Page 33 of Heartbreaker
“Too bad. That one is a tree I’d like to climb.” Mrs. Daniels turns to the steaming pots of spiced wine along the back wall, and I try to ignore the snickering on either side of me. I cannot believe she just said that. Actually, I can. While Joyce Daniels has been happily married to the same man for the last thirty years, that’s never stopped her from looking. “Just three wines, then?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She waves me off when I reach into my pocket. “On the house, sweetie. Just promise you’ll lock that one down before someone else does.”
“Just out of curiosity,” Cassandra says, taking her wine. “Can I ask which one you mean?”
Oh, for the love of God.
The older woman’s eyes light up again. She cranes her neck to look over the crowd, and I know she’s found what she’s looking for when the smile creeps back onto her lips. Mrs. Daniels turns to me. “He’s quite tall—well, they both are, but he’s not as tan as his friend. No tattoos like the other one, either. I want to say I’ve heard his name is B-Brian? No, that’s not right.”
Cassandra’s smirk only grows. “Brooks?”
“Yes, that’s it! Brooks.” Mrs. Daniels raises her brow, pointing a single blood-red nail my way. “Honey, I saw the way he was looking at you earlier. We all have. And I’m serious, you better lock that down.”
“If she doesn’t jump on that man, I’m going to,” Cassandra adds, and I shoot her a glare.
Kingsley shakes her head, rubbing the space between her brows. “Stop talking, Cass.”
“I’m just saying. He’s too fine not to.”
I grumble in response, taking my wine, and use the growing density of the crowd to escape. The crowd has started to fill the square in preparation for the countdown set to begin in one minute, according to the clock tower of City Hall. Swimming through the crowd with a mixture of “excuse me” and “pardon me,” I try to get back to where we left my coworkers and two oldest brothers.
There’s a tug on my hand just steps before I reach the edge of the crowd, and it pulls me back a step, holding steady when I try to rip from its grasp. I twist, ready to disarm whoever is on the other side, but my defenses fall immediately. Blue eyes sparkle beneath the light of that damn LED taco. Faintly, I can hear the countdown begin, starting at fifteen. He pushes a lock of hair behind my ear, and my eyes flutter closed when his fingers trace the curve of my jaw, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. “John, what are you—”
“Savannah.” He dips down, his lips barely brushing mine. I can smell the faint mixture of mint and cider on his breath.
The countdown grows louder now as they reach the count of ten.
“What if they see?” I breathe out. There’s no guarantee that Cassandra and Kingsley aren’t looking for me in the crowd after I left them with Mrs. Daniels, or Raelynn, who might be wondering what’s taking so long.
A soft chuckle rumbles in his throat, and when I open my eyes, I’m greeted by his bright smile. “Let them.”
Our lips meet as the crowd yells out “Happy New Year!” I’m not sure who leans in first, but what I do know is this feels right. The kiss is soft and warm, igniting the sensors in my brain and filling me to the brim with warm dopamine. This is exactly what we’re not supposed to be doing, but I don’t care. The feeling of him against me is too good, too right, to let it go. We part too soon, and a soft whimper escapes me. Gazing up at him, I have so many questions—What in the hell was that?—but I don’t have a chance to get them out before he kisses me on the forehead and disappears into the crowd, leaving me standing there confused and conflicted.
“Speaking of pathetic,” Nash says before taking a quick swig from the bottle in his hands. He points a finger at his older brother and swallows down what has to be warm beer for how long he’s been nursing that thing. “Didyousee the way Jaxon was eyeing our sister yesterday?”
Glad to know I wasn’t the only one who noticed.
“I couldn’t be bothered to notice,” Crew says with a dramatic roll of his eyes.
If the height of the moon is any indication of the time, it has to be close to midnight. Brody and I decided to stay outside with the older Williams brothers a little longer after everyone else called it a night around ten. Normally, if I had the chance to catch a few extra hours of sleep at night, I’d do the same, but getting to know Crew and Nash has been one of my highlights of this trip. Growing up with my little sister as my only companion at home made me long for the connection that comes with having a brother, someone who understands the trials and tribulations of navigating the teenage boy world. And let’s be honest, Ari probably felt the same way. I had friends in school, but I never felt that connection with anyone until I met Brody in developmental at EWE. We didn’t have NextGen back then. It was just a handful of guys in a dingy gym with a single ring and two trainers. A lot has changed over the years, and the introduction of NextGen was the love child of Noah Callahan and Theo Rafferty. They were tired of new guys coming in and falling flat because they didn’t have anyone teaching them the ropes—literally. Noah and Theo wanted to give new kids a place to go where they could learn what it meant to be an EWE wrestler—indie or not. They could work not only on their wrestling skills, but also on promos and character development.
Brody and I became best friends almost instantly and have been inseparable ever since. Always looking out for each other, always there for each other, always cheering one another on in our careers. There has never been any jealousy or ill feelings when someone seemed to get ahead.
That’s how it feels to watch the Williamses, and they made us feel like part of the family from the second we set foot on the property. But the thing I liked most about the family is the way each of the brothers looks out for their sister. God save anyone who tries to mess with her.
I guess I forgot people like this exist, because I haven’t met many in the last six years. Backstage is a competitive place. People are constantly vying for a morsel of acknowledgement or TV time, and it’s always been that way. If you’re not willing to step on a few throats, you won’t make it in the business. You can’t worry about the chances someone else isn’t willing to take.
Nash swallows another sip of warm beer and shrugs. “All I’m saying is Jaxon always finds a way to weasel his way back into Sav’s life.”
Brody and I share a look, knowing that he’s already tried to do just that.
“That was in high school, Nash. Besides, Savannah isn’t dumb enough to fall for his shit again.”
I try to hide a chuckle behind my beer, but it’s not subtle enough, earning a glance from Crew, but before he can ask, Nash spills the beans on her morning activities earlier today. “She went on a date with him this morning!”
Crew’s head whips back to his brother. “What are you talking about?”
