Colin
“What in the hell are you doing up so early?” I ask.
Liam chuckles. “Paige was mumbling in her sleep and rolling around on the bed,” he explains. “I couldn't fall back to sleep after she woke me up, so I just decided to get up.”
“Early bird catches the worm,” I say.
“Not even the birds are up this early,” he laughs. “I figured you'd be up, though, so I decided to give you a shout.”
“Glad you did,” I say. “It's been a minute. It's good to hear from you, Liam.”
“Good to talk to you too,” my brother Liam – the eldest of my brothers – says. “Hey, so Brayden tells me you're seeing someone.”
I roll my eyes, thankful we aren’t Facetiming so he can't see me. It's still a bit early, and I'd just finished working out when he called. It's barely past six a.m. my time, which means it's three in his part of the country. None of us ever sleep that late – a habit instilled in us by our father – but even by our standards, getting up at three in the morning is considered excessive.
“Yeah, word spreads fast, I guess,” I say.
He snickers. “I’m sure Laurel was sad to hear it.”
“God, I hope not,” I say. “She should be long over me by now.”
“You really think so? Don’t worry, Colin. We’ll make sure Laurel is on her best behavior around your new girl. Promise.”
I groan. Time to play pretend again.
“She better. I don’t want Bailey to worry.”
Not that I think she will. Mostly because our relationship is totally fictional, but I'm not going to tell him that just yet.
I was actually hoping Brayden would forget all about it and not say anything to Aidan or Liam. I should have known better. Ever since all of my brothers have gotten married and started families of their own, they've constantly been on my ass about doing the same and following the trend. They want all of their kids to be around the same age so they can grow up together. Form a sports team, or a gang, or whatever.
I've never marched to the same beat as my brothers, though. All of them went to college straight out of high school, and worked for ADE immediately after that. I took a different route. I wasn't sure if going into the family business was my calling. If it was my true passion.
So, after graduating from high school, I joined the Navy. I spent four years in the service, finished my tour, went to college, and realized along the way that I appreciated what ADE does as a company, and that I wanted a part of it after all. Once I was ready, I was given the Northeast territory, and I've been playing catch-up ever since.
“Anyway, how is Paige doing?” I ask, trying to change the subject.
“Pregnant. More than a bit moody, and she's been craving the strangest things lately,” he says. “But, she's fantastic, as always.”
I laugh. “What's the latest craving?”
“It'll make you sick.”
“C’mon, you know I've got a strong stomach.”
“Cheese sticks and peanut butter.”
“Yeah, okay, that’s gross.”
He laughs. “I told you.”
I laugh along with him for a moment. “So, how are things going up in Washington?” I ask.
“Good,” he says. “I love living in this town. It feels like I’ve finally settled in and made a home here.”
“It's a beautiful place, man.”
“Yeah, I'm lucky.”
There's a small lull in the conversation – my first mistake, because it gives him the perfect opportunity to go straight back to the conversation I've been trying to steer us away from.
“So, how’s it going with your new girl?” he asks. “Will we be meeting her at Christmas?”
“Yeah, I don't know,” I say. “She's got her own family stuff, and –”
“I know, but the rest of us have been talking, and we think it's time you met a nice girl and settle down,” Liam chuckles. “Maybe have a few kids –”
“Thanks for planning my life out for me.”
“Somebody has to.”
He’s mostly joking, but I also know there's a small undercurrent of truth to his words. My brothers are all settled into their family lives – something I personally never thought I'd see – but, they seem happy. And now, they want to spread some of that happiness to me.
Truth be told, I'm more focused on my career and getting my slice of ADE running smoothly, than anything else. Things are definitely headed in the right direction, but until I’m not stuck hosting the family holiday every year, I won’t be satisfied.
Maybe, once I get to the top, I'll take some time and see if anyone out there piques my interest romantically. Or, maybe not. My experience with Laurel left me pretty jaded and cynical. And as far as kids go, I'm not sure if that’s in the cards for me or not. I really don't know if I’ve got what it takes to be a father, to be honest.
But before I think about any of that, I need to get my share of the company to where I want it to be. That's my number one priority in life right now, and it’s where all my focus and energy are being directed. It's all that matters to me right now.
That's a can of worms I don't exactly want to open up with my brother, though. That's only going to lead to a debate about work/life balance, and enjoying the time we have, because we only have one shot in this world, blah...blah...blah. As if any one of my other three brothers were any different than I am before they got married.
