Page 30 of Marrying My Brother's Best Friend

She gasps and her eyes widen. “Oh, my goodness. Is he going to be okay, though?”

“Yeah, he’s gonna be fine,” I answer dryly. “Most importantly, he has no reason to be back here. The NBA finals are coming up and he’ll have to train twice as hard after his ankle heals.”

A tiny frown pierces my features as I wonder how he’s doing. Asking Jace to check up on him was a way to satisfy my own worrisome thoughts. At least if Jace is around, I know someone is there to ensure he doesn’t ignore his doctor’s warnings.

I nibble on my lower lip as he fills my thoughts again. I’ve tried to stop thinking of Trevor, but at times like this when he slips into my mind, I find that I can’t get him out.

He consumes my thoughts, and that’s a terrible thing.

Why do I keep pining for a man who will never let himself want me, too?

I drag in a deep sigh and find Natalie’s suspicious eyes on me. “What?”

“Oh my goodness…You’ve fallen for him, haven’t you?”

“What?” An incredulous laugh follows my croak, and her brows only furrow together as I let the timbres of laughter consume me. “I haven’t fallen for him. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, come on, Gracie, I know that look. It’s not a crush…You were thinking about him just now with that wistful look that says, ‘oh, I wish he could love me too’.” She reaches across the table to smack my arm, then adds with sass. “I can read you.”

“Well, you’re wrong this time, Nats,” I counter still. “I haven’t fallen for him. Everyone knows Trevor Hawkins is not the kind of man you fall for. You said it yourself…He’s like candy. You have a taste and go away because he’s bad for you.”

Heat unfurls on my cheeks and the silent strokes of my blush spread like wildfire. Trevor’s not even here and he ignites this heated fire in me. What do I do if I ever see him again?

Natalie teases me with a laugh, and it heightens my discomfort. I shoot her a frown, and she raises her hands to show surrender.

“Fine, I’ll stop,” she says with another snicker. “But you’re not fooling anyone, Gracie. If you want him, then go for it. Who knows, it might just be true love?”

The mention of true love nearly makes me scoff. Trevor doesn’t believe in such fairytales, I think, as the bitter taste of bile rises deep in my throat and makes me shake my head.

“We want different things,” I say to my best friend. “There’s no use wanting someone who won’t let himself feel the same way.”

The solemn echo of my words settles deep inside my heart. All I had to do was forget about Trevor now and hope it’ll get easier to forget the memories we shared as the days rolled by.

***

Forgetting is harder than I anticipated it to be. I tossed around on my bed that evening after closing Espresso Books for the day and found myself itching with the urge to call him and listen to the velvety smooth timbre of his voice.

“Chapter fifteen,” I murmur after sitting up on my bed with a deep sigh. It is time to make a decision and have my characters make a choice that could change their lives forever. “Love…What if it doesn’t work out?”

I drop down on my bed again and spread my arms out before staring at my ceiling boards. Another sweet memory of Trevor laughing and holding my hand comes to mind right then. The warmth that spreads through my heart makes me smile and, for a moment, I forget all about how hard it is trying to pretend I don’t miss him every day.

My phone buzzes and interrupts the moment. I plaster it to my ear without checking the caller, and the lower octaves of Trevor’s deep voice make me jerk upright on the bed.

“Gracie?” he murmurs again, sounding fainter this time.

“Trevor?” My heartbeat doubles in its speed, and the tingle that zaps through me right then leaves a jolt of electricity in its wake. My nerves are alive now, and my pulse skyrockets.

“I miss you,” he murmurs before dragging in a deep breath. “I think I was wrong, Gracie…Not having you here is worse, and I think….”

He stops, and I hear a grumble in the background before my brother’s faint voice reaches me.

“Trevor?” I call, wishing he would say more. “Trevor, wait…”

“He’s wasted, Gracie,” Jace says on the other end. “He’s wasted, and he drunk-dialed you,” he continues.

“Oh…” The heavy weight of disappointment drapes over my heart, carrying an ache with it. “Is he alright? How’s his ankle? And …Why is he drinking? Are you sure he’s alright, Jace? If he needs me, then…”

“I’m handling him, Gracie,” Jace cuts in. “You shouldn’t worry about Trevor anymore.”

---