Page 34 of Returning to Rockport

With that, he storms away – leaving me standing in the dining room, as confused as ever.

THE SIX OF US sit around the table, eating my mom’s famous lasagna. I can’t remember exactly what she does differently, but I’ve never had anything that comes close to hers. All throughout dinner, I can feel eyes on me, and I know they’re not Parker’s. Staring at me the way he has been is dangerous. If Maverick notices, if he even gets the slightest idea of Colton and I ever being anything more than friends, we’ll all see a side of him that puts the hulk to shame. No one will be able to stop him from leaving nothing but destruction in his wake.

“So, where’s Tatum?” I ask, noticing the absence of my brother’s girlfriend.

“Her sister needed her for something tonight, otherwise she’d be here.”

“Oh good, so I can sa

fely ask you when you’re going to propose.”

Maverick chokes a little on his drink and starts coughing profusely. “I’m sorry, what?”

“You heard me. You two have been together for nearly a decade. What are you waiting for?!”

My mom looks shocked while my dad smirks at my straight-forwardness. Neither one of them come to his rescue. They probably want the answer just as much as I do. When my brother realizes I’m still expecting a response, his eyes narrow.

“So, what? You get engaged and suddenly you’re the expert on the proper timeframe now?”

A little taken back by his defensiveness, I recoil. “No, I was just wondering-”

“Cause I’m pretty sure before Parker came into the picture, you spent half your life swooning over Colton.”

My jaw drops. For one, I had no idea he knew anything about my feelings for his best friend. I mean, I guess I wasn’t the greatest at hiding things as a child, but I didn’t think he could tell. He never said anything.

“Maverick.” My mom tries to get him to stop, but he’s too focused on his snickering best friend.

“What the hell are you laughing at? You can’t talk either. You haven’t hooked up with anyone since that mystery chick from four years ago. I mean really, that’s a long time to stay hung up on a summer fling.”

His words are a sudden blow to my chest. Four years ago. That’s what Maverick said – that Colton hasn’t hooked up with anyone in the last four years. Either there was someone else while he was with me, which is what I’ve always assumed, or the mystery woman my brother is referring to, is me.

Colton’s laughter stops immediately and he looks down at his plate. His sudden discomfort is obvious. A part of me would like to believe it’s because it just came out what he was, in fact, seeing someone else on the side, but I know it’s not. The man who spent the past hour sneaking glances at me, now won’t look at me at all.

“I-I’m sorry. I need a minute.” I get up and head for the door when a hand wraps around my wrist. I turn to see Parker looking at me, mentally asking if I’m okay. “I’m fine. I’ll be right back.”

As I rush up the stairs, I can hear my mother reprimanding Maverick for his behavior, though I don’t care to listen. My mind is racing with so many thoughts I shouldn’t be having. The second I get into what was once my bedroom, my lungs search desperately for air.

Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale.

The sound of someone walking down the hall causes me to freeze. I know there’s only one person who would dare to follow me, and it isn’t my fiancé. Sure enough, when I turn around, I find Colton leaning against the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest and his gaze focused on the ground.

“You didn’t get that tattoo when you were drunk.”

He looks up and smirks but I can see it in his eyes – the pain and vulnerability he’s been doing his best to hide. Suddenly, I’m right back to how I was before I left for NYU, staring at him and feeling a million things all at once.

No. This can’t happen.

I do the only thing I can think of to try to push him away – lie.

“There is nothing between us.”

“I don’t believe you.” He replies, taking a step towards me.

“I love Parker.”

His feet move another small stride in my direction. “I don’t believe you.”

“You should.”

---