Unlikely to Fall: A Sweet Fortuity Novella

by Rica Grayson

  I couldn’t believe she was openly flirting with him in front of me.

  I cleared my throat. “Can I order yet?”

  She turned to me, her expression souring. “Yes?”

  I ordered crumbed veal with roasted potatoes.

  “Anything else?” she asked him, ignoring me again, and moving closer to him.

  His eyes went to me, questioning. I shook my head.

  “We’re good,” he replied, nodding once, barely paying her any attention.

  After she left, trying to gauge his reaction, I said, “She’s really pretty.”

  He looked puzzled. “Who?”

  Who? How hadn’t he noticed it when she was just standing in front of him? “You know who,” I replied, rolling my eyes.

  He looked thoughtful for a moment. He must’ve found the answer in my face. “The waitress?” His perceptive gave missed nothing. “Jealous?”

  I looked down at my empty plate and ran a finger absently on the shiny cutlery. “No.”

  A smile touched his lips, and I felt his warm gaze on every inch of my skin. “I have no interest in her.”

  I believed him.

  You learned a lot from someone’s eyes. His eyes met mine straight, and I felt the way his gaze lingered on me even when I wasn’t looking. It made me feel wanted. Desired.

  But there was more. He listened when I spoke. He held my gaze when he talked, and it spoke a lot about his honesty. He wanted me to know he’d meant every word.

  Warmth suffused me. I felt like I was free falling, and there wasn’t a thing I could do to stop it. I wasn’t sure I wanted it to either.

  We talked about why I came to Fortuity. I told him about wanting to be closer with Rona, and a desire for independence. To follow my dreams, to do what I wanted to for so long.

  “Do you miss it?” he asked me.

  He meant the city.

  “Sometimes,” I admitted. “There are times when I close my eyes, and I forget I’m away from it, and that I’m here now. And there are other times when I don’t think about it at all.

  “And then I go to work, and then the people, the quiet…” I held my hands out. “Just—Just doing what I am now, it makes me so happy.”

  I forgot about the waitress.

  I forgot that I was even tired, listening to him speak, almost entranced with the way his throat moved.

  Both arms folded on the table, I leaned forward, unable to help feeling a little sad that the night was ending. He did the same, mirroring my position.

  We both looked at each other and grinned.

  “I don’t want to go yet,” I said.

  He unfolded an arm and reached out with a hand and closed it over mine as he looked down, as if it was the most interesting sight in the world.

  His thumb ran over my knuckle. “I know,” he echoed the sentiment.

  There was a connection that simmered between us then. As if somehow, somewhere, a line was pulled tighter, drawing us closer.

  It broke when the waitress gathered our plates. She scowled at me as she did it. But I found it didn’t matter anymore. And I was determined that nothing would ruin this night.

  I sat back in my seat as Liam drove, twisting my bracelet around, looking out the window. It gave enough time for my thoughts to wander, thinking about the past.

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  The question surprised me, but I found that I wanted to talk about it.

  “She was driving from work when I turned seven to go to my birthday. A truck was driving too fast to stop.”

  I heard a sharp intake of breath. “Fuck. I’m sorry, Bree.”

  I closed my eyes. “Thank you. It’s been a while, but talking about it’s always hard.”

  “I’m sure she’s looking over you, proud of where you are,” he said, his voice low.

  I touched a charm on the bracelet. It was the only thing I had left of hers, so it was close to my heart. “You think so?”

  “Yeah.”

  Maybe he was right. I looked up at the sky, reminded of the childhood tale so often told to me to bring comfort, of coming to the sky when one passed away. Now, more than ever, it had.

  We stopped by my door.

  I took one step forward and stopped. I turned around quickly to face him. “Thank you. For dinner… and for last night.”

  And as I said the words, I just realized what that sounded like. I pulled my gaze away from him, embarrassed. “I mean—telling her how important my work is to me,” I clarified.

