Next (Kiss Series Book 1)

by Rachael Brownell

  I reach my marker and turn back towards the house. I look down at my watch and immediately pick up the pace. I'm slacking this morning. I may not have to head to work, but I still have things to do today. Plus, I don't want my average time to suffer. I dig in harder and concentrate on my breathing.

  Felicity seems to be excited that Elliot is coming home. She has been trying to get me to plan a party for him since she found out last week. I'm sure we'll celebrate. I'm sure people will migrate to our house like they always do. Elliot will be staying with us until he finds a place. That fact alone means that the party might last weeks.

  Today Felicity and I are clearing out the guest room and starting to get it ready for Elliot. It's been our storage room since we moved in. I have no idea what's even in there. I moved a bunch of stuff from my parent’s house over about a year ago but never sorted through it. I have boxes of stuff I'm sure I haven't even thought about in almost a decade.

  After showering off, I grab a cup of coffee. Felicity is on the back deck waiting for me, her coffee already half gone. We need to go shopping for furniture, bedding, pretty much everything you can think of. We can't do any of that until we clear the room out, though.

  "Morning," I say as I take a seat across from her.

  "How was your run?" She asks as she takes a sip.

  "Refreshing as always." Running helps me clear my head. I needed a good run after last night. I still can't believe that Frank was Will's wingman. Elliot is going to get a kick out of that when I tell him.

  "Ready to tackle all those boxes?"

  "Not really but it has to be done and I'm not sure when my next weekend will be this free and clear. Did you pick out furniture yet?" I love to shop, but I haven't had the time so Felicity has taken over the project. She says the room needs to have a beachy yet masculine feeling to it. I have no idea what that means, but I trust her.

  "I found a few places I want to check out today. Do you wanna do that first or clear the room first?"

  "Let's get it cleared out in case we find stuff while were shopping that can be delivered today." Felicity nods in agreement, but neither of us makes a move towards the room. It's a scary place. I noticed that the door was open when I headed to grab my coffee. Felicity must have been in there while I was in the shower. It's a mess.

  We finally make our way inside and start to tackle box after box. Some are full of old clothes that we set aside to donate. Others are full of random crap that I collected as a kid. I had not one but two sea shell collections. The third box I came across had dolls in it that I set aside to donate. By the time we made it to the last few boxes I was worn out. As I opened the box on top of the stack, I froze in place.

  I pull out the shoe box that's inside and set it aside. I know what's in there, but I'm not sure that I want to relive those times yet. One day I will and I'll keep the box in a safe place for when that time comes. Until then, Luke's smiling face will remain hidden. I wonder if he still looks the same as he did back then.

  George.

  Derrick.

  Adam.

  Mike.

  Tucker.

  Will.

  The list could go on and on. The past two years have been a whirlwind of sub-par dates. None of them even came close to comparing to Luke. Tucker lasted the longest. He made it all the way to the third date before I was done with him. The rest, Felicity calls them one-date-wonders. I left two of them in the middle of the date. I felt bad, but there was no way I was going to be able to suffer through the rest of the evening.

  George talked too much. I expected conversation during dinner but not during the movie. Derrick barely talked at all. When his hand tried to slide up my dress before the appetizer arrived, I knew I was going to bail on him. I excused myself to use the bathroom and slipped out the back door of the restaurant.

  They all called the next day. They all asked for another chance, one more shot. Derrick even promised to be on his best behavior. Not. Going. To. Happen.

  My dates have made for great stories lately. Felicity and I have shared a few good laughs the last few months discussing my epic fails in the dating department. This weekend, I get to discuss those fails with Elliot, in person for a change.

  He's finally finished with grad school. I'm not sure why he signed up for two more years of school, but he did. He graduated last week with his Master’s in Education. Then, he called to tell me that he accepted an offer to teach at our old high school. I think he's crazy to want to go back and spend his life there. I didn't hate high school, but I was glad when it was over. I certainly wouldn't want to go back.

