“Hey, Wyatt. What’s up?”
“I need some help with my sister, her friend, and your co-host.”
Just referencing Nancy has my heart racing. “Something wrong?”
“No, but Nancy’s car has a flat tire.”
There’s something in his voice. “What?”
“Not sure. Just…I think someone caused it.”
I’m grabbing my keys and running out the door, barely remembering to lock up as I rush to my truck.
“I’m on my way.”
“Thanks. She won’t call Josh, and I’m not happy about that. Plus, Becca was the DD tonight and she had some wine.”
Which means she’s falling asleep.
“Be there in a few minutes.”
I start up my truck and head on over. When I get there, I notice that Nancy has the tire off and Everly is ready with the spare. Becca is leaning against the truck next to Nancy’s car, half asleep. I know Nancy doesn’t need my help, but if Wyatt is right, then she needs to take this seriously. Also, if she has been drinking, I need to take all of them home.
“Ladies,” I say.
I get a smile from two of the women and a sniff and a frown from the one I want to impress the most.
“Dude! Look, Nancy, it’s Travis.”
Everly’s pronouncement is kind of useless since they are all looking at me.
“Hi. Hi. Hi. Hiiiiiiiii!” Becca apparently came out of her sleepiness.
“Hey, Becca.”
She smiles and waves at me and I can’t help but laugh.
“I can change a tire, Travis.”
I turn my attention to Nancy and study her for a second. She’s staring at me like she’s pissed, and I have no idea why. It’s not like I haven’t picked her and Syd up after a night like tonight.
“I know you can. I’m here to drive y’all home.”
“Once I change this tire, I can drive us home.”
“You’ve been drinking.”
She sighs. “Okay, but I want to change the tire.”
This seems important to her, so I nod. “And, Wyatt said you could leave the car here.”
She nods and goes about putting the other tire on. I shove my hands into my pockets to keep from reaching out. It goes against my nature to let her do it herself.
“Travis,” Everly drawls next to me. “I didn’t really drink that much. I can probably drive us home.”
I study her and realize she’s right. Her eyes are clear.
“I don’t think y’all should be driving around on that spare. Mitch can come get it tomorrow and replace the tire.”
She nods and steps back. By the time I turn back, Nancy is letting the jack down. She puts it in the trunk—another problem for me but I let it go. We pile into my truck, illegally with four people across the seat but it’s Juniper. I doubt very much that anyone will give me a ticket.
First stop is Becca’s, and Everly slips out of the truck with her. “I’m gonna stay here tonight. Becca needs a caretaker when she drinks.”
“Night, ladies.”
“Thanks for inviting me out,” Nancy says.
Becca had started up the sidewalk to her house. She stops abruptly, then turns and does her signature curtsey and almost falls over. Everly grabs her as both of them begin giggling.
“Jesus, that girl had less than two glasses of wine,” Nancy says as she shakes her head. I don’t say anything for a second because when I looked at her, there wasn’t any anger. It’s been so long since I have seen her this relaxed, this happy. Fuck, I really am an asshole. Nancy is the sweetest person I know. Well, besides Becca. But Nancy hides it under a thorny exterior and I know she does it to protect herself.
High School Graduation Night for Syd and Nancy
I walk down to the football field, looking for my sister and Nancy. Thanks to shooting up a few inches in the last year, it’s easy to search them out. The two of them are posing for pictures with their friends near the stage where Nancy had given her salutatorian speech. Both she and my sister made it into the top ten of graduates. Granted, their class had less than one hundred people graduate, but it still meant something to be in the top ten.
My gaze focuses on Nancy, her hair no longer bright pink. Straight, spilling like black silk over her shoulders. I watch as she searches the crowd every now and then. I wished she was looking for me, but I know better. She sees me as the little brother of her best friend, the nuisance. No, I know who she is looking for, and I’m not sure they’re here. Her parents. Her grandmother is here. Estella Howard walks through the crowd and they part. Easy to understand since she always reminded me of a shark, always moving, never stopping, gobbling up all the prey in her path. And that path includes Nancy.
I walk forward, coming from the opposite side. Every now and then I get stopped, but I ignore most everyone. My one objective is to get to Nancy to protect her. I’s sure she’d tell me to fuck off, but I have this need to be there, to shield her from all the bad things in life. That includes her family. Not sure what is wrong with them, but there has to be something rotten for them to have no role in her life.
Estella gets there before I do—of course. She’s taken Nancy aside and I get bits and pieces of their discussion.
“What do you mean that neither of them showed up?”
Jesus. We didn’t have parents around, but even our bastard grandfather had shown up to watch the ceremony. Nancy was freaking second in her class and those assholes didn’t bother coming.
“They both thought it best not to be around each other.”
“It’s a large field. They could have sat at opposite ends and avoided each other.”
There is no missing the pain in her voice. Syd and I had each other, but even though Nancy had half siblings, she really had no one but that old bat of a grandmother. Well, other than Syd and me. We both loved her.
“Your mother is in Europe right now, not sure where. Your father…he mentioned it isn’t the Bancroft Academy.”