  His eyes crinkled in amusement. “Got what you meant, Bree.”

  He took a step closer until we were a breath away from each other, and then he closed the distance.

  His lips captured mine. Soft at first, then teasing. His tongue swept inside my mouth, until mine met his. The sensation made me feel lightheaded. I pulled him closer. My hands fisted on his shirt.

  He kissed me deeper.

  His hand was on the back of my neck, the other sliding down just underneath the hem of my tank top, stroking the sensitive skin.

  We broke apart, breathing hard.

  I shivered in his arms. I sighed, melting against him.

  He still didn’t let me go.

  I dropped my forehead on his shoulder, and his head rested against mine.

  “Fuck. I don’t wanna leave, but I need to go. I have to meet someone.”

  “Oh.” Disappointment colored my voice, but I tried not to let it show, also hearing his reluctance to leave. “Okay.”

  His arms tightened around me. He moved back, and his gray eyes met mine, warm and captivating. “Thanks for tonight.”

  And finally, he let me go.

  Chapter Nine

  Liam

  There was no other way to put it—he looked like shit.

  It was hard to believe that the person who stood in front of me was my cousin, Alan.

  But the biggest change was his face. He looked older somehow. As if the months had been years. The playful, light-hearted Al was gone. The softer side was replaced by rough edges, hard eyes, and what seemed like a perpetual scowl.

  After I’d left Bree, I drove all the way to the address Caleb gave me.

  “What the fuck happened to you?” I demanded, nearly the same time Alan burst out, “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “You don’t get to ask the questions. You fucking disappeared!” I snapped back, equally pissed.

  He’d been running away from everyone. It needed to end now.

  “You shouldn’t be here!” he yelled back, as if he hadn’t heard me. Anger vibrated in his body.

  I wanted to understand what was fueling it.

  Standing in front of me, he looked like a stranger. “Come back, Al.”

  His expression shuttered. “I’m not coming back. And I’m not getting you involved in this either.”

  Motherfucker.

  I gripped his shirt. “Too late. I already am. Why are you involved with them?”

  He looked torn. “I can’t tell you. Shit. I’m sorry, but I can’t. Tell Eva—tell her I’m not coming back.”

  His words sank in, and I realized he didn’t know about Eva. My grip loosened on his shirt.

  “Eva disappeared, Al.”

  I caught a brief flash of surprise in his expression before he turned away, starting to pace. He hadn’t expected me to say that. It told me all I needed to know—he still cared about her. “What do you mean? Where did she go?”

  “She went looking for you.”

  He swore, raking a hand through his hair, and his frustration showed. “Why would she…” He kicked a garbage can hard, and it toppled down on the ground. He stared at me, his eyes narrowing. “You’re just saying that to get me to come back.”

  A humorless laugh tumbled out of my lips. “Because I have every reason to lie,” I replied dryly. “Especially with something that’s too easy to check. What kind of shit did you get involved in?”

  He shook his head, his jaw hard. “I took something f
rom them I’ll have to pay for. I can’t go, but you have to, or they’ll kill you.”

  I went cold. “And they’ll kill you too.”

  “I can’t, okay? Go. Before they find out about you.”

  “That your answer?”

  He nodded. “You found me. I’m sure you’ll find Eva. Tell her… Tell her not to look for me.”

  I laughed humorlessly. “If you think she’ll listen to me, you’re really that far gone.”

  He kept his expression blank, but I could see with the hardness of his eyes and how his lips were pressed tightly together that it affected him.

  I walked away, but I swore it wouldn’t be the last time. The next time we met, I’d make sure I wouldn’t leave without him.

  Still buzzing with energy, I continued to drive, not wanting to go home yet.

  Bree’s face flashed in my mind, with her smile, and the way she tasted earlier.

  I was just going to drive by. The streets were quiet, most people asleep by now. I drove past the blur of houses and trees, until I reached hers.

  To my surprise, her lights were still on, and I could almost see the glow of the television through the gap of the curtain.