  Tomorrow I get to hug my best friend for the first time in too long.

  I pack up my stuff for the night and head to the parking garage. I'm going to hit the gym on my way home today. I haven't been in a while and I'm craving the endorphins. I've been running on the beach in the morning, but I haven't worked on my upper body lately.

  My arms start to burn after only a few minutes using the free weights. I switch to a machine, but the burn won't go away. I give up and head for the treadmill. I'm half-way through my two-mile run when I hear his voice as clear as day. He can't be more than five feet behind me. I trip over my own feet and almost go flying off the treadmill.

  "Reagan. How are you?" I turn to find Will, shirtless and sweaty, suppressing a sexy grin. He saw me trip, he had to.

  "Hey, Will. I'm good. How are you?" I try to act casual. I haven't seen him since Felicity and I left him and Frank-the-tool at the bar months ago.

  "Good." The girl standing next to him nudges him in the side. "Sorry. Reagan this is Angela, my girlfriend. Angela, this is Reagan."

  He doesn't attach a title to my name which is probably good. How would he describe me, anyway? The girl he attempted to date? The girl who left him standing in a bar?

  "Hi," I say in her direction. She's glaring at me. I would act the same way if my boyfriend were staring at another woman that I didn't know. She needs to retract her claws, though. I'm not here to fight for him. "Well, you two have a nice night. I'm going to hit the showers."

  I walk away from them without another word. That's turning into my MO these days. Words complicate things. I don't like complicated. I have enough things in my life that are complicated. I don't need to add anything else to the list.

  The next morning I'm just about to leave the house for my run, when my phone rings. It's the ass-crack of dawn. I answer without looking to silence the ring. I don't want to wake Felicity.

  "Hello?" Who in the hell is calling me?

  "Would you like some company on your run this morning?" I recognize the voice but don't place it right away. "The fact that you're awake tells me that you still run the beach every morning."

  Will. Why is he calling me? After running away from him and his girlfriend last night, he has no reason to call me. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea. Your girlfriend didn't seem too excited to meet me last night. I have a feeling she wouldn't like you running with me. Alone. On a beach. At six o'clock in the morning."

  "She wouldn't like it, but it's not up to her."

  "Why are you trying to cause problems for yourself?" And for me. I want to add that, but I keep it to myself.

  "I'm not. I told her that I was going to try and get you back as a client. I need the extra work and since you’re still working hard, I thought we might be able to team up again."

  Will was a fantastic personal trainer. I haven't replaced him because I haven't had time. I've been using everything he taught me, though. I still run the beach in the mornings. I've set up a workout space in the guest bedroom. I even purchased a few pieces of equipment. At first, it was to avoid going to the gym and running into him. After a while, it was more convenient to come home and work out on my own schedule. I had to move my equipment out to the garage so Elliot had a place to sleep or else I wouldn't have gone to the gym last night.

  "I don't think that's such a great idea. I have things under control for now but thanks for the o
ffer."

  "I'm outside your back door. The least you could do for my efforts is let me run with you."

  What? I walk into the living room and sure enough, Will is sitting in a chair on the back porch, grinning at me through the French doors. He waves and I hang up on him. He's not going to go away. When he stopped calling after I walked out on him, I thought he was a quitter. I was either wrong or he's changed his ways.

  Unlocking the door, Will follows me with his eyes but he doesn't say anything. He knows the drill. We run. No talking. I close the door behind me and immediately start stretching. He mimics my actions, the routine we use to do together, as I put my foot on the railing and stretch my thighs and calves. This goes on for five minutes before I jump off the patio and onto the sand.

  It's brisk this morning as the wind slaps me in the face. The sun is starting to rise and warm the air around me. My body warms about halfway to the turnaround point. I kick it up a notch, forcing myself to run faster. Will keeps stride with me.

  When we first started to run together I struggled to keep up with him. Running on a treadmill is different than running in the sand. It takes strength to push yourself through the sand. There's resistance that you don't get when you're on a machine. I nearly broke down that first day, but Will wouldn't let me quit. He showed up the next morning and pulled me out of bed and onto the beach.

