Page 30 of Simply You & Me

Zach, Julian, and Wyatt heard our conversation, but they’re choosing to stick with their task and not dredge up any more painful memories for me. I appreciate it almost as much as I appreciate Wyatt in a ripped black tank. He looks like an emo wet dream bent over those wooden boards and panels.

I sip my coffee and watch the chaos unfold. My living room might be totally destroyed by the time the four of them and Rory are done with the bookshelf, but it’s going to be absolutely entertaining.

Chapter Nineteen

Tate

"Fuck!" Wyatt spits, furiously tapping away on his laptop. "I don't know how much longer I can keep them out. Whoever this is, is really fucking good. Why can't they just let us go?!"

Zach watches on with a pinched look, which I should definitely be mimicking, but I have my own dilemma. Where the hell am I going to take Adelyn on our date? Halting my spinning phone on the table, I stand, make my way upstairs, and dial the only person I trust to help.

"Hey, what's up?" Rylee's cheerful voice settles some of my nerves. Ollie giggling in the background makes me smile.

"Hey, sis," I respond and close my bedroom door behind me. "I need your advice." Looking around my space, I realize I should probably clean it up just in case Lynnie comes home with me. Which is presumptuous as fuck, but better clean than slobby.

I hear shuffling down the line before the background noise cuts off. "Whatcha need?"

My lips purse, embarrassment making it hard to get the words out. With a sigh, I tip my head back and stare at the ceiling. "Where should I take Adelyn for a date?"

"OMG!" she squeals. "When are you taking her out?! This is so amazing!"

Glancing at the alarm clock on my nightstand, I cringe. "I'm picking her up in an hour."

Rylee chokes. "AN HOUR?! Tate, what the hell? ‘Kay, here's what we're gonna do..."

"Electric scooters?!" Adelyn bounces on the balls of her feet, her head whipping from me to the two scooters. I would be worried that it's a stupid idea, but her blue eyes are sparkling more than the ocean behind her. "On the boardwalk?!"

Nibbling my lip, I hope her wide smile is one of excitement. "Is that okay?" The wind whips my dirty blond hair in my eyes, blinding me of the woman throwing herself in my arms.

"Are you kidding?! This is amazing!" Plopping a kiss on the corner of my mouth, she skips away.

My throat bobs. Something about the way her tiny body fits against mine hits me right in the soul. I'm used to being the smallest among the guys, and it's never been an issue. I'm their boy, and I fucking love it. But this, this is what I—we've been missing. A woman to hold and cherish.

When Rylee told me to take Adelyn scootering on the boardwalk, I thought she was fucking with me. She deserves the best, like high-end wine and any fancy shit. My big sister told me that what Adelyn deserves is fun. I almost laughed, confused, but realized Ry was right. Adelyn spends her time taking care of everyone and everything else around her.

So, while we fly along the beach, the other three guys are at home grilling and waiting for us to come home for a fire. Simple, relaxing, and fun.

"Not so fast, Lynnie," I tease when she places one foot on the scooter deck. My stomach drops when her brows furrow and the twinkle in her eyes shudder and warps with moisture. Before my concern can truly freak me out, her strange reaction melts into warmth and something else I can't quite name. I hold out one of the helmets tucked beside the scooters. "Zach would kill me if he found out you weren't being safe."

She tosses her brown ponytail over her shoulder with a huff. Lynnie might play the bratty act fairly well, but when she snatches the helmet out of my hand, the small smile that tilts her lips gives away her enjoyment.

Strapping on my helmet, I breathe in the salty air of South Carolina. God, I'm so happy we moved here. The thundering claps of the waves crashing against the shore lull me into a trance. A hazy image clouds my vision; one where my family and I spend holidays with my sister. My future kids shouting for me to toss them around in the water. A future better than my past.

"WOOHOO!"

The feminine shout snaps me out of my wayward thoughts. Neck pinching, I swivel my head, trying to find my date. "Fuck!" I curse and thrust back the kickstand.

Lynnie shrinks the further down the boardwalk she gets, making my heart thump uncomfortably in my chest. Going fuck knows how fast, my girl is racing away from me and cackling her head off.

Shit, shit, shit. If she gets hurt, I'll never forgive myself. Or my sister. Take her scootering, she said. It would be fun, she said.

After finally catching up to Adelyn, we spend the better half of two hours chasing seagulls and dodging hyper children. I don't regret the many times I almost shit myself wobbling on the damn scooter because I couldn't look away from my girl. I spend far more time memorizing the laugh lines around her mouth and the furrow of her brow when she's focused on staying upright.

The Lynnie I have come to know these past five weeks since Layla's birthday party has always been a buzz of energy. If Adelyn had a background noise, it would be the buzzing of a bee. I swear she goes a million miles per hour, but seeing her use her energy for fun on our date makes my chest puff with pride. I don't remember the last time I smiled so much, either. There's a swirling storm of darkness that laps at the shores of her ice-blue eyes, but the shine that keeps her nightmares at bay? That's all her.

"Let's get you some dinner," I murmur into her tussled hair. With my arm around her shoulders, a shudder tingles my spine as she wraps her arm around my waist. Without a second thought, Adelyn leans into my side and grins up at me.

Reaching for the handle of my car, my breath stutters to a halt as Lynnie twists in my grip and presses her chest against me. "I had the best day. Thank you so much, Tate." Thick eyelashes fluttering, she tips her head back.

---