  The time on the dashboard read 2:00 am. Why was she still awake?

  Drive away.

  I looked back at her house, remembering the way she’d responded earlier, the hunger in the kiss almost desperate, matching mine.

  Ah, fuck.

  Bree

  I couldn’t sleep.

  I didn’t really understand why. I was tired, but it was like my body was still too keyed up from earlier.

  I turned the TV on and put the volume on low while I brewed some tea. A drama aired, two lovers out on a romantic date. The kiss from earlier flashed in my mind. Heat crept up my cheeks at the memory. No one had ever kissed me like that. Greedy, scorching, and toe-curling. The kind that made my mind go blank, except the need.

  Without warning, I heard a couple of raps on the door, startling me.

  I pulled the curtain back a little to see who my visitor was, and to my surprise, Liam was waiting outside my door.

  I stood frozen for a moment, unable to believe it. Did I just conjure him with my thoughts?

  He knocked again. I scrambled to get to the door quickly and opened it, still in shock.

  “Liam? What—?”

  Suddenly, his arms were around me, wrapping me in a tight hug. His body warmed me from the chill of the wind. But still, he didn’t say anything.

  “Hey. Are you okay?” I asked, my arms going up to his broad shoulders.

  “I am now,” he muttered. His words washed over me, a thrill that made my heart fill with warmth.

  A smile hit my cheeks before I could help it. I dropped my head down on his chest, hearing his strong, steady heartbeat. “Sweet-talker.”

  My own heart pounded fast, and I wondered if he heard it.

  “You’re still awake.” His hands continued to stroke my back, as if he needed the contact. His touch left tingles in its wake. “Couldn’t sleep?”

  “Nope,” I admitted. “Oh. I just made some tea. Want some?”

  “Tea,” he repeated the word, and with the way he said it, he made it sound like it was foreign to him.

  I pulled back, looking up at him. “What’s wrong with tea?”

  He looked thoughtful for a moment before he asked, “You don’t drink coffee?”

  I made a face. “I don’t care much for coffee. I employ people who do. Besides, I want to fall asleep, and coffee won’t help me do that.”

  “Decaf?”

  “No.” I shuddered.

  He chuckled at my immediate reply.

  He dropped down on the couch and put his head back, shutting his eyes. He’d been teasing, but something about the set of his shoulders and his deep sigh told me something was wrong. Which reminded me—he never answered my question.

  “Did something happen?” I asked, plopping down beside him.

  “Had a… disagreement with a friend. It didn’t go well.”

  He turned to me, his eyes meeting mine, and he caught my hand between his. He traced a random pattern with a finger absent-mindedly.

  His arm was stretched along the back of the couch, and I dropped my head on his shoulder. “I’m sorry to hear that. I hope you work it out.”

  “I hope so, too.”

  My comfortable position and the droning sound of the voices from the TV was starting to make me sleepy.

  And if he muttered something else, I didn’t hear. I snuggled deeper into the warm body that surrounded me as I succumbed to sleep.

  It was dark in the room, and I became aware that I was in a bed, and there was a very warm and solid body behind me, a hand on my stomach.

  A brief inspection showed that this was my room.

  “Liam?” I whispered.

  He stirred behind me. “Something wrong?” he asked, his voice rough from sleep.

  “We’re sleeping,” I pointed out, a little confused. “In the same bed…” I let the statement hang.

  “So we are.” I could hear the amusement in his voice, and tried to move away to create distance between us, but before I knew it, he pulled me back down towards him. And then I noticed—he didn’t have a shirt on.

  I ended up on top of him, every inch of my body pressed along his. I could feel his hardness pressing against my stomach. My cheeks felt hot. I was probably blushing furiously. Thank God it was too dark for him to notice.

  “Go back to sleep, Bree.”

  “Easy for you to say,” I muttered.

  “Not that hard, baby. I can help you if you have trouble with it. Relieve the tension.”

