by C. A. Harms
"This one is a little more time-consuming than that."
I don't ask more; instead, I lean my head back and close my eyes. I'm not one for talking lately, except for the guys from work and the occasional visit with my parents; I stay home in the quiet. I've screwed up enough things already, and I've only been home for three months. So, I figure I should just steer clear to ensure I don't destroy any other bonds or relationships.
It doesn't stop me from thinking of Sutton. I'm always thinking of her. I wonder how she is, what she's doing, but I never ask.
The pavement changes and the ride becomes rougher as I lift my head and open my eyes. We've made our way to a gravel drive leading up to a brick ranch home. A porch that covers the entire front and appears to wrap around the side of the house too. A couple of large barns are on the property, and trees give it plenty of shade and seclusion. It's an older home but well kept.
Aaron's truck rolls to a stop a few feet from the van parked near the garage, and he puts it in park. "A new addition off the back, expanding the kitchen, building a pantry." He begins his explanation, and I nod, already loving the project. Anything is better than removing old wallpaper and sheet rocking another tiny ass bathroom.
We both climb out and start for the back of the truck. Pulling out our tool belts, we walk toward the house just as the door flies open and a man in a wheelchair comes rolling out. "How ya feelin', Mr. West?" I pause when Aaron greets the man who is staring at me. By the eyes alone, I can already see the resemblance to Sutton.
"More pissed off everyday son, don't like being held down." The man who I now understood is Sutton's father is still watching me, and it's a bit rattling. I have no doubt he knows who I am.
But I still step forward and formally introduce myself. "I'm Brant O'Shay; it's good to meet you, Sir."
"Sir," Mr. West says with a smirk. "You Military?"
"Marine," I nod, "recently retired."
"So, you are the other O'Shay boy?" Aaron says nothing only stands back and observes us. The asshole is grinning from ear to ear, obviously proud of himself for keeping the details of the job away from me long enough to get me here. I feel as though I am on trial, and the last thing I want is for Sutton's father to look at me like I am some dick that swooped in, caused havoc, and dropped his daughter like a heartless prick.
"Your brother is a good man," again I nod because I can't deny that. Bennett is the best man. "Are you?"
"I like to believe I am Sir," I was right; I am on trial. Even in a wheelchair, with a cast up to his upper thigh, Mr. West is a bit intimidating. His piercing eyes and the scowl on his lips make me feel like an adolescent boy all over again.
"We're here to have a look around the space, take some measurements, and set a plan," Aaron being the son of the owner, he takes on the lead role. So, I stand back and try not to make a fool of myself in front of Sutton's dad.
Aaron has gone outside to check the exterior foundation and so on, leaving me inside to do my part. I can feel Mr. West's eyes practically burning holes in my back. My hands begin to sweat. I wonder what I should say or if I should attempt to say anything at all.
"Your hands always shake like that, boy? Or is it because you suspect I know something you don't want me knowing?"
I'm crouched down on the floor, holding out my tape measure, and I look back over my shoulder at Sutton's dad. Still sitting in a wheelchair, one leg stretching out straight before him, the other foot resting on the floor. With his arms crossed over his chest, there isn't an ounce of humor in his eyes. I suspect he's already formed his opinion about me.
"I don't know what you've heard, Sir, but—,"
"My daughters pretty tight-lipped lately."
There's a long pause like he's waiting for me to say something but the truth is I know I'm already one of his least favorite people. So why give him more ammunition.
"What I do know is that my daughter's been spending way too much time babysitting me. I know the reason she's always available to do so is so she can avoid going out with her friends. The same friends that only a month ago she seemed to be with almost constantly."
I look toward the doorway just as Aaron steps back inside, and he immediately freezes, glancing between Mr. West and me.
"I also know my daughter, who hates the idea of leaving Montgomery, is thinking about moving to Chicago to get away from her troubles. My daughter doesn't run away," I furrow my brows, still hanging on to the idea of Chicago and Sutton moving there. "So maybe you need to tell me why she's ready to move to a place where she knows no one."
