Page 36 of Forever to Fall
“Foxy, finally!” Evan’s voice boomed. “I’m at your apartment. Let me in.”
Beside him, Mallory slept on the couch, her cheek smooshed against a pillow. A tiny snore escaped and his heart clenched. “Give me a sec,” he said, pulling free and shuffling into the kitchen.
His ankle felt better. The swelling was down and he could put weight on it without yelping in pain. His hand was another matter, itchy under the dressings and providing a dull ache anytime he moved it.
“Dude, are you alive? The place is dark.”
When Beckett was finally out of earshot, he told Evan the truth, or as much of it as he would over the phone. “I’m not there.”
“Huh? Where are you?”
Beckett stalked to the pantry for the bag of coffee beans and started his morning ritual. “I’m at the farm house. I was doing some work over the weekend and thought I’d stay.” He wouldn’t mention his injuries now, mostly because they weren’t that bad. And he had a special helper who would ensure they didn’t get worse.
“You should have said something. I could have come out to help.”
Beckett snorted. “Judging from your texts, you’ve been a little busy. Congratulations, Lawless. I’m really happy for you.”
“Thanks, man. I had this whole elaborate thing planned, but then I got caught up in the moment. CeCe and I were alone at the diner, and she was making a batch of cheesy bites and I thought it was perfect.”
Beckett filled the carafe with water and clicked the machine on, eager for a caffeine fix to match his friend’s buoyant mood. “Sounds perfect for you two.”
“It was,” Evan replied, the sound of his footfalls coming through the line. “You want me to come out to help this morning? I’m not due to the diner until dinner and don’t have any contracts this week.”
Any other time, Beckett would love to have Evan by his side for some chores, especially now in his current state. But Mallory was here, clad in his old college hoodie and a look of pure satisfaction. There would be a lot to explain, and he wasn’t ready yet.
Their time since his accident had been magical, pretty much perfect. While he knew he needed to tell his friend, he was still afraid. Being up in Gramps’s room, feeling that surge of loneliness, still clung to him, a shadow he couldn’t shake free. There was a chance that Evan would hate him for dating his sister, would go into protective brother mode and shove aside a lifetime of friendship.
On one hand, Beckett wanted that for Mallory—demanded it really. She deserved to have people in her corner protecting her from life’s assholes. Unfortunately, right now he felt like one of those assholes.
Mallory deserved a man who would shout their love from the highest rooftop, would tell everyone who asked who loved her and would sing her praises. Yet here he stood, hunching down and whispering into his phone like he was having a torrid affair.
“Thanks, but I’m okay.”
“I don’t mind,” Evan countered, oblivious to his friend’s inner turmoil.
“I know, but the place is a mess and I’ve got it. I’ll pull you in when it’s time to go through the old shed.”
Evan chuckled, the familiar sound bolstering Beckett’s decision to stay mum. “Deal, but only if you buy the chili cheese fries.”
Beckett gripped the back of his neck, centering himself so he didn’t think about their night in the house. He could still feel Mallory in his arms, still taste her on his lips. The last thing he needed was to get turned on while talking to his best friend. “Sure thing, Lawless.”
For a few moments, they discussed mundane topics, nothing that would show his hand or his feelings for Mallory. After a moment, Evan asked, “Have you heard from Mal at all? It’s not like her to miss breakfast at the diner on weekends, and no one has seen her.”
“I’m sure she’s fine. Probably had a hot date.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. Evan would reach out to Mallory pronto for answers, especially since he liked to get the gossip first. He may tease his sisters for their love of celebrity trash news, but he was also chomping at the bit for details when anyone had something exciting happening in their lives.
“Hot date? I don’t think Mal’s had a date since that loser last year.”
While he figured Mallory wasn’t locked up in a tower somewhere waiting on his return to her life, it felt like a sucker punch to learn she’d been out with other men. Worse, to be out with subpar men that didn’t treat her right.
“What loser? The married one?”
Evan scoffed. “Naw, another douche bag. I can’t remember his name, but he was a liar. Tried to sell her a bill of goods before she did some Googling and discovered he was hardly the golden boy he put on his dating profile.”
“Jesus, I hope you kicked his ass.”
“Tried to,” Evan said with a chuckle, “but Mal told me to back off, that she can fight her own battles.”
“I don’t doubt it,” Beckett replied, and he meant it.
