Page 71 of Fall for Me

Chelsea

Fuck. Shit hell fuck damn… crap.

I knew sending that photo was a bad idea. The second one especially.

But this was Seamus, I’d rationalized, while debating all evening whether to hit send.

After my phone had died, I’d gone over to Cass’s, and we’d headed out for a walk down by the river. It had been good to keep my phone at home. To focus on spending time with Cass and just being.

But all day—through all of it—I couldn’t stop thinking of the text. How could I? When I got back home, all I could do was read the text over and over again, running my fingers over the screen.

I can’t not see you again, his text had said. It’s impossible.

Well, Eli would just have to deal with it, right? And so would I, now that I was here. With shaking hands, I cut my engine, my brother and the man I’d come to see fading into silhouettes in the glowing doorway.

I got out of my car. “Hey Eli,” I said, biting my tongue before something stupid could come out; some transparent lie.

Of all nights, I had to show up when my brother was here. When, apparently, a whole party was here.

Both men looked at me from the front step. Eli, with barely controlled anger, though whether it was directed at Seamus or me, I couldn’t tell. I leveled my gaze at him, not willing to be intimidated. What was I supposed to say about being here, though? Did I have to say anything?

But it was Seamus who spoke up. “Hey Chelsea.”

Yes, that was normal.

Before I could respond, another voice called out from behind them. “Chels! You came!”

A woman elbowed her way between the two guys.

It was Winona Chambers. I didn’t know her well, but I knew her a bit. She was a plumber; she’d fixed the pipes at the staff apartments when Griffin said the leak we’d found last year was beyond him. Now he hired her to take care of stuff at the hotel when it was too much for maintenance and he wasn’t in town, which was often.

“I’m so glad you made it!” Winona exclaimed, coming up to me and throwing her arms around me.

“Just play along,” she whispered in my ear. “If you don’t want your brother throwing a hissy fit.”

I didn’t. I very much didn’t. I’d tell Eli—I had to tell him. Just… not now. I smiled at her, and bless her, she didn’t even blink at the scar across my face, illuminated by the light from the hallway.

“You asked my sister to the poker game?” Eli said to her, sounding skeptical. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked Seamus.

But it was Winona who responded. “We organized this one to make it easier on Shay-shay, remember?”

Eli frowned.

“You have a problem having me here?” I asked Eli, hoping the shaking in my voice wasn’t obvious.

“No… I mean, maybe.”

“My dad plays with us,” Seamus said. “Why not your sister?”

“Yeah, okay, fine. I just… I can talk about boobs in front of your Dad.”

“Yeah, and it’s still kind of awkward,” Seamus said.

Winona winked at me while the two of them were engaged. She hooked her arm through mine. “Come on, let’s go inside and take these boys to the cleaners with me.”

For the first time, I had the thought that Winona might be someone I’d want to be friends with. She was my age. She didn’t spend her nights partying—except for poker night with the boys, evidently. She had her life together. Her own business. I think she looked after some kids, too. Older kids. Her brothers, maybe?

The other men inside, who I recognized from town but didn’t really know, looked less un-shocked by my face. They recovered quickly enough though, and after Winona introduced us, the one with dark curls handed me a beer and pulled out an extra chair.

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