Page 22 of Refusing Kendall

His laugh sounds a lot like Lucas’ as he sets me on my feet, “It’s my fault. I told her not to tell you. I wanted it to be a surprise.”

“Are you just home for the weekend?” I ask, knowing that he started back to college when we did. He had a rough go of it the first time, with so much happening in his life at once and had decided to put it on hold. Somehow or another, without really even meaning to, I had convinced him not to give up.

“Yeah,” he answers, “Ryleigh told me that you were coming home for the weekend, and I wanted to be here.”

“I’m sorry,” I apologize. “I should have told you. I just didn’t want you to feel bad if you couldn’t make it home.”

He shrugs with a smile so like Lucas’ that it’s like a punch to the gut, “No need to apologize. I wasn’t sure if I was even going to be able to make it, so I didn’t want to get your hopes up.”

“Well, either way, I’m glad that you’re here,” I tell him as I wander over to the fridge to grab a water. “How is everything going?”

“I’m glad to be back in the swing of things,” he admits. “It was weighing on me more than I realized. I haven’t spoken to Dallas since being back either,” he says answering my unasked question.

I have an urge to hop up on the counter beside him like I’d do at home, but this isn’t my house. Instead, I take a seat on one of the stools as I ask, “Is there a reason why?”

He turns back to the stove as he shrugs, “If it’s meant to be then there’s no doubt in my mind that we’ll be given another opportunity. Besides, I really want to focus on knocking some of these classes out. The faster I can get them done, the quicker I’ll get where I want to be.”

It sounds like he’s avoiding the problem, but since I tend to do the same thing, I can’t really say much. Fuck words. I get up and throw my arms around him from the back. To an outsider, this may look bad, because Lincoln loves women just as much as he loves men. With us, however, it’s different. We’d never be anything more than friends, even if our hearts didn’t belong to other people.

“Wow, Mav would have his panties in a twist right now,” Logan’s voice says from the doorway behind us.

It startles me enough that I jump away from Lincoln. He howls with laughter, and even Lincoln chuckles.

“Ha, ha, very funny,” I quip, “He’d only care if it were you that I was hugging.”

“Ouch,” he retorts rubbing his chest.

I roll my eyes, “Does Ryleigh know you’re here?”

“Not yet, but she will soon,” he grins.

Rephrasing the question, I ask, “Did she know you were coming over?”

Lincoln glares at him over his shoulder as he answers me, “I was the only one invited, but Logan insisted on coming too.”

“Now, now,” Logan says, stalking into the room with a dish in his hands. “I brought Mom’s apple pie.”

Lincoln snorts, “He begged Mom to make him one to bring over.”

I laugh as Logan stares daggers at his brother, “I wouldn’t have had to ask if you were anicebrother and would have made it for me.”

“Because, God forbid the Great Logan Rowe actually learn how to cook,” Ryleigh’s voice travels down the hall.

Lincoln and I look at each other and try to contain our laughs. This is just the start of what we’re in for with the two of them today.

“Just an FYI,” she says coming into the room and throwing her hands on her hips, “Just because you bring pie does not excuse your lack of manners. No matter how good it is.”

She snatches the pie from his hands and walks off toward the family room.

“I’ll have you know, I can cook,” he says, following behind her like a puppy.

Their voices trail off, and all it takes is one look at each other before Lincoln and I both burst into a fit of tearful laughter.

Logan and Ry bicker all through the game. Right around halftime, I make the decision to head home tonight instead of tomorrow. Being around Lucas’ brothers, on top of seeing my quad on TV and knowing that they are so far away, makes me miss them something fierce. They called as soon as they woke up this morning and then again for luck before the game, as per usual. About twenty minutes after they win, we video chat for a few, and I tell them I am heading home early. After a million promises to them, Ry, and Lincoln that I’d be safe and call when I get there, I make the three-hour trip home.

I pull the Rover into the spot beside the house and send out a text to everyone. The guys don’t respond, but I’m not really expecting them to. I figured they’d go out tonight to celebrate their win. I try not to let it eat at me. Lincoln sends back it was good to see me and that we’d have to do it again soon. Ryleigh is the one that shocks the hell out of me with only a one letter response of ‘K.’

Me:He’s still there, isn’t he?

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