"Sir, I—” I pause, unsure of what I should say. My mind is still reeling from the idea of Sutton moving away.
"Whatever the hell took place, fix it.” he isn't asking.
Sutton's father leaves Aaron and me alone as he wheels himself out of the room. I stand, making my way to the backdoor with my phone already in my hand.
"What do ya want?" Bennett is less than pleased to hear from me. But I didn't call to chit-chat.
"You need to go see Sutton."
"What, is she already sick of ya? You already on her nerves and now I need to go rescue her?" I could almost imagine the cocky smirk on his face.
"You're pissed at me, and I get that," he can hate me all he wants; I can deal with it. "I'm not asking for forgiveness Bennett, but what I am asking is that you go see her." I can hear his deep, exasperated breath, but he still never says anything.
"She's fucking leaving Ben," saying it out loud makes my chest ache.
“Sutton ain’t goin’ anywhere.” His annoyance can't be missed.
"She's moving to Chicago," I look back toward the house and find Aaron joining me.
"She tell ya that?"
"I haven't talked to her since the day of her dad's accident." Bennett is silent. "I've done enough damage. I never meant to hurt you, Ben. Walking away isn't easy, but it's the right thing to do." Again, I'm met with silence. "Just go see her, call her; she doesn't need to go," Aaron stops next to me, and my chest is so fucking tight I feel like I can barely breathe.
My throat feels restricted.
"Tell her I'll leave, just do me a favor and forgive her. She didn't do anything, Ben. None of this, every single fuck up since I strolled into town, it's all on me."
When he says nothing, I end the call and tuck my phone in my pocket.
"So now you're running away?"
"Not running, just doing what I should have done from the start."
"Yeah, and what's that."
"Letting the better guy get the girl."
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Sutton
* * *
"More shots!" Kendall slams her second shot glass down onto the table upside down. She is wired and feeling better than good.
"I'm gonna puke," Jillian groans which makes me laugh. Her and I are the youngest of the group at only twenty-two. Not that we didn't drink before our twenty-first birthday, but it got a little heavier after it was legal for us to tag along to the bars. We still have a lot of tolerance to build up, and I swear, Kendall can drink most guys under the table. She is a hard act to follow.
"Buckle up, buttercup," she slaps her hand in front of Jillian, and the poor girl's eyes grow wide in surprise. "We are just getting started."
One of our favorite bars in Montgomery has booked a new upcoming band. I'd skipped the last few outings, but I decided a night out with the girls was just what I needed when there was no mention of any guys joining us.
I have yet to tell them that I've found an apartment in Chicago, and tomorrow I plan to give my notice to Margaret. Then, in less than a month, I'll be packing up my life and moving to a new place. I'm excited.
That's a lie, I'm scared shitless, but I hate how things feel here now. The new normal is something I hate. I don't have a best guy friend or a guy who frequently makes an appearance in my dreams. I'm the girl known now for making the O'Shay brothers hate one another.
I hate being that girl.
&nbs
p; "Here you go, ladies," Mike sits down a tray of shots in front of us, and instantly Kendall starts placing one in front of each of us. Rarely do all six of us girls find the chance to get together simultaneously, but tonight is an exception.
I suspect it's Lexi that has managed to get us all together. She is the only one that knows I've made up my mind. She's upset with me, and for days we've been at odds over it. I also hate fighting with Lex; it always leaves me feeling unsettled.
"I've got this round," I announce, holding up two twenties as Mike steps back.
Pointing over my shoulder at something behind us, he smiles. "Already taken care of."
Turning around to look in the direction he points, immediately the wind feels like it is knocked out of me when I find Bennett standing only a few feet behind us, flanked by Finn, Marshall, and Aaron. Each is looking like they are ready to cause some trouble.