Working until you drop, and ignoring all other distractions, is an inherited Anderson trait. It's kind of our thing – what helps set ADE apart from other development empires. Blame our father's insane work ethic, his stern discipline, or whatever, but it’s part of who we are.
Maybe, I'll meet somebody one day. Maybe, I won't. Right now, it doesn't matter to me in the least.
“Look, all I'm saying is that I know how – selective – you are,” Liam says. “Which tells me this girl must be something special. And, personally, I would love to meet her. So would Paige.”
“You've talked to Paige about this?”
“Of course,” he says. “She loves you, Colin. She wants to see you happy too.”
“Damn, you know, all of this talk about feelings and being happy – you're getting soft on me, big brother,” I tease.
We both laugh, but I can tell Liam's is more forced. Slowly, it tapers off, then fades away altogether.
“I worry about you, little brother,” he says. “Too much isolation and loneliness isn't good. Trust me, I've been exactly where you are right now. I've probably had the same exact thoughts that are going through your head. Believe me when I say I know how you're feeling, Colin.”
And maybe, he does. Liam originally moved from Seattle to the sleepy little town of Port Safira – where he lives now with Paige – to get away from the memory of a woman whose infidelity was only the tip of the fucked-up iceberg. I know it cut him deeply, and for a long time, he preferred being alone.
Not that it changes my thinking, really, but it's nice knowing that he can relate.
“I just want to see you happy, Colin,” he finally says. “You’re really missing out on a lot.”
Why are my brothers so determined to marry me off? I’m more than ready for Aidan, Brayden, and Liam to get off my back about this. I’m in this deep already – what harm will one more white lie do at this point?
“I know you do,” I reply, swallowing hard. “I wanted to keep this a secret, but I asked Bailey to marry me the other day. She said yes.”
Liam inhales sharply on the other end of the line and is silent for a long moment.
Oh, God. That was the fucking opposite of a white lie. Why can’t I stop digging myself into this hole?
“That’s great, little brother. I’m sad we couldn’t be there to celebrate with you. Have you told anyone else?”
“No, I wanted to keep it a surprise until Christmas.”
“So, I definitely expect to see your mystery fiancée at our Christmas Eve dinner – at the very least.”
“I'll see if she can work it out,” I say. “That's about the best I can do.”
“Fair enough,” he replies.
We talk for a few more minutes, get into discussing some of our business deals, and what's going on with the rest of ADE – nothing terribly pressing. I'm just glad to finally be off the topic of my love life.
“I should probably grab a shower and head into the office,” I say.
“And I should probably start preparing Paige's cheese and peanut butter toast,” he replies.
I shudder. “Bon Appetit, big brother.”
He chuckles. “Love you, Colin. Talk soon.”
“Love you too.”
We disconnect the call and I drop my phone to my desk. God, why didn’t I just come clean and tell him I made my fiancée up? Even if I do tell them that Bailey can't make it because she's with family, it won't be enough for my brothers. If she can't come to us, they'll insist we go to her. I know them.
I know they’re coming from a good place. They’re only this annoying because they love me and want to see me happy. And I appreciate it. I want the same for them. I just wish, this one time, they'd care a little bit less.
* * *
I step beneath the soft spray of the shower, wading through the billowing clouds of steam as the warm water soothes my aching muscles. I run my hands through my hair, gently working the shampoo into a lather before stepping beneath the spray again, washing it all away.
I honestly have no clue what I'm going to do about this mysterious, non-existent fiancée I’ve created for myself. I wish I'd never even mentioned it. Honestly, I was so rattled by the fact that Laurel was coming to our holiday celebration, I wasn't thinking clearly. I just threw out the first thing that popped into my head.
For a long time after I'd kicked her out and ended our engagement, Laurel tried her best to win me back. She apologized profusely, doing everything she could think of to repair the damage she'd inflicted on our relationship. I got daily emails, text messages, phone calls, and knocks on the door – I never responded to any of them. I didn’t want anything to do with her. Ever again.
Some things, you just can't come back from. When you break a trust that thoroughly and completely, there is no amount of, “I'm sorry,” that's going to fix it. You just can't. At least, I can't. Maybe, I'm too cold and unfeeling. I’m sure that other people can find a way to heal and move past it. There must be people out there that can bounce back from a gut-wrenching betrayal like that.
I'm not one of those people.
Laurel broke my trust. I’m not a man that opens up to just anyone, either. You have to earn it with me. Once you have it, I’m one of the most fiercely loyal people you'll ever meet. I'd brave a fire for someone I love and trust. If that trust is broken, however, that person may as well be dead to me.
