Next to Me

by Allie Everhart

  "She's dating her professor?" I ask, but then regret it because it's clearly a sore topic.

  "He's not a professor," Bryce says. "He's a grad student who helps teach a class. But not any of Jen's classes. She's an accounting major. He teaches something else. I don't know what. I don't fucking care. He's not right for her. He's too old and..." He takes a deep breath. "Whatever."

  "You should call her," Nash says. "She's your best friend and now you won't talk to her just because she's dating some other guy?"

  "I talk to her," he insists. "Just not every day. I told you, she's busy."

  "Yeah, with some other guy," Jake says. "You had your chance, man. I don't know why you didn't take it."

  "Since when did this turn into a discussion about my love life? Talk about something else." He gets up. "Callie, you got a bathroom I could use?"

  Damn. I'm going to have to let them in my house. Nash is the only person I let go in there the past year and now I have to let his brothers in? I don't want more people in my house. What if they ask questions? They won't. They're guys. Guys don't notice things or ask questions, except Nash, but that's only because he takes my no-question rule as a challenge.

  "Follow me," I say to Bryce. I take him in the house and show him to the bathroom. I feel like I should wait in here to make sure he doesn't snoop around or touch anything, but I think he's too distracted by the mention of that Jen girl to do any snooping. Plus, he's a guy. He's not going to snoop.

  I go back outside to the table, where the guys are still discussing Jen.

  "She was over at the house last week," Jake says.

  "To see Dad?" Nash asks.

  "Yeah. They had dinner. Bryce was over there working in the garage."

  "Did he have dinner with them?"

  "Hell no." Jake checks that Bryce is still in the house. "You know how he gets when Jen's dating someone. He can't be around her."

  "So Bryce never dated her?" I ask.

  "No," Nash says. "But he's been in love with her for years. He just won't admit it."

  "So now she's going out with some other guy," Jake says, balling up his sandwich wrappers. "All because my idiot brother won't tell her how he feels. He's had plenty of opportunities but then he chickens out."

  "Why won't he tell her?"

  "Because he's afraid if it doesn't work out, he'll lose her."

  "He'll lose her if she ends up with someone else."

  "Exactly." He drops his wrappers in the sack. "I told you he's an idiot."

  "But she hangs out with your dad?" I shouldn't ask all these questions. It's really none of my business.

  "He's like a dad to her," Nash says, "and he treats her like a daughter. She doesn't have much for family. She doesn't know who her father is, and her mom's a loser who spends all her time at the bar trying to pick up guys. After Bryce met Jen, she pretty much lived at our house. My parents took care of her the best they could. Fed her. Made sure she got to school. If it weren't for them, she'd probably be on the streets right now instead of in college."

  "Hey, Callie," I hear Bryce say. I turn and see him coming toward me.

  "Yeah?"

  "Your toilet's leaking. If we go into town later, I can get the part and fix it."

  "How do you know it's leaking?"

  "I could hear it."

  "He's our plumbing expert," Nash says. "Actually, he can fix almost anything. And Jake is good with wiring and anything electrical. Austin's a flooring expert; wood, carpet, tile. He does it all. He's also the fastest painter you've ever seen."

  "And Nash is good at bossing people around." Jake laughs.

  "Speaking of that," he says, "get your asses back to work."

  They all get up and toss their trash in the bag.

  "I can make lunch," I offer. "You guys like sloppy Joes?"

  Jake, Bryce, and Austin look at each other, then Jake says to me, "You cook?"

  "Yeah. Why?"

  "She also makes the best cookies I've ever had," Nash says.

  "I could make some if you guys want."

  "You don't have to," Nash says.

  Jake smiles. "But if you want to, we'd be more than happy to eat them."

  I smile back. "I'll make some. They're easy."

  As the guys go back to work, Nash comes over to me. "Don't worry about lunch. We'll just go grab some burgers."

  "I have to do something to thank you guys for helping me out. And really, I don't mind doing it."

  "Okay." He smiles. "Thanks."

  "I'm going to mow the lawn and then I'll go to the store. We'll have lunch around one."

