Page 31 of Unveiled

Chapter Sixteen

He breathed through the panic the R word caused him. Which was strange considering he was a serial relationshipist after all. He wanted this one to be real and lasting, that was the difference.

Rush was clueless about how to make Tatum happy, but he would be damned if he wouldn’t try. He was ready to swallow his pride, take the major ribbing and ass chewing he had coming, and talk to Mark about feelings and shit. All things most assuredly not manly.

Charlie was where his fear lay. As soon as she set eyes on him, she’d know. And she would rip him a new one. He’d consider himself lucky if he didn’t end up with an extra ventilation hole from about one hundred and twenty-four grains.

Mark and Charlie were protective of Tatum. Rush figured going through them was the equivalent of meeting the parents. Except both had extensive firearms and weapons training. “Shit.” He paced the small stretch of driveway in front of the garage. He wanted to meet them outside and confess so they could get down to business inside. Take his ass chewing like a man, so to speak, just not in front of Tatum.

Rush had laid bare his relationship issues of the past, but having her hear Mark or Charlie’s take on it wasn’t palatable.

Finally, he squinted as headlights flashed on him from an incoming car. Once they parked, Charlie was the first one out. She was in his face before Mark got the engine powered down.

“Seriously?”

Rush dropped his gaze to her shoes. This was going to be worse than he thought judging by the tone in her voice. “You couldn’t just jack it in the shower like a normal man? No, you had to go and mess with Julia.”

“Tatum.” He whispered to his feet.

“I know her damn name.” Charlie reached up and shoved his shoulders. “But she’ll always be Julia to me. A panicked woman desperately running down the road in a wedding dress. And you, Mr. I-can’t-actually-commit-my-heart-to-anyone, had to go and sleep with her. Who do you think will pick up the pieces of her shattered heart when you push her away after she gives the organ to you, hmm? You are—”

Rush couldn’t let her keep going. She was getting spun up and once she got to a certain point, she would produce a weapon.

“I’m not going to break her heart. . .I. . .I love her.”

Whoa. He’d said it aloud and to another person. Shit, another person that isn’t Tatum. Yeah, he was not good at relationships. You say I love you to the person before you tell someone else. It was almost worth the misstep to see Charlie’s jaw drop, though.

“Well, I don’t know if I believe you. You’re in love with being in love, just not in love with the work involved in a successful relationship. I’ll reserve my judgment for later, that’s the best you’ll get from me. We need to move on because we’ve got a shitshow going on that needs to be handled first.”

With that, she spun toward the door and disappeared inside. He turned his attention to Mark. He looked like a slightly more receptive audience. When he reached out, Rush took his hand, and they slapped backs in greeting. “I mean it, I love her.”

It was easier to say the second time.

“For what it’s worth, I believe you. I mean, I’ve never seen you make it this far without mentally and emotionally checking out.”

“What do you mean, this far? She’s only been here a few weeks.”

“Not far as a measure of time. Shit happens when it happens. I mean everything that’s going on. You like playing white knight but you don’t invest, you distance. Also, I’ve seen you tell damn near every one of your girlfriends at one point and time you love them, but I’ve never seen that look when you said it.” Mark pointed, indicating him as a whole.

Rush was unsure what look he meant, but he didn’t care. Mark believed him and that was good enough. Mark clapped him on the back again. “So, does she feel the same way?” They made their way toward the door.

“Not a clue, I haven’t told her how I feel yet, but I did tell her we were in a relationship and she. . .I think she might know.” Mark stopped dead in his tracks.

“Wow, just what every woman dreams of, being told she’s in a relationship.”

“You know I’m not good at this shit. I mean, not like this anyway. I fucked up, huh?”

“You mean informing her of her status? Yeah, but not as much as telling both of us how you feel before you’ve told her. That is definitely going to cost you.”

“Shit.” The curse flew from his mouth before he could stop it.

Mark barked a laugh. “Just be grateful Julia doesn’t have a pretty pearl handled pig sticker strapped to her thigh.” They stepped into the house with both women staring at them.

Tatum smiled and asked. “Why is that?”

Awkward gaping and rapid glances filled the silent moments after she spoke.

“Um,” Oh shit, Charlie was about to spill. “Because what we found out is going to make you homicidal.” Whew.

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