  His persistence turned me on. I had high hopes for him. I'm glad it ended when it did. I could have let myself get attached to him. That wouldn't have turned out good for either of us.

  Felicity is drinking her morning cup of coffee on the deck when we make it back to the house. I've asked her to run with me before but she refuses to do anything before she has coffee.

  "Morning." She says as I plop down in the chair next to her and stretch out the best I can.

  "Hey," I say between deep breaths.

  "Will," Felicity says and nods in his direction.

  "Good Morning, Felicity. Nice to see you again." I look up to find Will leaning against the railing, dripping sweat but breathing normally. Show off.

  "What brings you to our part of the beach this early in the morning?" Damn it, Felicity. Why are you asking him questions that you know the answer to already?

  "I thought I would be able to convince Reagan to work with me again, but she's a stubborn one."

  "That doesn't explain why you're still here." I try to suppress it, but I can't. A small giggle escapes my lips when I see the look on Will's face. Felicity just put him in his place and he has no idea what to say. God, I love this girl.

  "I guess I should be going then. Ladies, it was nice seeing you. Reagan." He waits for me to make eye contact before he continues. "If you have a change of heart, you know how to reach me."

  I nod but don't respond. He takes that as his cue to leave and disappears around the side of the house. Felicity lets me catch my breath and grabs me a cup of coffee before she starts her inquisition.

  "What was that all about?"

  "I ran into him at the gym last night. He must have decided that I needed some help based on what he saw." Not a chance but I have no idea why he would show up here otherwise.

  "Yeah. That must be it. You're getting fat." I don't miss the sarcastic tone she's taking with me. "Look, he was a nice guy. If you were to give him another chance, would it be the worst thing in the world?"

  "He is a nice guy. His girlfriend also seems like she might be a nice person. I met her last night too."

  "Oh!"

  "Yeah. She was with him at the gym."

  "That's kind of weird, right? He introduces you to his girlfriend and then shows up here."

  "It is, but I'm not surprised. I have a knack for picking the wrong guys. He's already on that list, remember?"

  We drink the rest of our coffee in silence, enjoying the sound of the waves crashing against the shoreline. Felicity will sit out here for hours if I don't get her moving. Today is the big day and I'm going to need her help getting everything ready. We have to go to the store this morning and start prepping food. Our guest of honor will be here about noon and everyone else will be arriving about four. Time to get our butts in gear.

  I'm in the middle of cutting fruit for sangria when the doorbell rings. I look up at the clock and it's only eleven o'clock. Felicity is in the shower so I rinse my hands and head to the door. The bell rings again and then again right after. It can only be one person and he's early. Really, really early.

  When I open the door I'm bombarded. He's lucky it was me and not Felicity that answered. She might have decked him if she didn't recognize him right away.

  "God I missed you so much." His voice is music to my ears and the tears start to fall before he finishes his sentence.

  I PUT ELLIOT TO work helping me prep food. Two minutes in and he's already caught a kitchen towel on fire, leaving it too close to the only burner that I had turned on, and almost cut himself with the knife. I dismiss him to get settled in and take a shower. A few minutes later, I hear Felicity scream bloody murder and I start running.

  I figure out what happened as I round the corner into the hall. Felicity's bedroom door is open and Elliot is rushing out. Wrong room, dumb-ass. The door slams in Elliot's face, but he doesn't move.

  I clear my throat and he turns to where I'm leaning against the wall. "Your other right, genius."

  Elliot's grinning from ear to ear. I have a feeling he liked what he saw. I don't think Felicity is going to find her introduction to Elliot as amusing as I do. She's always been self-conscious of her body and I'm sure a good portion of it was on display judging by Elliot's smile.

  I make my way back to the kitchen and before long, Felicity joins me. Her face is beet red and she's huffing and puffing as she starts pulling supplies out of the cabinets.

