by K. L. Myers
“Really? Even the waitress is hitting on Braxton in front of me?” Paisley whispered under her breath. God, I’m an idiot.
Chapter 4
BRAXTON: Hey, Paisley. Are you busy?
Braxton reclined on his sofa, his leg bouncing feverishly as he waited for the jumping dots to appear, signaling that Paisley was responding. But they never showed.
He hadn’t heard from her since last Tuesday at The Rock. They rarely went days without speaking, so deep inside, Braxton knew that she was mad at him for crashing her party. In hindsight, he probably was a douchebag for ignoring her the majority of the night. But when he’d seen the beautiful redhead sitting with his best friend, his heart had stopped for a moment before kicking into high gear. It had felt as if the organ was going to burst from his chest cavity and fall on the floor.
The mystery goddess had green eyes that had pierced his soul, sending electrical shocks straight to his dick. When he’d made it to their table, he’d had to sit down quickly before either of them noticed he was halfway to a full erection. The time he had spent with her had felt effortless, the conversation coming naturally, and he’d truly enjoyed her company. She was all he’d been able to think about since last week.
Braxton didn’t want to seem too forward and ask Alissa for her number at the table, so he’d played it cool and walked her to her dorm. When they’d reached her building, something had come over him, and he had been at a loss as to how to end the night. Did he kiss her? Did he shake her hand? What was the proper protocol for someone he’d just met but wanted to spend more time with? So, like an idiot, he had fumbled for the words to say good night and then forgot to ask for her number.
Now he was kicking himself because he had no way to reach her. When he’d gotten home, he was confident that for sure he’d hear from Paisley.
He continued to glance at his phone every five minutes, finally giving up when a reply didn’t come after an hour. With a heavy sigh, Braxton tossed his phone on the sofa beside him. And as if that was what his phone had been waiting for, it vibrated with an incoming text.
PAISLEY: What, Brax?
His heart sped up. Maybe he’d be able to see Alissa after all without having to stalk her around campus. Camping out in front of a woman’s dorm tended to get you harassed by security.
BRAXTON: I was wondering if you and Alissa wanted to grab something to eat at The Snack Shack? They have killer burgers.
PAISLEY: You do know I’m not your dating pimp, right? Just call her yourself. You don’t need to take me along as a third wheel.
BRAXTON: Tricycles are awesome.
He hit send and then laughed at his comment.
BRAXTON: Besides, I didn’t ask for her number so I can’t call her. I need you.
Once again, Paisley went radio silent. What the hell had he done this time? She seemed okay when she’d finally replied; she’d joked about being his dating pimp. Or, maybe she wasn’t joking. Maybe the comment was meant as a dig at him. He was about to call her instead of waiting for her text when she finally responded.
PAISLEY: Saturday, seven o’clock. We’ll meet you there.
BRAXTON: Thanks, Paisley. You’re my hero. I owe you one—anything you want.
PAISLEY: How about your heart?
Braxton read and reread her comment. What an odd thing for her to say. He wasn’t sure what to make of it, but he didn’t spend much time deciphering its meaning and decided to dismiss the comment.
“Oh, fuck!” Braxton said he was supposed to meet Paxton for their weekly dinner on Saturday.
BRAXTON: Paxton, about dinner on Saturday. I have to cancel.
PAXTON: No way, motherfucker. You are not ditching on me because of a girl.
BRAXTON: Bro, how did you know it was a girl?
PAXTON: Why else does someone bail on their best friend?
BRAXTON: This girl is hot. I can’t mess up this opportunity. Sorry, but I have to cancel, best friend or not.
PAXTON: If this girl is so hot, I have to meet her. How about I bring a friend with me and we meet the two of you?
Braxton took Paxton’s comments into consideration. It couldn’t hurt having additional people there; in fact, he’d be able to get his Paxton’s seal of approval and Paisley would feel better not being the “third wheel.”
