Page 10 of Waiting to Love You

“You can’t spend the rest of your life worried about being hurt or you’ll miss out on that great love you’ve been dreaming of. The chance for you to be the center of someone’s entire universe.”

“You’re right, but there’s no way I can find that with someone who’s in the military. Besides, the last thing I need is to get tangled up with a man that I’ve only known for a few months.”

“Maybe not, but sometimes fate has other plans,” Leia laughs before grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the French doors.

I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do about my attraction to Seth, but everything about him spells trouble.

Chapter 3

Seth

“Are you planning on talking to her, or just staring at her all night?” Brady slaps me hard on the back before handing me another beer.

“A little of column A and a little of column B,” I retort, causing him to snicker.

I’ve been watching Bristol flitter around the party, running in and out of the house to make sure no one needs anything. At first, I thought she was trying to ignore me, especially after the way she practically ran away after saying hello, but now I’m not so sure. I watch as she throws her head back and laughs at something Vance says, letting out peals of laughter. If I didn’t already know Vance was still head over heels in love with his high school sweetheart, Selina Grimes, I’d be beyond jealous of their interaction with each other.

“You’ve got it bad.” Riggs shakes his head as he grabs a beer from the cooler beside me.

“As if you’re one to talk,” I snap back, motioning toward Leia as she comes through the French doors and strolls past us. Her eyes instantly narrow as she spots Riggs standing next to me before making a beeline toward Bristol and Vance.

“I know.” Riggs sighs, taking a healthy pull from his beer. “But at least I’ve attempted to talk to Leia a few times tonight. It just didn’t go as planned. It never does.”

I nod my head in agreement as I think about both of our predicaments. Riggs and I are gone for girls who refuse to give us the time a day. However, instead of trying to have another conversation with Bristol, I’ve been standing here for over an hour, mesmerized by Bristol’s arms waving in the air while she talks with Leia. No matter where I am in the house, I find myself attuned to her every movement.

“I talked to her, but I can’t figure out how to convince her to let me in. She apparently has an issue with guys in the military, but I have a feeling there’s more to it than that.”

“No matter what her reason is, if you hurt her, we hurt you.” Riggs stares down the length of his bottle before taking another sip. “Bristol is like a little sister to Walker and me, and we protect our own,” he says, and I take a sip of my beer.

“Message received loud and clear, but I need to get her on board first.”

“Are you sure it’s the military thing?” Brady asks, his eyebrows pulling down. “Could it be an age thing? You’re almost five years older than her.”

“Chicks dig older men,” Riggs replies without missing a beat, causing me to chuckle.

“I don’t think our age difference is that big of a deal. She specifically told me she didn’t date people in the military. She wants to be the most important person in someone’s life, and for a Marine, the military always comes first.”

“Once a Marine, always a Marine,” Brady replies, taking another sip of his beer.

“Yeah, that’s true, but it doesn’t have to be my whole life forever. Eventually, I want to get out, settle down, and start a family.”

“With Bristol,” Riggs chimes in, motioning toward Bristol and Leia standing on the other side of the deck.

“What?”

“With Bristol. You want all those things with Bristol, right?”

“Maybe? I barely know her.” I reach back, gripping the back of my neck, knowing I’m full of shit. I’ve been able to see my entire future with Bristol playing out before my eyes since we met a few months ago. I can’t imagine doing any of these things with anyone but her.

“Sure, but that doesn’t mean a damn thing, and you know it. How’s that saying go? The heart wants what it wants, or something like that, right?”

“Something like that, I guess, but no matter how much I want her, she has to want me back for things to go anywhere between us.”

“Now that’s the easy part. Try being charming. Ladies dig that.” Riggs winks as he strides toward Leia and Bristol. I follow behind him, wanting to be closer to Bristol. As I get closer, I hear the tail end of their conversation.

“You know what you need?” Leia says as she notices us approaching. “A one-night stand. A good, hard fuck with an insanely attractive Marine.”

I shake my head at her antics. “What are you, my pimp now?”

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