Page 86 of The Only Time

I nod my head in agreement. “Deal.”

After they leave, I make sure all of my doors are locked, including the additional deadbolts my brothers installed on every door, and then settle back onto my couch. I wrap my fuzzy blanket around me and lie down.

I wonder what Eric is doing back in Savannah. Is he in his barn making another masterpiece to get out all of his pent-up energy? I grab my phone and look at the time.

What am I thinking? It’s ten in the morning on a Thursday. He’s at work.

I wonder what he does when he comes home these days. Does he order himself some takeout and go straight to the barn, pretending like the stress from his work is worth it?

I shake my head. It’s not my business. I can’t keep doing this to myself. I have to accept that it’s just not meant to be between the two of us.

I close my eyes and let sleep take over. At least when I’m sleeping, I don’t have to pay attention to the ache in my heart.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Eric

I look at the large logo that I made to hang on the outside of my barn and compare it to the picture on the page. Mia did a great job designing this. Looking down at it, I get a tingle of excitement for what’s to come. I don’t remember the last time I felt this way about my career. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way. It’s a new and welcome feeling to have a sense of thrill at the possibilities that lie ahead of me.

As great as it feels, the joy is dampened by the permanent cloud that hangs over me. It’s been a week since I came back from Cleveland, and everyday feels just as depressing as the last. No matter what I do, I think about how much better it would be with Mia there.

After another hour of working on some projects in my barn, I decide to head inside for lunch. Just as I’m making myself asandwich, my front door opens, and I hear my brothers shuffle inside.

Asher and Liam walk ahead of three other men that I’ve never seen before. I’m really not in the mood to entertain them and their friends at the moment. They know all about what happened when I went to Cleveland. They should know I just want to be alone right now.

“Hey, bro.” Liam smiles as he takes a seat at my island. “We ran into some strangers in your driveway. They say they’re Mia’s brothers.”

I drop the piece of bread in my hand. I look up and can definitely see a striking resemblance between Mia and the three strangers standing in my kitchen. They all have dark hair and olive skin, but more importantly—they are scowling at me.

I can instantly tell who the leader of the pack is as he stands slightly in front of the other two with his arms crossed over his chest. He is looking at me like he is trying to figure out the best way to end me with the most amount of pain and torture involved. I swallow down my anxiety as I stare back.

“Well, this is awkward,” Liam laughs. “Would you like to join me? I’m guessing you have a few things to say to my brother, and I for one would love to witness it.”

I roll my eyes. “Liam, shut up.” I look over at the man standing closest to me. “Would you like to take a seat outside on the patio?”

It’s a little cold out there but it’s feeling a bit squished in here. I never had that feeling before in this house. It’s very spacious, but it feels like there are six large personalities in here, and my house can’t contain all of them.

Plus, I’ll be closer to the tools in my barn if I need them for self-defense.

“Outside is fine,” he says deeply.

I lead them outside, disregarding my lunch which doesn’t matter since my appetite has vanished. We all sit around my large table. As I wait for everyone to take a seat, my annoying brothers included, I try to think of why they could be here.

Could they be pissed that while I was supposed to protect their sister from harm, I couldn’t keep my hands to myself. Not only that but ended up hurting her. Maybe they want to scare me and make me suffer before they kick my ass.

It’s a little extreme to fly all the way out here to kick my ass.

After we all sit in silence, everyone refusing to speak first, I decide I’m not in the mood for this powerplay bullshit.

“I take it you didn’t travel all the way down here to sit in silence,” I say directly to the guy who seems to be leading this.

“Eric,” Asher says, giving me a look of warning.

I nod my head to him like I know what I’m doing, although I don’t. I don’t even care. If they want to beat me up, go for it. I doubt I’ll feel much of anything since everything has felt numb since I’ve been back.

“We’ll talk when we’re ready to talk,” one of the other brothers bites at me.

The other one gives him a look that I know well. It means shut the hell up. Then he turns his head towards me. “We did come here to get a couple of things straight. I’m Gabe, Mia’s oldest brother.”

---