That was the school Nancy had gotten kicked out of before we met her. It was a boarding school in the Dallas area, and she had hated it. I am pretty sure she got kicked out on purpose.
“Of course. He only measures things in the realm of his image. I mean, I am salutatorian, but Dad did graduate from Bancroft, right? Sure, he was in last ten percent of his class.”
“He has a point.”
Nancy acts as if she has been slapped, stepping back. “Yeah, well, here’s mine. Tell him thanks for not coming because his inability to keep his hands to himself makes it dicey to attend a ceremony like this. Who knows who he’s screwed?”
With that, Nancy turns away and that’s when she notices me. I see the tears, the devastated look on her face, but she draws in a breath and straightens her shoulders.
“Hey, Tray Tray, let’s go find your sister.”
I nod and give her grandmother one last glance. She watches us before turning away. Her trusty driver Marvin follows her through the crowd.
“Nancy,” I call out. She stops and turns to face me.
“Look, I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Well, they suck.”
It’s lame but it’s the only thing I can say. What I really want to tell her is that she’s amazing, bright, pretty, and so damned wonderful. My heart is filled with so many things I want to tell her, but I hold my tongue. Little brothers of your best friend are never what women want as a boyfriend.
“They do. But, tonight, we are going to party.”
She hooks her arm through mine and tugs me along through the crowd.
Present Day
Nancy snapping her fingers in front of my face jolts me back to the present.
“Where’d ya go?”
“Sorry,” I mumble and put my truck into drive and take off from the curb.
“Sure you can handle taking me home? I mean, if you’ve been drinking…”
“I haven’t. Stone sober.”
I don’t mean my voice to be harsh, but I’m still raw from
the memory. It was at that point when I realized I was falling for Nancy. Not really infatuated anymore, but truly falling in love with her. She had always been bold and funny but seeing her vulnerable had changed everything. She was more human, less unattainable. From that point on, I knew I loved her. And she still has no idea. At least, I hoped she doesn’t.
“I was thinking about your graduation night.”
“High School?”
I nod because I was at her college graduation too. She’s family. Syd and I don’t have much family other than ourselves and Nancy. I guess the Hawthorne family is now in that category.
“Ugh, I don’t remember most of that night.”
True. They did have a lot to drink that night. Trashcan punch made with Everclear will do that to ya.
I smile. “Yeah.”
“And you were our designated driver that night.”
“And your protector.”
She slants me a look. “Oh yeah?”
The memory of a particular asshole trying to take advantage of her still angers me. What is it about drunk jerks thinking that the world is their smorgasbord? What kind of fucked up morals do those kinds of guys have?
“That Justin McLennan was trying to get in your pants. He had a reputation.”
“Yeah, he did. Asshole. Well, thank you. Just a little over a decade later.”
I chuckle. “No problem, Nancy. I’ll always look out for you.”
The moment I say the words, the light feeling seems to dissolve from one second to the next. She sighs.
“I wish that were still true.”
I swallow, trying to come to terms with the simple statement. The fact that she no longer felt that about me told me that I really had damaged things. This was all on me.
I park in front of her house. “Hey.”
She looks over at me. Even in the dim streetlight, it’s easy to see the sadness coloring her blue gaze.
“What, Travis? What can you tell me that I already don’t understand?”
That I love you. I want her more than my next breath, but I have already fucked things up so badly. I can’t tell her that. Tell her that I want to taste her sweet pussy, feel her shudder beneath me as I thrust into her and loose myself. My entire body lights up, need coursing through me, but I push it back. Barely.
“I know I did something to break us. Our friendship. And I want to make it better.”
She sighs. “Not sure you can.”
Yeah, she said that before, but I refuse to allow it to be true. I can’t let her think that we can never be friends again. It hurts being friend zoned, but you know what’s worse? Not being near her. Knowing that I can text her funny things just to make her laugh, and I know she will. Because other than Syd, I know her better than anyone else.
That is, until the last six months. We had been growing apart before then, but these last six months…it’s been painful. Is that why I have been acting out more and more? Probably. It’s a stupid, stupid reaction. I refuse to go with the narrative that I’m mean to her because I love her. I should cherish her and, even though I know she sees me as a brother, I should never try to hurt her. It’s asinine and it makes me an asshole. I know that, but I don’t know how to fix it. Not right now. The only thing I have is the truth.
“I deserve all of your anger. I’m pretty sure of it.”
“What did you do wrong?’’
She’s not asking me because she doesn’t know. She does. What she wants to know is if I know what I did wrong. I don’t. Not completely.
“There are a lot of things, but you’re about to head into that point in the night where you get angry.”
She gives me a frown and I laugh.
“You know I’m right. I really want to fix this, but trying tonight when we’re both tired and you’ve had a little bit to drink is probably not a good idea, okay?”
She sighs and nods. When she slips out of the truck, I realize how dark her front porch is. The outside light isn’t on. I follow her out of the truck and then jog to catch up to her. When I do, she gives me an odd look.
“What are you doing?”
“Walking you to the door.”
“Why?”
Because I hate to let you go. I don’t say that, of course. Instead, I say, “It’s dark and you’ve had a few drinks.”