  "Let me help you with the lawn mower," he says, walking to the garage with me.

  "I don't need help."

  "You might need help starting it. Those things never start." He opens the garage door and as soon as we walk inside, he takes me in his arms and kisses me. I'm surprised by the kiss, but I like it so I let him continue, and when our lips part, he says, "Sorry. I just really wanted to do that."

  "Why?"

  "I just did." He kisses me again. "I couldn't help myself. And I didn't think you'd want me to do it in front of my brothers."

  "I like your brothers," I say, looking up at him.

  "But you like me better," he says as he leaves kisses down my neck.

  "I don't know. Jake is pretty hot," I say in a kidding tone.

  "Jake doesn't give foot rubs."

  "Oh. Then he's out. How about Austin?" l laugh. "Does he give foot rubs?"

  "No." He kisses his way back up my neck. "And stop thinking of my brothers that way."

  "I was just kidding."

  His mouth covers my lips as his hand slips under my t-shirt, skimming over my skin, causing tiny bumps to rise up. He keeps his kisses soft and gentle, but just the feel of his soft lips and the heat of his body next to mine has me feeling like this garage is a million degrees.

  "Nash!" we hear Jake yell. "Where the hell you'd go?"

  He sighs. "I better get back to work."

  "Are you going to keep doing this?"

  "Doing what?"

  "Kissing me even though we're not dating?"

  "If you let me, then yeah." He goes over to the lawn mower.

  "That's kind of strange."

  "I like you. And I like kissing you. So it's not strange." He wheels the lawn mower out of the garage. "Where do you want this? Back yard?"

  "No, I always start with the front."

  He yanks on the starter cord and the engine comes to life. It usually takes me at least ten tries before it starts.

  "You coming?" he asks, holding the handle bar.

  "Yeah." I walk over and take the handle from him.

  He leans down by my ear. "For the record, I think a girl mowing the lawn is hot as hell. So you mowing the lawn? It makes me want to..." He places a kiss just below my ear. "I should probably just leave it at that."

  And he does. He walks off, giving me a view of his wide muscular back and tight ass.

  I stand there, my eyes taking in the scene. Four extremely hot men. Shirtless. In my front yard. What the hell?

  Chapter Sixteen

  Nash

  Today was a productive day. We got all the cracks cleaned out and sanded down so that tomorrow we can fill them in. My brothers did a better job than anyone I could've hired. My dad taught all four of us to take pride in our work and never do a half-ass job just to get done early. We never take shortcuts, because doing so means you end up fixing it later. We do it right the first time.

  Now we're all back at my house, getting ready to go out tonight. My brothers work hard so they can play hard, and after today, they deserve it. Callie worked hard too, mowing her lawn, then making us all lunch, and later bringing us out a big tray of her chocolate chip cookies. My brothers ate every last one. For dinner, I just ordered pizzas so Callie wouldn't have to cook again.

  I don't know what came over me today but as soon as I saw her this morning, I had this urge to kiss her. She looked so damn cute in those
monkey pajamas, and then she came outside looking hot as hell wearing those cutoff shorts and that tight t-shirt. I saw my brothers eyeing her and shut that down right away. They each got a lecture to leave her alone.

  She didn't seem to mind that I kissed her in the garage, so I did it again after lunch, except that time it was in her kitchen. We ate lunch outside, and afterward, I helped her carry stuff into the house. As we were cleaning up, I caught her by surprise and kissed her. She kissed me back like she wanted it to continue, but I cut it short because by then I was sweaty and didn't think she'd want to be too close for too long.

  "Damn, she's hot," Austin says to Bryce. I see them both staring out the side window.

  "Stop looking at her," I say, grabbing my keys from the table.

  "How the hell you'd end up with a young, hot neighbor?" Jake asks. "It's like a porn fantasy. Getting it on with the hot college girl that lives next door."

  "We're not having sex."

  He chuckles. "You will be soon. I saw how you two were looking at each other. And making out in the garage? Come on, Nash. You're not teenagers. You don't have to go hide to make out with her."

