for the vote of support.”
River winked at me before pulling Tara into a hug, and my head jerked back as Tara hugged her back. West came out the front door and stopped midstride. He pointed at them and looked at me, eyebrows arched.
I put my hands up, and the girls headed inside. Tara looked back over her shoulder at me and winked.
“I’m glad to see they figured things out,” West said, putting his hands in his front pockets. I chuckled to myself. He didn’t even know River made the same comment moments before.
Bobby’s voice popped into my head.
Perfect for each other.
West nodded over his shoulder towards the house, inviting me inside.
I shook my head, signaling to the car with my chin. “I have something for you.”