Page 6 of Before You
“JJ,”I whisper the name I’ve only said aloud to a select few—Bria being one of them.
He’s taller than I remember, towering over me, and he’s filled out more, radiating pure masculinity.
JJ’s going to consume me, and I’d happily let him.
Trent clears his throat next to me. “Do you know each other?”
The question is laughable.Do we know each other?I’d argue JJ knows me better than anyone in the world. I open my mouth, but I’m at a loss for words. Thankfully, JJ notices, pulling his hand from mine, looking from me to Trent.
A short laugh escapes his mouth, and he smiles ruefully at my boyfriend. “No. I think I would remember if we’d met already because Marley would be dating me instead of you,” he says, and Trent relaxes, laughing.Oh my god, he thinks JJ’s joking.
He’s being entirely serious, and one look at the clarity of his eyes says everything left to be said.
I wonder what Trent would think if he knew the reason I can’t tell him I love him is because I already gave my heart away to his roommate?
“Hands off, Walker. She’s all mine,” Trent says, pulling me back into him, and I let him. I let him because I don’t know what to do right now.
I look at Bria who looks as surprised as I feel.“Sapevi che era qui?”1 she asks me in Italian.
“Ovviamente no,”2 I respond, and Trent looks at me confused.
“What language are you guys speaking?” he asks, moving us toward the loveseat closest to where Bria is sitting on the couch.
“Italian,” JJ answers on his way back to the recliner.
My stomach twists.“Pensavo parlassi solo Francese?”3 I ask him and his mouth lifts into a smile.
“Ho imparato l’italiano,”4 he responds, his voice smooth as silk.
I told him I spoke Italian. Is it stupid a part of me hopes he learned for me? Is it possible to lov—likehearing someone’s voice so much?
Bria shoots me an impressed look, no doubt coming to the same conclusion, and I switch to Portuguese.“Senti sua falta?”5 I ask, looking for any inkling of understanding.
He laughs, the sound reminding me of music. “Sorry, you’ve got me there. I’m only fluent in Italian, French, and English.”
“What language is that?” Trent asks, pulling my legs to rest over his lap, his hands running up the length of my legs.
“Portuguese,” I say, feeling mildly uncomfortable.
“I didn’t know you could speak Portuguese?”
I’m lucky languages come naturally to me, because it’s the best thing I bring to the table as the future CEO of a billion-dollar company. “Yeah, I like to learn new languages. I speak French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and I’m learning Mandarin,” I say, growing self-conscious as his jaw drops.
“You’re so sexy,” he says loud enough for everyone in the room to hear, and my cheeks burn.
I can feel the weight of JJ’s stare on us, and I want nothing more than to untangle myself from Trent. I feel so off-balance right now, and my mind is all over the place.
I don’t know how I’m supposed to act when I’m stuck in the same room as the man I’m trying to love and the one who made me love him in less than a day.
~
He pulls me along the narrow street. “This is one of my favorite places to go when we’re here. They have the best pastries, and if we’re lucky, there might still be some of the good ones left forus,” he says in fluent French, his accent perfect. I never would have guessed JJ wasn’t from here if he hadn’t told me.
His excitement makes my smile widen as I abandon all logic to wander around a foreign town with a stranger. I never do anything like this, especially with a guy pretty enough to make me forget my own name. “Good thing I love pastries.”
“What a relief, I’m not sure this would work out if you didn’t,” JJ teases, winking at me over his shoulder.
“Oh really? And what is this?” I ask, curious to hear his answer. I’ve met a lot of people across the world, and I’m positive I’ve never met anyone like JJ.