BRAXTON: Hey, that could work. Your sister will be there, so yeah, bring a friend. We’re meeting at The Snack Shack at seven. It’s on Hearst Ave by campus. See you then.
Excited by the news that Paxton and his friend would be joining them, Braxton quickly texted Paisley to let her know. He was sure she’d be ecstatic to spend the time with her brother. She’d missed the last two meetups with Paxton.
BRAXTON: Hey, Paisley. Pax and his friend will be joining us. Can’t wait for us all to get together.
PAISLEY: Just fucking awesome.
Chapter 5
Lillian and Paxton walked into The Snack Shack. A redhead sitting at the table with Braxton immediately stole his attention. If it weren’t for Braxton raising his hand to signal him and Lillian, he’d still be gawking. His friend was right. Alissa was one smoking-hot girl.
Paxton placed his hand on the small of Lillian’s back, guiding her toward the table where he pulled out her chair for her. Paisley looked at her brother with a questioning glint in her eye.
Paxton introduced his guest to everyone. The redhead who had enchanted him the moment he walked through the door was bouncing in her seat with an enormous smile on her face. He couldn’t help but wonder what she was so excited about.
“Oh, my,” Alissa squeaked, her voice hesitant and her head turning to scan the restaurant before she spoke in a very low voice. “My father is Richard Ivey. He did work for your father many years ago. It’s such an honor to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you as well.” Lillian was pleasant in her response, but she shot Paxton a glance that let him know she didn’t appreciate being outed by her last name. She’d prefer that no one knew she was going to school out here.
Paxton found humor in watching his best friend being completely head over heels stupid about the beautiful redhead sitting beside him. He’d come to the realization that Alissa was equally as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside. Positivity radiated from her. It didn’t matter what the topic of conversation; Alissa only had good things to say. Unlike his sister.
Paxton tried to determine what was wrong with Paisley, everything about her was out of character. She spoke when others talked to her, but she hadn’t initiated any conversation throughout the night. He’d never seen her act this way before, and it had him concerned.
Determined to find out what was bothering his sister, Paxton leaned over in his chair and whispered in her ear, “What’s wrong with you? Why are you so quiet tonight?”
Paisley shrugged, appearing hesitant to say too much. “No reason. Just don’t have much to say.”
“That’s a first.”
Paisley quickly turned in her chair, her face beet red. If she had been a cartoon, Paxton was sure there would be smoke billowing out her ears and the top of her head would have popped off. Even though he knew he had hit a sore subject with her, he wasn’t prepared for the punch that she landed against his arm.
“Ouch. That was uncalled for.” Paxton rubbed his shoulder, trying to relieve the stinging sensation that was running down his appendage.
“Paxton,” Alissa addressed him. “You have an amazing sister. I don’t know what I’d have done if she hadn’t befriended me.”
Alissa looked over at Paisley with a smile that stretched from ear to ear. Paxton nudged his sister’s leg under the table, hoping to pull her out of her distracted state while he acknowledged Alissa agreeing that his twin was a wonderful human being.
Both Paxton and Alissa waited for Paisley to acknowledge the compliment Alissa had given her. But when she didn’t, Alissa quickly reached across the table, placing her hand on Paisley’s wrist. “Paisley, is something wrong?” Alissa asked.
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When Paisley didn’t respond, Paxton nudged her, and she caught on to her brief twilight zone stint. “Yes, I mean. No. I mean, everything is fine. Sorry. Just got a little lost in thought there for a moment.”
Paxton noticed that his twin was fumbling for words and wondered what was wrong with her. However, the answer seemed to appease Alissa, who continued on about how much she appreciated his sister.
Paisley, still oblivious to the conversations going on around her, waived over the waitress who looked as if she wanted to be anywhere but here tonight. “Is it still happy hour? You know, two for one and all that?”
The less-than-pleasant waitress acknowledged Paisley's question with an extremely short and simple “yep.” She clearly was not wanting to spend any more time than necessary at their table. Her sour face got even tighter as she eyed the table across form them, which held four very muscular dudes wearing matching baseball shirts.