  "I can't believe he walked in on me," she finally says. "Doesn't he know how to knock?"

  "Why would he knock on the door if he thought he was going into the guest room? You make it sound like he did it on purpose." I do my best to hide the amusement in my voice.

  "Guilty," Elliot says as he enters the kitchen, his eyes trained on Felicity the entire time.

  I cover my laugh with a cough. Both of them look at me. Felicity in disbelief and Elliot with the same shit-eating grin he had after she slammed the door in his face. This weekend is going to be fun if things keep going this way. I always thought that the two of them were perfect for each other. The way Felicity is fighting the urge to look at Elliot tells me that she sees it too.

  "So, what's the game plan for today," Elliot asks, breaking the silence as he takes a seat at the counter. "Who's all coming over?"

  "Your parents. My parents. A few friends of ours. It's not going to be a big thing. Is there anyone you want to invite?"

  "Not really. James isn't going to be able to make it into town and Luke doesn't answer his phone anymore so I have no idea if he'll show up. I left him a message, but I haven't heard back from him."

  I close my eyes and try to picture Luke. He hasn't been home even once since he left. I doubt he'll show up for a little get together to celebrate Elliot returning home. That doesn't sound like him at all.

  The three of us work to get all the food together. I send Elliot to fire up the grill so that I can get myself ready. Felicity's eyes go wide when she realizes that I'm leaving the two of them alone. She's talked to Elliot on the phone for years now. They know each other well. She has no reason to be nervous.

  The two of them are on the patio, sipping sangria when I join them. The tension that was in the kitchen has evaporated into thin air. Felicity looks relaxed. Elliot is now the one that looks nervous. I wonder what she said to him to get under his skin.

  The weekend flies by. Even with the extra day, there still wasn't enough time. Tuesday morning Elliot leaves at the same time the two of us do. We all have to be adults today and go to work. Elliot is pumped up for his first day. He's only meeting with the principal and signing his contract, but he's excited none-th
e-less. I'm dreading the long day that I have ahead of me.

  Felicity has been abnormally quiet all morning long. Something is going on with her. I noticed it yesterday then, she wasn't on the porch this morning when I got back from my run like she normally is.

  I asked her about it last night, but she changed the subject. I asked Elliot if he noticed her acting weird this morning, he just shrugged his shoulders. I have my suspicions, but I can't confirm anything. I'm going to have to get her alone and interrogate her.

  My day is longer than I planned so I skip the gym and head straight home. The house is abnormally quiet when I walk in. Both Elliot and Felicity's cars are in the driveway so I know they're here. I just don't know where. I check the kitchen and the back patio, but there's no sign of them. I head down the hall to my room and hear Felicity giggling. I knock on her door but she doesn't answer and the giggling has now turned into muffled voices and the pitter-patter of feet across the hardwood floors.

  Elliot slips into the hall, closing his door behind him. "Hey, Reagan. I didn't realize you were home. What's up?"

  He's talking fast and fidgeting. He's hiding something. Or someone. I smile, knowing exactly what's happening right now. I interrupted the two of them getting to know each other better. This explains Felicity's behavior the last few days. When did this start?

  "Not much. I'm going to go for a run and then hop in the shower. Tell Felicity we're having drinks on the patio tonight to celebrate." I leave Elliot standing in the hallway, his mouth hanging open in surprise that I put it all together so quickly.

  The two of them are waiting for me on the porch when I finally emerge from my shower. Neither of them say anything as I take a seat. I look from one to the other, waiting for one of them to confess their sins, but neither speaks. I guess I'm going to have to lay it out there for them.

  "I know you both better than anyone else. You're my best friends. When I met Felicity, my first thought was how perfect she would be for you, Elliot. I was so focused on my own life that I didn't stop to play match maker and I probably should have." Felicity hasn't blinked in a few minutes. Her eyes look like they're about to bulge out of her head at any moment and her face is turning the cutest shade of pink. Elliot, on the other hand, is enjoying my speech. He's relaxed into his seat and is smiling at me.