Page 39 of Had To Be You

It’s 6:30 a.m. when my brother Parker strolls into the gym, looking like he spent thirty minutes picking out his workout clothes. He takes a seat on the weight bench next to me, studying me as I run on a treadmill.

I’m in the zone, earbuds blasting 9 Inch Nails. A gruelling workout is exactly what I need today. I need to feel my muscles ache and my lungs burn and get my mind off of one sexy brunette.

But nothing is working. No matter how hard I run or how much I sweat, Ellie continues to consume my every thought.

I slow the machine to a jog, then to a fast-paced walk, and pop out my earbuds. I take a few deep breaths, feeling the air pump through my lungs. I wipe my face with a towel.

“Morning. Thought I’d find you here.”

“Surprised to see you here. Shouldn’t you be with Olivia choosing chair covers or something? Searching for the perfect shade of lilac tablecloths? Purple, but not too purple, Parks.”

My younger brother watches me step off the treadmill and pick up a pair of weights. In a split stance, I start with a rep of bicep curls.

He arches his brow. “You realize you look like you want to murder those dumbbells, right? What’s up with you this morning?”

“Nothing. This is how I work out.” I blow out, followed by a deep breath in.

Parker laughs and rolls his eyes. “Level with me. What’s going on with you? I’m pretty sure I can guess, or you could just be a man and tell me.”

I give him a hard stare. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Ah,” he says, through his cocky grin. “I see how this is going to go. I’m talking about this thing between you and Ellie. We all saw it. We all knew you were crazy about her way back at our barbeque at the beach house months ago. You seem to be the only one who hasn’t figured it out.”

My brow wrinkles as emotions swirl through me because my brother is right. I am crazy for her. I broke my own rule. What was supposed to be one night with Ellie turned into wanting another. And another. And then telling her I wanted an us, which all felt exactly right. Until it didn’t when Ellie looked at me with uncertainty in her eyes. And I’m left wondering if I’ve got it all wrong? This is exactly why I don’t do relationships. I’m confused and distracted as fuck.

It’s making me wonder if falling for Ellie is something I’m willing to put myself through.

Is it worth the risk?

“Ellis’s a great girl. Of course I like her. Who wouldn’t?” I say, because it’s all true.

“I’m calling your bluff, bro. You more than like her. You’re happier when you’re around her. It’s in your eyes, man. You’re falling for her. It’s obvious in the way you look at her.”

I don’t say anything. I just stand there, continuing my bicep curls, chest heaving, sweat dripping.

“News flash, Liam,” Parker says, walking to the treadmill I just finished running on. He starts with slow strides. “You can be in love with her and not lose focus on your work if that’s what’s bugging you. I’m the perfect example of that. I’m in love, and business has never been better in Cape May. It’s possible to have both.”

“Who said I was in love?”

“Me, you dumbass.” There’s amusement in his voice. “You can deny it all you want. You can ignore the shit out of it, but it’s not going to change. You’re in love with her.”

“And what makes you think that?” I ask. I’m not that guy who wears his heart on his sleeve. I don’t do emotions. Besides, I really like the girl but in love? I think I would know if I was in love with her.

“Little known fact, Liam. You can’t keep your eyes off her. Like I said, it’s all in the eyes. The way you look at Ellie tells me everything I need to know. It’s love.”

“You know what I’m in love with? Seeing the look of fear in my opponent’s eye. I’m in love with the high I get when I win a case. I’m in love with knowing I crushed the district attorney I’m up against,” I tell him in one long breath. And it’s true. I love all the things that make me happy. I have a great life indulging in the finest restaurants, the priciest bottles of wine. Women, cars, travel. I have all the things I love and more.

Parker rolls his eyes. “Good luck with all of that keeping you warm at night. You really need to get your head out of your ass and see things for what they can be.”

“You’re not going to stop, are you?” I say, dropping the dumbbells to the ground and grabbing my towel, dragging it over my face.

“You’re lucky it’s me trying to knock some sense into you and not Olivia. I’m much easier to deal with.”

I grit my teeth. My brother is one of only a handful of people who really, truly know me. Who get me and are able to give it to me like it is.

“There’s a lot more to life than work. You are obsessive over your job. You need balance. Balance is the key to life,” he goes on. I wish he would stop.

“Balance? What I need is focus. Without focus, you’re left with distractions.”

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