“I can walk to my fucking door.”
Ah, and there is the nastiness that comes after her liquor starts to wear off. She’s one of the sweetest women I know, which is amazing considering her family. I don’t know them, but her parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all seem to have a reputation in town. People hate them. Well, except Jon, but that’s another story. They’re just happy because he came up with the app and made it free for everyone.
“Still, if you fell or got hurt, Syd would hate me. I already have one of you hating me.”
She rolls her eyes but says nothing else. I follow her up the stairs.
“You forgot to leave your porch light on?” I ask.
“No,” she says. “It must have burned out.”
I reach up and twist it. The light comes on. “Ah, it was just a little loose.”
“Okay, now you can go away.”
“You’re welcome.”
But I don’t leave. When I don’t, she rolls her eyes again, then unlocks her door. She disengages the alarm.
“Now I am inside, and you can really leave.”
I smile at her. “I’ll stop by in the morning so we can go get your car.”
“No need.”
“Still gonna be here.”
“Ugh, go away.”
She slams the door in my face.
“Not leaving until you lock it.”
A heavy sigh, but she slams the deadbolt home. “There. Now fuck off.”
“Good night, Nancy.”
I head back to my truck, whistling as I hop in. My brain is already filling up with ideas on just how I can get back in her good graces. And I will. Feeling lighter than I have in the last few weeks, I head back to the office. I didn’t completely repair our relationship, but I feel more confident that we might just find our way out of this mess I created.
Chapter Nine
Nancy
I wake up at dawn the next day. God, I hate myself for doing that, but years of filming on the show and being on construction sites have taught my body what time to wake up. That’s why I was so surprised when I slept in yesterday. Of course, the day after having a little bit to drink, my body is all about getting up and out of bed.
I lift my head off the pillow and instantly regret it. Cotton has apparently replaced my brains. Plus, there is a big thread of drool from my mouth to a puddle on my pillow. I drank just enough last night to give me a minor buzz and make me feel like crap this morning. I’m a hot mess.
It takes me a few minutes to wake up completely—once I wipe the drool from my face. I know the reason for that and while I could lie to you and say that it was because I was sleeping with my mouth open. It wasn’t. No, instead I had my most amazingly vivid sex dream about Travis in years—and that’s saying a lot. But it involved whipped cream and his tongue. That is all I can say, or I will embarrass myself even more.
I lay on my back and blink up at the ceiling. Why did he have to show up last night? All sexy and smelling good. So annoying. And I will let Wyatt have it. He could have easily called Mason, Wyatt and Everly’s youngest sibling, but he, instead, called the one man I’m trying to avoid.
My phone buzzes on the side table. I lift my head again and while I do have a slight headache, I don’t feel sick to my stomach. That’s one thing to be thankful for. We really didn’t drink that much last night, and we did eat with our drinks. I glance toward the window and notice how dark it is even though the sun should be rising. We must have bad weather coming today. Lovely. Those big storms usually give me a headache.
I grab up my phone and there are lots of messages. A whole string of them come from Becca, who apparently didn’t fall asleep like she
normally does.
Becca: Thank you for coming out with us!!!
Becca: And thank Travis for me! I don’t have his number!!!
Okay, the exclamation points are funny.
Becca: He’s dreamy! Why haven’t you hit that?!
I chuckle. I shouldn’t be amused by the question. But I just can’t be mad at Becca. It’s like being mad at a golden retriever for being happy.
Becca: Everly is being a BIATCH! She says I have to put my phone down and leave you alone!!!
That came in at one in the morning. It was followed by an apology text from Everly.
I can’t even be mad at them. They got me out of the house last night and for that I will forever be thankful. Just forgetting about my worries for a few hours eased some of my stress. Of course, it all ended up with a flat tire and Travis appearing out of nowhere. I am going to complain to Wyatt about that.
Then I think about the fight that Syd and I started in his bar just over a month ago and decide not to. He could have easily sued us, but he was okay with us paying for the repairs. So maybe I don’t yell at him. Just…I’ll insist that from now on, he call someone else. Like Mason. Or Josh. Or anyone but Travis or my grandmother.
I push that thought aside and slip out of bed. I need a shower, some coffee, and then I have to figure out what to do about my tire. By the time I’m out of my shower, my phone is buzzing again.
Syd: Good morning, camper! I hear you were out last night.
Did Travis tattle on me? Probably.
Me: Did Travis text you?
Syd: Nope. And it wasn’t Wyatt either. Becca texted.
Oh god.
Syd: Why so many exclamation points?
I laugh.
Syd: It was also reported that Travis dropped you off.
Me: Reported
Syd: The Express. Mrs. Peterson has a Ring camera.
Me: FML
Syd: *laughing while crying emoji*
Me: I had a flat. Wyatt called your brother.
Syd: I’m glad he was there
I roll my eyes. She might be irritated with him, but she has always adored her younger brother. Well, she can just get over it. Right now. I don’t tell her that though.
Love to Hate You: An Enemies to Lovers, Best Friend's Brother Romantic Comedy (The Fillmores Book 2) Page 8