Bennett smiles, and tears fill my eyes, as I hang my head. So, this is all Lexi, she led me right into some intervention, and I can't even be mad at her for it.
"Hey, Tink," I can't look at him as the tears start to fall.
Suddenly I'm wrapped in a familiar set of arms as he pulls me in close. Surrounded by his spicy cologne, I do nothing to hide my deep inhale. God, until now, it hasn't hit me just how much I've missed him.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" His words are spoken softly near my ear, but I don't pull back. "The Sutton, I know, doesn't run away from anything."
Slowly he releases his hold on me, and I stand tall. He's close but not too close. The way he's watching me reminds me of all the times he's hassled me in the past. Bennett, my friend, the guy that teased and taunted me, the one that loved to drive me crazy, the guy I adore.
"What's this I hear about Chicago?"
"It's a great opportunity," I confess, and he chuckles.
"If it's such a great opportunity, then why did you turn it down last year?" I'd forgotten he was there when I got the phone call. "It's a cop-out. You're running away from something you don't need to be running from."
"I've made a mess here," I'm fully aware of everyone standing around observing our interaction.
"You didn't make a mess of anything, Tink," placing his arm across my shoulders, he moves us toward an empty table, and the guys step up to join the girls. "This is on me."
"How is any of this your fault?"
"Sutton," he shakes his head and smiles. "I knew from the beginning you and I would never be more than friends. Long before Brant came back home, but the idea of my brother getting the girl is hard to accept. I come from a line of men that don't like to lose."
I shift my gaze down to my hands as I fist them on the tabletop before me.
"He didn't want to come tonight, ya know," confused I look up at Bennett, wondering what in the hell he is talking about. "Said that he doesn't belong here, that he should have re-enlisted.”
Without a second thought, I start to scan over the bar in search of Brantley.
"Rory had to drag him here."
Then I spot him at the end of the bar, holding a beer in his hand as he stares down at it, picking at the label. Rory stands at his side, talking, but neither of them is looking our way. It's been a couple of weeks since I've seen him, but the time did nothing to diminish the attraction I feel for him. If anything, it made me desire him more.
Quickly I look away and concentrate on my hands once more.
"You're over here, and he's over there, acting like the two of you don't know each other." Glancing up at Bennett, I find he's still smiling at me, and I shrug because I'm not sure how else to react.
"So pathetic." He chuckles, and I glare at him like I have so many times before when he's annoyed me. "The Sutton, I know, wouldn't be shying away from something she wants."
"And the Bennett I know wouldn't be letting some girl, sever the bond between him and his brother."
He's surprised by my words, hell even I am. I don’t feel confident, in fact for days, I’ve felt nothing more than utterly defeated.
"You're not just some girl, Sutton."
"Why in the hell do you have me up on some pedestal? I'm me, Ben, just a girl from Alabama, nothing special yet you've imagined me to be some kinda perfect girl."
"You're not perfect," he declares with a smirk. "You snore, bite your nails, and that annoying thing you do with your ankle when you pop it over and over makes me want to drown you."
"Nice," I laugh as I push his shoulder.
"But you're also the kind of girl that's loyal without fault, the one that doesn't choose sides, though you want one more than the other." Tears fill my eyes, and I attempt to hide them. "It's okay to love him, ya know. He is pretty great."
"Just because I don't love you that way doesn't mean I don't love you, Bennett. I adore you; I have from the first moment I met you. You've been a significant part of my life for more than a year, and I hate that I've lost you."
"I'm right here, Sutton," he nudges my shoulder with his own. "And he's over there, feeling like he doesn't deserve you."
"What about you two?"
"You let me worry about that. We'll get there, but the O'Shay pride is a bitch, and we gotta do it our way."
"With fists?" I arch my brow.
"Nah, already went that route, now we just gotta heal." He leans forward, resting his elbows on the table.
"If I had to choose a guy for you, it'd be Brant. He won't hurt you." I take in a shuddering breath. "He'll love you, not as good as I would have, but pretty damn close." His cocky smirk returns, and I get a glimpse of the guy I know. "Will you please toss the guy a bone already? He looks miserable?"
