Page 26 of Full Send

Something about that laugh and her smile always gets to me. I don’t know why, but she’s always made me feel so alive. Every day around her feels that way.

Alive.

Sometimes I think that’s why I do all this shit - the backflips, the cliff drops, all of it. Just to feel alive, to feel something, like I did when she was around more back then. It’s better than staying home in silence, depressed as shit, with no one to talk to.

I steal a glance at Ronni while her and Lizzy chat about the day. She’s smiling. That beautiful fucking smile has never changed. It warms my heart to see her laughing with Lizzy. My eyes peer over my shoulder behind Collin over to Ronni’s backside. Watching her walk, I see her ass is still perfectly perkyas ever. It looks amazing in her yoga pants, which are also showing off her impossibly long but toned legs. Fuck she’s hot.

After takingthatin for a minute, I’m back to reality, listening to Lizzy and Ronni talk about their plans for the coming year, clearly avoiding talk about the office though. I knew work always stressed her out, but Collin told me the last few years had been pretty brutal for her. I’m glad she feels relaxed here. I know I do, more so with her here.

Maybe this time is the opening I’ve been waiting for. I don’t know when I’ll get another chance to see her again, let alone when we’re both single. Maybe this is actually my last shot.

Yep. Fuck it.

I’m just along for the ride in this crazy life. It’s time to feel something again.

Take a deep breath. You got this, Chap.

Chapter 13

Veronica

The Mudroom

Tanner and I amazingly manage to get Collin home in one piece. I mean if we’re being honest, he clearly did most of the work, but I’m still claiming my participation trophy after helping them stumble along. That should have only been a fifteen minute walk but somehow turned into a forty-five minute drunken hot mess.

“Night guys. It’s way past my bedtime. Good luck with him. Deuces!” Lizzy struts past us, cocking her head to the side, holding two fingers up, as she heads into the condo. She stops just inside the door from the mudroom into the unit, looking back at Tanner.

“Oh. AndChap.I’ll leave my door open if you change your mind.” She grins at him, blowing a kiss before she turns and heads up to her bedroom, leaving the three of us behind in the mudroom. I look at Collin, he’s slumped against the wall, already passed out on the bench. And now he’s snoring like a chainsaw. Cool cool. So it’s just Tanner and me now.

Tanner chuckles and shakes his head side to side, looking back at me, one side of his mouth forming the hint of a smile. “She is something.”

“That is one way to describe her,” I say, leaning against the wall by the bench, next to Collin. “I thought she was your type though?”

“No,” he says, with an unusually curt tone. “She’s nowhere near my type. But hey. Do you mind if I throw this in your laundry, Ronni?” he asks, tugging his shirt away from his chest, highlighting Collin’s handiwork from the night.

A puff of laughter escapes my lips. “Sure, Tanner. That’s fine. Hamper is behind you, next to the washer.”

He turns away from me, taking his jacket and hat off, hanging them on the wall hooks. Slowly, he reaches his long, sinewy arms behind him, pulling his shirt over his head revealing the ropey muscles of his defined back. Wow, he’s even more muscular than I thought at the bar when the shirt was still on. I don’t think I can remember the last time I saw Tanner without a shirt, probably some summer swimming with Collin and him at the river. He’s certainly easy on the eyes now.

But instead of tossing his shirt into the hamper, he tosses it right into the washer. He grabs the hamper and dumps in my laundry too. Oh no. Did he just see my thongs in there? I feel my face flush at the thought of him seeing all my dirty underwear. Still, weirdly thoughtful of Tanner to do that. He definitely didn’t have to.

As he’s tossing in a pod, he asks, “So Ronni, where do you want this piece of work tonight?” while tipping his chin towards Collin.

“Great question,” I say with an exasperated sigh. “He took the top bunk so that’s probably not a great idea now. How about the couch? I don’t think our troublemaker can do much damage from there.”

I notice another newer tattoo on his chest that I haven’t seen before, but I can’t make out what it is before he turns back towards Collin.

“Works for me.” Without the slightest hint of strain or effort, he wraps his arms around Collin and lifts him off of the bench, throwing him over his shoulder.

Wow. How on earth is he this superhuman strong? Wait, could he have carried him home alone?

He heads into the condo and his stride looks entirely effortless even with Collin draped over his shoulder. As muscular as he is, he still moves fluidly, not like a lumbering giant, but gracefully, almost like a hockey player gliding on ice, a hint of power lurking beneath.

He heads down the few stairs over to the couch in the living room, flopping Collin down like a rag doll. All of those muscles on full display working harmoniously in unison, putting on quite the show.

I kick my snow boots off in the mudroom and follow behind them. I grab a blanket from the basket next to the couch and tuck in Collin. He’s going to be hating life tomorrow. I’m ruthless when it comes to herding people around in the morning to get first chair and I certainly won’t be cutting him any slack. I mean come on, I sent him the agenda for the next two weeks. He should have known not to go so hard tonight.

“Looks like my work here is done.” Tanner laughs, giving a little two fingered salute, clicking his tongue in his cheek, as he heads back to the mudroom to leave. I follow behind to walk him out and lock up, feeling myself let out a long yawn.

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