  How did he know about the garage? Did he walk by and see us?

  "I didn't want you idiots watching. I needed privacy."

  Callie knocks on the door. I answer it and see her standing there in a short black dress that clings to her curves. Damn, she does look hot, even hotter than normal. Her hair is down and she's wearing small silver hoop earrings and a silver necklace.

  "Hey." I smile. "You look really nice."

  "Thanks." She looks down at her dress. "I wasn't sure what to wear. I heard it's kind of an upscale bar so I didn't want to wear shorts." She points to me. "Looks like you dressed up too."

  I'm wearing black pants and a button-up shirt. I dressed up for Callie, not the bar.

  Callie walks past me into the house and Jake says, "You look hot, Callie."

  "Thanks. You too."

  "Never compliment Jake," I say, putting my arm around Callie's shoulder. "His head is already big enough."

  Jake has on dress pants and a nicer shirt than mine. He spends a lot of money on clothes, hoping it'll impress the ladies, which it does.

  Austin and Bryce are wearing jeans and polo shirts, which is what I'd be wearing if Callie wasn't going with us.

  "Should we go?" Bryce asks.

  "Yeah. Everyone out." I motion to the door.

  We pile into Jake's SUV. It's white and only a year old. It's company-owned. Dad has one just like it. My dad got it for Jake because he meets with a lot of contractors and vendors and possible clients so he needs to show up in a decent vehicle, not a run-down truck, like I drive.

  "Austin's the designated driver tonight," Jake says as we arrive at the bar.

  "Why Austin?" I ask. "I'm always the driver."

  "Austin's still on meds for his throat. He can't drink."

  "Aren't you underage?" Callie asks Austin. "You can't even get in the bar."

  "Fake ID," the four of us say in unison.

  Callie laughs. "I should've guessed that."

  Jake parks way in the back because the parking lot's full. As we get out of the SUV, four girls in tight dresses and heels come out of the car next to ours.

  "Good evening, ladies," Jake says, turning on the charm.

  "Hi," they all say at once.

  Jake goes up to the tall blonde in the group. "Can I escort you inside?"

  She smiles. "Only if they come with us." She motions to Bryce, Austin, and me.

  "They'd be happy to," Jake says, as Bryce and Austin each step up next to a girl.

  "Are you guys related?" one of the girls asks.

  "We're brothers." Jake smiles. "You're in for a treat. The Wheeler boys are in town for the weekend and we know how to show a lady a good time."

  I shake my head. He sounds like such an idiot when he's trying to get girls, and yet somehow it works. Each and every time.

  "What about him?" the blonde asks, pointing at me.

  "I'm with her." I slip my arm around Callie's tiny waist.

  "Come with me," Jake says to the girl who isn't paired up. "I can handle two at once."

  I almost roll my eyes, but the girls giggle as they go on each side of him, each grabbing an arm as he walks them to the door.

  Callie and I walk behind them, and when we get inside the bar, I give my brothers a look to let them know I won't be hanging out with them. I want to be with Callie tonight. Getting her to come here was like pulling teeth. She kept refusing to come, but eventually I wore her down.

  "Want a drink?" I ask loudly over the music. They've got it cranked up for the people dancing in the center of the room.

  "I'll take a Long Island."

  My brows rise. "You don't mess around, do you?"

  She shrugs. "It's what I want."

  That's five shots of liquor. She's so tiny, she'll be drunk after one drink.

  "Come on." I take her hand and walk to the bar. "One Long Island and a whiskey and Coke," I tell the bartender.

  After we get our drinks, I find us a table away from the dance floor. Callie seems uncomfortable, furiously stirring her drink with the tiny straw. I move my chair closer to hers and put my arm around her, leaning in to talk. "Are you okay?"

  She nods really fast. "Yeah." She lifts her glass up and gulps down almost half of her drink.

  "Callie, slow down." I take her glass from her before she drinks even more. "That's too much liquor all at once."

  "You took me to a bar. People drink at a bar." She reaches for the glass. "Now give me my damn drink back."

  I set it across the table so she can't reach it, then grab her hands. "Why are you getting so angry? What's wrong?"

