Page 21 of Double Booked

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to,” Colton was firm and I conceded.

“Okay,” I said, laying my head back on his chest. He shifted so he could pull me closer and I enjoyed the sound of his heartbeat underneath my ear. We might not have all the answers yet, but it was beginning to feel like we were building something real. And that was terrifying.

CHAPTER 11

JUSTIN

The curly-haired woman sitting at Colton’s table kept tearing my attention away from the baseball game on Colton’s massive television. Her headphones were in and her eyes were narrowed on the screen in front of her as she hunched over, tapping furiously away on the keyboard. It had been a few weeks since our hiking trip to the falls and Riley was back for a ten day stay. She had gotten in on Tuesday and it was now Saturday. When Colton had invited me over, I hadn’t wanted to intrude on their time together but apparently Riley was on deadline for her book and needed to write so I was over ‘keeping Colton company’ while she was lost in her own world.

From the opposite end of the couch, Colton glanced back at Riley. His face softened as if he was reassuring himself she was still back there. Colton was happier than I had ever seen him. A weight settled in my chest, longing maybe. All I wanted was for Colton to be happy. Colton was an amazing guy, always with a smile and a kind word and a helping hand for as long as I had known him. He had taken in the outcast in kindergarten and made a friend for life. We had tried dating briefly in college and it was the best few months of my life but I knew that I would only drag Colton down with my baggage. He needed to be with someone that made him happy, someone like Riley. Yet I had never been able to let him go over the years and he never pushed me away either.

Colton met my eyes and smiled, tipping his beer at me to silently ask if I needed another. My mostly untouched beer sat on the table beside me and I shook my head. Colton turned his attention back to the game and I tried to do the same.

Movement behind us had both our heads turning back around. Riley sat up in her chair, stretching her arms out overhead. I winced slightly when I could hear her back pop from here. That position couldn’t be good for her spine. She removed the headphones from her ear and typed a few more things on the laptop before closing it.

“All done?” Colton called to her.

“For today, yes.” She said, standing and twisting her back. Colton and I both winced when her back cracked in multiple places and she laughed at our expressions. “Best to get used to it, boys,” she teased, her blue eyes dancing with laughter. “It only gets worse from here.”

“That doesn’t sound healthy,” I pointed out. It didn’t seem like she took care of herself very well. Or if anyone ever took care of her.

Riley shrugged as she rounded the couch to sit next to Colton. He lifted up his arm and she snuggled underneath it, feet stretching towards me. Colton adjusted them so she was lying half against his chest and half against the arm of the couch. She laid her head on his chest and Colton pressed a soft kiss to her hair before turning his attention back to the game.

I hadn’t expected Colton to come back from his forced vacation with a girlfriend. To be honest, I don’t think Colton really expected Riley either. But the two of them seemed to fit so well together. Colton had dated a few women over the years but none of them seemed to fall into his life as easily as Riley did. From our few conversations, I knew she was extremely smart with an attention to detail that rivaled my own. I had caught her a few times staring off into the distance, like there was always a story playing in her mind. I had looked her up after Jake had commented the name of her series. She had definitely been modest when she said her books did okay. There were entire fan clubs dedicated to her Meira Quinn mystery series. She had seriously downplayed her accomplishments. Was Colton right about thinking that someone hurting her in the past? I didn’t see why anyone would. In addition to her brilliant brain she was gorgeous with thick curves and brilliant blue eyes framed by curly brown hair I just wanted to run my fingers through.

Stop, I scolded myself. She’s not yours.

No she wasn’t mine. She was my best friend’s. A familiar twinge panged in my gut as Colton drew his fingers up and down her arm. I simultaneously wanted to be in Riley and Colton’s place at the same time. Or maybe with Riley sandwiched between us but it wasn’t in the cards for me. I wasn’t built for relationships, I only hurt people in the end, I knew that from past experience. And it wasn’t like I had the greatest early models for them either. My mom disappeared when I was little and my dad… well he was a piece of shit I didn’t mind never hearing from again. No, relationships weren’t in the cards for me but that didn’t mean I couldn’t be happy for Colton.

Riley shifted and her feet brushed my thigh. The soft touch sent a spike of heat down my spine. “Sorry,” she whispered, pulling her feet away.

I placed a hand on her bare ankle and tried not to think about the softness of her skin underneath my palm. “It’s fine. Stretch out. You need it after cracking your back six ways till Sunday.” I knew my voice was gruff but I couldn’t help it. I forced my eyes back to the TV when I felt Riley look at me curiously. The game played in front of me but I couldn’t tell you what was happening. I glanced back down at her feet now pressed against my thigh. There were goosebumps on her skin from the ceiling fan above. It was only June but summer had come with a vengeance early in Kentucky.

Twisting slightly, I grabbed the afghan thrown over the back of the couch. It was an ugly thing, pink and brown, but Agnes, Colton’s mom, had made it from yarn that was in the clearance bin. “Just because someone else doesn’t see the beauty in front of them doesn't mean everyone doesn’t,” she had said while knitting it. I still thought it was ugly but Riley looked grateful when I draped it across her legs.

“Thank you,” she said with a sweet smile that had my heart clenching. I had to get it together.

Colton turned the game down a bit. “How was the writing? How many words did you get done?”

“I got around 4500 words I think.”

“That’s amazing.” Colton said and I nodded. I didn’t know much about writing or the process but I remembered how much of a struggle it was to write even one paper in college. She had gotten about 2500 words done the other day from what I remembered Colton saying so she had almost doubled it.

Riley shrugged, “It’s okay. I’m still behind.”

There it was again, that subtle put down of her own accomplishments. If she was mine, we’d be having a discussion, maybe over my lap about putting herself down.

“It’s still amazing,” Colton said softly, placing a soft kiss on her lips. I watched them smile softly at each other, lost in each other’s eyes. I didn’t realize I was staring till Riley nudged me softly with her foot and I realized Colton had asked me a question.

“Sorry,” I shook my head, “Was thinking about that batten board wall this week.”

From the look on Colton’s face, I knew he didn’t buy it but Riley frowned. “Batten board?”

I huffed, playing along with the story. “Freaking nightmare wall it should be called.”

Colton laughed. “You’re just irritated that you didn’t catch Cody doing it earlier.”

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