Page 80 of Worth the Fall

“Are you sure it’s okay that I’m coming?” I fidgeted in the front seat of Matthew’s truck.

My confidence started to wobble. Mostly because I was scared of being rejected by Thomas, not because I’d realized that I actually wanted to try with him. Which was truly a revelation all on its own.

“It’s more than okay. Clara’s the only girl there, and she loves you. Plus, this will be fun as hell to watch.” Matthew grinned, and I knew he knew far more about the situation than he was willing to share.

“Should I at least tell Thomas that I’m going to be there?” I asked, holding my phone in my hand.

“Don’t you dare. That’s gonna be the best part.”

“Matthew,” I groaned.

How bad does jumping out of a moving car hurt?I wondered.

“Listen, I love my brother and want to see him happy,” he said with a glance in my direction before he focused back on the road.

“But?” I asked, and he shook his head, his eyes still focused straight ahead.

“But nothing. He likes you. And he hasn’t liked anyone in a really long time,” he said as if he was delivering some sort of news flash.

“Okay. So, why then? Thomas doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who needs his baby brother to do his dirty work for him,” I said, realizing that I’d just referred to myself asdirty work. Whatever the hell that even meant.

Matthew looked at me again, and his lips pulled up in a slight grin, but not a full one. “I shouldn’t tell you this, but I’ve already gone this far. My brother doesn’t think you like him like he likes you.”

It sounded so immature and childish when he phrased it that way. But I guessed it was because his statement was so simple in its delivery.

“What? Why would he think that? I practically threw myself at him the other night at his house,” I admitted before I could stop myself.

“Ha! You did? He didn’t tell us that.” Matthew laughed and made a right turn onto a dirt road that looked like it went on forever.

I knew this was where they’d grown up; everyone knew where the O’Grady farm was, but I’d never been here before.

“We’re here,” Matthew said as he pulled his truck to a stop in one of the makeshift parking spots in the dirt behind a modest two-story home.

I hopped out, hoping not to break my ankle in the process.

Fields and trees lined the property, and I swore I saw a few horses out there, but couldn’t be certain. There were two other structures; one of them was a barn, and the other looked like a modified garage, but I wasn’t sure about that either.

All I knew was that it looked peaceful as I stood there, taking it all in.

“Come on,” Matthew said as we walked toward what looked like the back door. He held it open for me and placed his hand on my back as I walked inside, unsure of what was waiting.

“Waffle Princess!” Clara shouted first, and my eyes swept the room in search of Thomas.

When I found him, he did not look happy. No, the man was seething, his eyes focused solely on the small of my back, where Matthew’s hand currently was. I shrugged away from it, and I heard Matthew chuckle behind me.

Clara collided with my legs, and I bent down to give her a proper hug.

“I missed you!” she said, her little voice so pure and joyful.

“I missed you too,” I said, meaning it.

This little girl carried so much light inside of her that the world darkened a little when she wasn’t around.

“You’ll sit next to me, okay? I didn’t know you were coming. If I did, I would have been even more excited!” she said with a twirl, and I noticed her mismatched shoes and smiled to myself.

“I’d love to sit next to you, if that’s okay,” I answered as I stood back up.

“Hey, Brooklyn. It’s so very nice to see you.” Patrick came over and swept me into a hug. He lifted me up in the air, creating a scene that I quickly realized was done purely to torment Thomas.

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