Paisley snapped her fingers several times in an attempt to draw the waitress’s attention. “Excuse me.” Paisley’s expression was anything but pleasant; if daggers could shoot from her eyes, the waitress would be dead by now. Paisley barked out “Focus your attention over here please.”
Paxton had never seen his sister act this way. She had never been downright rude to another human being, no matter how upset she was. He vowed that before the evening was out, he would get to the bottom of her mood.
Without hesitation, Paisley tossed out her order. “I’ll take four whiskey and Cokes, please. You seem to be preoccupied with . . .” She looked across the aisle and then back to the waitress. With the dumbass ballplayers across the way so it will just be easier on you if you don’t have to keep coming back.”
The whole table went silent. Apparently, Paxton was not the only one questioning what was wrong with Paisley. Braxton raised a brow to her, but as he opened his mouth to speak, she raised her palm and pushed it toward his face. Maybe it would work… Paxton searched the solemn faces around him. He wasn’t the only one questioning what was wrong with Paisley. Braxton raised his brow at her and opened his mouth. Not a good idea, man, Paisley lifted her palm and pushed it toward his face, effectively stopping whatever he would have said. Brax looked pissed but remained quiet. That’s it, buddy. Don’t poke the bear.
Chapter 6
Paxton, Paisley, and Braxton had been to some wild parties in high school, but Braxton had never seen her drink as much as she had tonight. When his little pint-sized friend ordered four whiskeys, he knew something was up. Still he wasn’t going to pry. She’d tell him when the time was right. At least, he hoped she would.
What he hadn’t expected was the anger that brewed inside him when Paisley downed an additional two more after she finished the first order. He had prayed that Paxton would say something to his sister, but as he waited and waited for that to happen, it never did.
Now, he was forced to be the responsible one of the group and call Paisley out. He shook his head just the tiniest bit at the irony that he was the authoritative one for a change.
“Hey.” His eyes locked onto hers across the table. “Maybe you should slow down some.” Her eyes widened, she pursed her lips together and drew in a deep breath at his comment. He decided to quickly defuse the situation so as not to spoil the evening for everyone else. “Or maybe I’ll just mind my own business.”
Several hours passed, and Paisley had obviously taken his words to heart. She had slowed down and was sipping her last drink.
By the time everyone was ready to leave, Paisley could barely stand without falling over. Her legs wobbled beneath her, forcing her to reach out for something to steady herself, but there was nothing within reach. Braxton quickly scurried around the table, hoping to reach her before she fell, but it was Paxton who gripped his sister swiftly to steady her.
Paisley was oblivious to what was happening. “What’s wrong with you, Paxton? I can stand on my own.” But as she tried to move forward, she began to sway once more before tripping over her own feet and stumbling. Braxton worried this would be the moment she’d fall, but she managed to catch herself and stand tall. A murmur of astonishment came from the others as they continued toward the exit.
Paxton followed behind his sister, and when they were safely outside and away from any additional patrons, he grabbed her arm. He obviously wasn’t going to let go of her earlier comment. “What’s wrong with me? I should be asking you that. You’ve had a stick up your ass all night, and you’re fucking drunk off your butt.”
Braxton knew the twins all too well; a heated argument was about to ensue in the middle of the parking lot. He didn’t want this conversation to escalate into a full-blown argument.
Braxton reached out, taking hold of Paisley by the waist and pulling her to his side. “I’ve got you, caterpillar.” It was a term of endearment he had used over the years with Paisley and never once had it seemed out of place. Not until tonight when she looked into his eyes and smiled.
Something was different. As she stared at him, her eyes locked with his, a longing in them, something he had never seen from her before. He stood there holding her, trying to make heads or tails out of what was happening, but then her body began to jerk and he knew the vomit would soon follow.