I feel like I can't move because walking away from Bennett feels like the final step at ending our friendship, and that is the last thing I want.
"I'm getting there, I promise." I still can't manage to make my feet move. "Do you know that he is willing to walk away, willing to move so that you'll stay? Leave Hudson so that I don't have to see the two of you together?"
I glance toward Brantley, and our stares connect across the bar.
"I already knew that Brant was one of the good ones, but that confirms it. He is willing to risk his happiness so that you and I could go back to the way things were."
I swallow hard, my emotions threatening to consume me.
"He'll be good to you Sutton, that was never a question."
Again, I say nothing but instead, concentrate on holding myself together.
"I miss my brother, and I also miss my best friend."
I quickly glance back at him. "I miss you too," so much.
"Will you please get your ass over there and fix this shit. Neither one of you are moving anywhere so that shit stops right here and now."
I nod, looking back at Bennett.
"Now get moving before I carry your ass over there and hand you to him."
Chapter Thirty
Brantley
* * *
"Can we go now?" The bar is the last place I want or need to be right now. After weeks of not seeing Sutton, her being within reach just makes everything that much harder. Bennett is right walking away from a girl like Sutton feels impossible, but I've got to do it. Though on the inside, I feel more unsettled than I have ever felt before.
"He told you to come," Rory stands at my side, watching whatever band is playing tonight set up their equipment. He's been sticking close for days, but I know I've annoyed the hell out of him. I'm a miserable ass. "He didn't tell you to hide out in the corner of the bar and pretend to be a stranger."
But with Bennett, I did feel like a stranger lately.
“Tonight, is supposed to be about showing Sutton that we can all still come together, and things aren't fucked up."
I glance back at my brother and Sutton just as Ben pulls her in for a hug. I have to look away quickly because seeing her in the arms of any guy when I want to be the one to hold her gets under my skin.
"How's everyone doing tonight?" An older guy speaks into t
he microphone, and several men and women holler out in response. "This is our first time in Montgomery, so I'm hoping y'all show us a good time." Again, some girls yell out, and the older guy's smile widens. "Thank you too, sweetheart," he offers someone a wink. "That's my kinda night, darlin'." And with that, he rolls right into that exact song.
It's hard not to look toward the area of the bar I know our friends are. The pull to go over to her is strong, and my body hums with nervous energy. Finally, the redhead behind the bar walks over, and Rory tells her to get us another round. My half-drunk beer has grown warm, and when she comes back, I hand her the bottle to discard.
This time I lift the cold beer to my lips and down half its contents. The coolness feeling good against the rawness I feel lacing my throat.
"Hey stranger," I freeze, looking to my right, and slowly I set the bottle down on the bar top at my side. Timidly Sutton stands at my side, and for a few seconds, I wonder if my mind is playing tricks on me. “So, what, you kiss a girl until she's breathless, and then you never call?"
She's attempting to be playful, but I can't get past the way she seems so nervous. She wears tight jeans and a shirt that's nothing more than a sliver of material, leaving her neck and stomach entirely on display. Partly I want to cover her up so no one else can see her and the other part wants to explore the options. Then the boots she wears, giving her an extra inch or three but still making her the perfect height that she'd fit right where I need her most. Finally, in my arms, pulled in securely to my chest.
"You weren't the only one breathless," I confess.
"I'm gonna head over and say hi to the girls," until then, I'd forgotten he was still there. Rory steps around me and pauses, kissing Sutton on the cheek. When he whispers something next to her ear, I narrow my eyes at him, and they both chuckle.
Sutton looks behind her as he walks away, only I never once take my eyes away from her. I can't. It's felt like years since I've been this close. Somehow looking away from her makes me feel like she might disappear, and I don't want her to go. She is even more beautiful than I remember, mind-numbingly gorgeous.