Laurel now belongs to the small group of people who are effectively dead to me – and now, I'm going to have to put up with her staying in my home.
On some level, I understand what Brayden was saying. I know it's exactly the kind of thing our father would have done. And considering she’s the daughter of one of his closest friends, he wouldn’t have hesitated, not even for a second. Regardless of the history between the two of us, he would have extended her an invitation without a second thought. He would have told me to suck it up and put it aside for just one day.
My dad was tough. He could be a strict disciplinarian, and was absolutely no-nonsense in his approach to everything. He also had one of the kindest, gentlest hearts I’ve ever seen in another person. Dad would literally give a stranger the shirt off his back. I saw him do it once. It was cold out, so my father gave a homeless man his turtleneck and jacket. He wore an old t-shirt from the back of his car until we could get to a store to buy some replacements.
He told me he'd sleep better at night knowing that man would be warm. That was simply the kind of person he was. He was a tough, but great man – and I miss him every day.
My mind turns back to my supposed secret fiancée, and the fact that I said her name was Bailey. Why did I choose that name? Why was her name so near at hand in my mind that it came out so easily? Perhaps, the better question, the one I should be asking myself, is – why is Bailey always on my mind lately?
She's a beautiful girl, no doubt about it. Stunning, really. But, it's more than that. It's more than her physical appearance alone that draws me to her. It's her substance – the things that drive Bailey and make her tick. Her fire, her passion, and to some extent, her wide-eyed optimism. She has a zest for life that frankly, I kind of envy. The few times I’ve been around her, I've felt that energy radiating from her, and found it intoxicating.
As I stand beneath the spray of water with thoughts and images of Bailey circling endlessly through my mind, I feel my cock growing stiff – I obviously can't deny my physical attraction to the woman, either. Leaning my head back into the water, I close my eyes, and try to banish all thoughts of her from my mind.
Not that it works. The harder I try to clear my mind, the more vivid the images of her become. Reaching down, I grab hold of my cock. I think the only way to get Bailey out of my head is to give myself some release.
Squeezing the base of my cock, I slowly begin to stroke it. I picture Bailey stepping into the shower with me. Feel her hands on my back as she runs her fingertips down the length of my spine. I groan softly as I imagine the feel of her full, round breasts pressed into my back while she reaches around to hold my cock in her small, delicate hand.
I stroke myself harder as I imagine Bailey touching me. I feel the warmth of her breath and the softness of her lips on my back as she plants a long line of kisses along my shoulders, never breaking the rhythm of her hand pumping my cock in a slow and steady motion.
I moan quietly, my voice echoing around the tile chamber as I begin to stroke my cock harder, gripping it tighter. In my fantasy, I turn Bailey around and pick her up, pressing her hard against the wall of the shower. Steam billows around us as I press my lips to hers, kissing her hard, letting her feel all the passion inside me. She wraps her legs around my waist as I hold her up. Leaning down, I take one of her plump, stiff nipples into my mouth, and suck on it. She lets out a soft yelp as I give it a gentle nip with my teeth.
She locks her hands around the back of my neck as she kisses me deeply, the heat in her lips setting me on fire as she does. I slip my cock into her, plunging myself as deep as I can go. Bailey gasps, then moans, as I start to move my hips, thrusting myself in and out of her.
Leaning forward, I plant my hand against the wall to brace myself as I continue stroking my cock, imagining how Bailey's tight, sexy body would feel intertwined with mine, holding on tight as I fuck her relentlessly against the shower wall.
The pressure is building up within me, and I know I’ll come soon. I squeeze my eyes tight, holding on to the image of Bailey's beautiful, naked body under mine as I fall over the edge. Waves of pleasure ripple through me as I groan loudly and explode. I throw my head back and call out her name as I come. I squeeze my cock harder, losing myself in the tsunami of sensations sweeping my body.
Slowly, the afterglow from my orgasm fades, and I'm left leaning my forehead against the shower wall, my breathing ragged, and my heart thundering inside of my chest. My orgasm was strong. Powerful. And just the release I needed.
Except for the fact that it didn't drive out thoughts of Bailey from my mind. If anything, it only made them stronger. Now I want her even more.
“Great,” I mutter to myself. “Just fucking great.”
After rinsing myself off, I step out of the shower and grab a towel. As I'm drying myself, a sudden thought occurs to me. Maybe an answer to two problems at once.
It's outlandish, but it just might work.