  She sighs. "Nothing's wrong. Now can I have my drink?"

  "Just wait a few minutes. You're going to throw up if you drink that all at once."

  She sinks back in her chair and gazes out at the dark room. "You think your brothers are going home with those girls tonight?"

  I spot them on the dance floor. Jake's already kissing the blonde.

  "Jake probably will, but the other two won't. They usually go on a couple dates with the girl before they spend the night."

  She turns to me. "What about you?"

  "I told you, I don't do one-night stands." I take a drink, the whiskey leaving a slow, warm burn down my throat.

  "How long do you usually wait?" She sets her elbow on the table and tilts her head, resting it in her hand. God, she's beautiful. Big brown eyes. Dark lashes. Creamy smooth skin. Soft pink lips.

  "Depends on the girl," I say, moving my mouth toward those lips. I take her hand from her face and kiss her, nice and slow. She seemed tense before, but I feel her body relax as I kiss her.

  "I like how you kiss," she says, drawing the words out like she's already feeling the effects of the alcohol.

  I look at her and see her eyes are closed, her mouth slightly parted. I cover her mouth with mine, and let my tongue linger over hers, tasting the liquor she drank. Just a few kisses and I'm already so hard it's straining my zipper.

  Callie wraps her hand around the back of my neck while her other hand moves up my leg and rests on my thigh, causing my zipper to be strained even more.

  She pauses over my lips and asks, "Would you have sex with me?"

  I pull back a little. "Right now?"

  She smiles a little. "No. In general. Would you have sex with me?"

  "In a heartbeat." I hold her hand under the table because if she moves it any closer to my crotch, my zipper might break.

  "How long?" she asks.

  "How long for what?"

  "How long before you'd have sex with me?"

  "Whenever you're ready."

  "What if I was ready right now?" She runs her fingers through the back of my hair.

  "I won't do it when you're drunk."

  "I'm not drunk," she says, her eyes closing as her head falls to the side.

  "Yeah, you're
drunk." I lift her head up and she opens her eyes. "Let's stick to doing other things tonight. Then some other night, when you're sober, we'll see if you feel the same way."

  "Can I have my drink back now?"

  "If you promise to sip it, not slam it."

  "Fine. Now give it back."

  I slide it over to her and she picks it up and takes another big gulp.

  "Callie, you're going to get sick."

  "Stop worrying about me and focus on your own drink."

  She doesn't seem like someone who drinks to get drunk but I guess I was wrong.

  "You want to dance?" I ask. I don't like to dance but if it gets her to take a break from her drink, I'll do it.

  "Not right now," she says, sitting back and surveying the room. "It's weird how the world just keeps going."

  I turn to her, confused. "What are you talking about?"

  "Right now, people are sick, injured, dying, and yet the world just goes on. People are oblivious to other peoples' problems."

  I hold her hand. "Are you trying to tell me something?"

  "No." She looks down at her drink. "It's just a comment."

  "It didn't sound like just a comment." I gently squeeze her hand. "You want to go outside and talk?"

  She shakes her head. "No."

  "Callie, I know something's going on with you. Just tell me what it is."

  Her eyes lift to mine, and I see the sadness in them, the pain.

  "What is it, Callie?"

  She swallows, then says, "A little over a year ago I—"

  "Nash." I hear a voice behind me and look back and see Katie standing there in a short, sparkly teal dress with big diamond studs in her ears.

  "Hey." I glance at her, then focus back on Callie.

  "Nash, I'm talking to you," Katie says in a demanding tone.

  I keep hold of Callie's hand as I turn toward Katie. "I'm in the middle of a conversation here, so maybe we could talk later."

  "I don't wait," she spits out.

  God, I hate girls like this. Thinking the world revolves around them. But I try to be polite and say, "I'm sorry, Katie, but I can't talk right now."

  She yanks on my shoulder. "I don't like being ignored."

  I take a deep, calming breath and turn to her. "And I don't like being interrupted. I'm talking to someone else right now. If you want to talk, we'll talk later, because right now, I'm busy."