  His hands went to my back, underneath my shoulder blades, pressing on a spot I didn’t know existed, eliciting a low moan.

  Now I really wouldn’t be able to sleep. He was going to make me lose my mind.

  “I—I’ll be fine,” I said softly.

  “Sure?” His hands drifted lower down to the back of my thighs.

  “Y-yes.” He seemed to always have that effect on me. Knocking me off my feet, and bringing my world off-balance.

  I moved back and slid further away from him to the other end of the bed, but his arm immediately went back around me, hugging me closer to him as he rolled over to his side.

  I felt safe in his arms. Like he wouldn’t let any harm come to me. And I fell asleep thinking to myself that there was no better feeling in the world.

  Chapter Ten

  Bree

  I woke up with a blanket over me.

  The curtains were drawn, so it was dark, but sunlight spilled from the edges, softly illuminating the room.

  I turned, laying on my back, stretching my arms out. As I did so, I realized that the other side of the bed was still warm. I turned my head to my left and saw that the sheets were crumpled next to me.

  I sat up, my head wrapped in confusion before it all came back to me in a rush. Not being able to sleep last night, and Liam coming over. His arms around me when he first arrived. Watching TV before I dozed off. Waking up in the middle of the night, with Liam in my bed.

  I got up and went to the bathroom, stopping by the mirror. I bunched my hair up in a ponytail, roughly combing away the tangles.

  I had a spare room, but he’d slept next to me. What did that even mean?

  I heard the low tone of his voice as he talked to someone outside. It was just six in the morning. Still too early. I followed the sound, curious.

  “How’s the kid?” I heard him ask in the hallway, his back turned to me. “I’ll come over next month, once the workload slows down a bit.”

  I yawned. Not wanting to disturb him, I turned around and padded towards the kitchen. I was in the middle of making tea when my phone buzzed on my table. Kiera.

  “Bree! Morning. Mind if I drop by?”

  “Not at all.”

  “Have you had breakfast yet?”

  “I’m just making tea right now, but no, not yet.”


  “Perfect,” she replied perkily, but she didn’t say anything more.

  When she arrived not more than five minutes later, I finally understood what she’d meant when she held up a familiar white box. Red velvet cupcakes. I gave her a hug, accepting the box gratefully.

  She perched on a bar stool and I offered her a drink. “I’ve made a little too much of these, so I figured maybe you’d want some for breakfast,” she explained. “They’re not like the ones you made for…whoever it was, but they’re not bad.”

  “What did Bree make?” Liam emerged from the doorway that led to the open kitchen.

  I froze. I thought he’d still be in the middle of his phone call.

  Kiera shifted in her seat to see who it was. When she saw Liam, she gaped.

  Shock completely took over her expression before she finally asked, “Liam? Why are you here?”

  My mind went completely blank, and like Kiera, I didn’t know what to say. Because they were talking about the cupcakes that no one should’ve been talking about, and knowing Kiera, she would connect all the dots.

  Her eyes widened as it dawned on her. Yep, she’d pieced it together. “Oh. Ohhh.” She slapped a closed fist on her palm, and turned to me. “It’s him, isn’t it?” she said, like she’d finally cracked the secret to some puzzle. “Why you’ve been acting so weird.” Then she gasped. “You made them for him!”

  “What did she make for me?” Liam asked again, his brows coming together in confusion.

  Kiera’s eyes went to me. I shook my head at her emphatically, trying to send my message—Nooo. Not while he’s here. No how, no way.

  She seemed to understand, at least, that I wasn’t willing to talk about it. “Nothing!” she burst out.

  Liam switched his questioning gaze to me.

  “Nothing,” I replied quickly.

  “What are you both hiding from me?” he asked, his eyes narrowing. He folded his arms across his chest, sensing we knew more than we let on.

  Kiera jumped off the seat quickly. “O-kay. I’ll leave you guys the red velvets. I remembered stuff I need to do. Enjoy.”