Without hesitation, Braxton reached out, swooping her into his arms, and rushed toward the bathrooms. With one swift move, he pushed the door to the lady's room open. He wasn’t concerned one bit if anyone was in there; his only concern was for his best friend.
With quick reflexes, he shoved through a stall door and placed Paisley on the floor in front of the toilet. With just seconds to spare, he pulled back her hair as she began to vomit into the bowl.
Alissa had followed and Paxton too. “Do you need me to do anything? Like, get a paper towel or something?”
Braxton knew Paisley well enough to understand that she wouldn’t want anyone to bear witness to her current state. He needed to get Alissa and Paxton away from her. On cue, Paisley started flailing her arm around, trying to signal for Alissa to leave as the next wave of puke made its way out her mouth.
“She’ll be fine, Alissa. Give us some space, please.”
Without even questioning Braxton, Alissa turned, leaving him to attend to his friend. After a few moments, when it appeared that the worst was over, Braxton helped Paisley to her feet. Slowly, the two of them made their way to the washbasin so she could rinse her mouth out. Braxton waited patiently as she rinsed her mouth not twice but three times before she righted herself and looked at him.
“You are going to be alright, sweet—” Braxton stopped, catching himself, remembering the look he’d gotten last time he used a term of endearment with her.
“I’m fine, Brax.” Paisley was fast to respond.
Even though she said the words, she looked anything but fine. Her black mascara was smudged under her eyes and her face had red splotches all over it. Braxton couldn’t help but feel bad for her. “Come on. I’ll get you home.”
Paisley wobbled to his side so that he could tuck her under his arm against him. It was going to be the quickest way to get her out of the restaurant and to his car. It was a good thing that she had taken a Lyft there. As he reached for the bathroom door, Paisley looked at him. She obviously had something on her mind.
“Brax,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “I love you.”
Braxton froze, he hadn’t expected to hear those three words from her. He had two choices, make a big deal of them and potentially hurt their friendship or play them off as if they were no big deal and figure out how to handle the repercussions once Paisley was sober. Without hesitation, Braxton replied, “I know. Now let’s get you home.”
As Braxton pulled open the door, he was shocked to find Alissa standing in the hallway with a few girls behind her. Several stood with their legs crossed and irritation clear on their faces.
Sheepishly, Alissa looked back at him. “I thought you’d want privacy. Plus, it was safer than having you thrown out for being in th
e lady's room.”
Her simple thoughtful act only solidified his need to be with Alissa. Her beauty was more than superficial.
Braxton assured Paxton that he would get his twin home and into bed safely.
Paxton moved in closely, hugging his sister while whispering in her ear, “We’ll be discussing this tomorrow.” Leaving a peck on her cheek, he pulled away and stared at his sibling.
The Snack Shack was just outside of campus, so Braxton didn’t have far to go to get everyone home safely. First stop: Alissa’s place. As Braxton pulled up to the curb, he turned off the ignition and glanced into the back seat. Paisley was passed out, so he didn’t think it would matter if he walked Alissa to her door.
As he reached for the door handle, Alissa’s hand grasped his shoulder. The heat from her touch ignited something inside of him.
Alissa’s smile was earnest, her eyes full of compassion as she spoke. “You should get her home. I’m perfectly able to get myself to my door.” She started to turn in her seat but stopped.
“Let me walk you Alissa.” Braxton reached for the key in the ignition.
“I appreciate that you’d want to make sure I got there safely but it’s not necessary.” Alissa reached for the handle, but then stopped. “I like you, Braxton. Can we do this again? Maybe just the two of us?”
Braxton’s heart began to beat faster. He’d just won the million-dollar lottery—Alissa had asked him out. “Sure, I’d love to do it again. Next weekend? How about dinner and a movie or something?”
“Perfect” Alissa leaned toward him before placing a soft kiss on his cheek. “Now, get her home and feel free to call me this week sometime.” She pulled a pen from her purse and scribbled her number on the back of a grocery receipt, and then tucked it into the small storage spot below the dash.
