Page 14 of Loving You

Then, he’d popped by my apartment in the fall. And even though I hadn’t answered the door, he’d spoken to me through it as if he could make promises that I’d hear as anything other than what they were: threats.

That was what had provoked me to move into that fucking attic, and while being close to my family and not alone in my apartment had helped a little, it only got worse a few months later when he showed upagainat Christmas.

And now?

Now that I’d seen him in my favorite coffee joint, sipping his mocha-whatever without a care in the world, I found myself looking over my shoulder every second of every day.

It was enough to drive a girl right out of her mind and into the witness protection program. Not that I was a candidate since the only crime I’d witnessed washimruining my damn day with another surprise appearance.

But shit, if they would take me, I’d snag myself a new name, a trench coat, and a darker hair color faster than you could say “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?”

Ripped from my thoughts, my brows shot up of their own accord when I saw something else that was enough to drive a girl out of her mind: a rare, wild, and maybe even a littlewickedsmile on the too-lush-for-a-man lips of Eric Walker.

I bit back a gasp as I watched him casually head this way, grinning at Sammy as they walked.

He looked so…fuck, he looked hot, first of all.

He wore his typically uptight business attire that wasn’t fit for a small-town brewery that served loaded tater tots—no matter how fancy Will made them. But it wasn’t what he wore on his body that had me squirming in my seat.

It was what he wore on his face.

That fuckingsmilewas brighter than the sun over our heads, and considering the elevation of this town, that was saying a lot.

What had Sammy said to make Eric look so damn cheerful? He was never cheerful. Pleased, once in a while. Peaceful, when he was around one of his nieces or his nephew.

But… cheerful? This grumpy asshole wasnevercheerful.

And then, as if the sight before me couldn’t get any more bizarre, Eric reached out and slung his arm over Sammy’s broad shoulders in what almost appeared to be a move of brotherly affection.

Cuddly now? What the actualfuck?

For the final blow to my sanity—because, really, with as little sleep as I’d been getting lately, I wouldn’t be surprised if I was hallucinating this entire thing—Eric roughly tucked Sammy into his broad chest and hooked him into a head lock, scrubbing the top of his head with his knuckles.

“What in the—” My voice trailed off, causing my friends to stop mid-wedding-talk and follow my gaze.

Rachel cackled as the grown-ass men scuffled, struggling to stay upright as they play-fought in the grass.

They’d stopped about halfway between our two businesses—yes, in that damned spot that had held shitty memories for me only seconds before—and were shoving each other around with dopey smiles on both of their faces.

“Who the hellarethey?” I wondered aloud.

Rachel snorted, not tearing her gaze from her husband and his brother. “Sammy is Sammy. But you’re right, Eric is apparently a changeling.”

“He knows how to…” I paused and shook my head. “Is he havingfun?”

“It sure looks that way,” Kate replied, equally surprised, but wistful, too.

Ellie sighed. “Good for him.”

I grunted.Yeah, good for him.

My entire world was falling apart, and I was over here fake laughing when I should’ve been celebrating this wedding, and he was over there being cheerful as shit instead of Bossy McAsshole.

Did we stumble into an alternate universe, or was it just me?

Finally, after what seemed like an hour but was probably only a few seconds, the brothers gave each other one final shove and continued strolling across the sunny lawn.

Strolling.

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