Unfinished Ex (Calloway Brothers, #2)(44)

I think I want to pound on my chest, pick her up and toss her over my shoulder, and hide her away so no other man can ever have her. Hypocrite. “I think I want to skip school and spend the day with you.”

She shakes her head. “We both have jobs we need to do. Jobs that are important to us.”

“Dinner, then?”

She smiles and runs over to Heisman before getting down on the grass to play with him. “I’ll bring the wine.”





Chapter Eighteen



Nicky




Mom is drinking coffee at the kitchen table when I walk in.

One time in high school when I’d snuck out to meet Jaxon, she was sitting in this same seat, sipping from the same cup, giving me the same over-the-rim expression that guaranteed I was going to be grounded for a month.

I roll my eyes. “I am twenty-seven now.”

“A call or text wouldn’t have killed you.”

“I did text.”

“At five thirty this morning.”

I pour myself a cup. “I’m sorry. Things got crazy last night.”

“At work? Because of the storm?”

“Not exactly.”

“What are you wearing?” Her eyebrows shoot up. “You told me you lost that shirt years ago.”

I plop down into the chair next to her and blow on my coffee in silence. Where do I even begin?

“Nicole Janine Forbes, what did you do?”

Victoria bounds down the stairs with her backpack. She takes in our stark expressions. “What did I miss?”

I pull out the chair next to me. “Sit.” Then I take a deep breath, pull on my proverbial big-girl panties, and scoop my necklace out from under my shirt. “I have so much to tell you two.”



~



I don’t have to look out the window to know who is ringing the doorbell. Paige has been blowing up my phone with texts all day. What’s this I hear about you and Jaxon being seen together in the park this morning? … OMG, I just found out Jaxon and Calista broke up. Did you have something to do with this? … Girl, the rumor mill is churning up some serious shit. Will you please text me back?

I did finally text her back. Not with details, but with an invitation to stop by after work. I laugh as I note the time before opening the door. “Did you run over here? Didn’t class end ten minutes ago?”

She plows past me and drops her bag, breathing heavily. “Talk.”

“Well, hello to you too.”

“Hello, yeah, whatever,” she says, pulling me into the living room. “Come on, you know I’m dying here. Your sister was a closed book today, even though I cornered her at lunch. I know she knows something. What did you do? Oh, my god, you slept with him.” She squeals. “Please tell me you did the deed with your ex. Are you getting back together? Are you moving here? Oh shit, is he going to Oklahoma? What will you tell everyone? Like, can you undo the divorce?”

“Paige, slow down. You’re getting way ahead of yourself. Do you want coffee?”

“Coffee?” She gives me crazy eyes. “This conversation calls for wine.”

“Can’t,” I say. “I’m going out later, and I don’t want to drink too much before.”

“Going out? With him?” She claps. “Is this really happening?”

“First of all, yes, I’m going out with Jaxon. Not out, out. To his house for dinner.”

Her eyebrows waggle. “Dinner? Is that code for getting naked and making up for lost time?”

I can’t help my smile. “We already made up for lost time.” I hold up four fingers.

“Four times!” More squeals. “You’re killing me. Tell me everything.”

By the time I finish regurgitating the whole story (again), Paige’s eyes are red. My eyes are red.

“So that’s it,” I say. “That’s everything.”

Her head shakes in wonderment. “Nic, someone should write a book about this. Wait! Isn’t Tag’s friend Amber Thompson related to that famous author, Baylor Mitchell? You should definitely contact her. This is like the greatest love story of all time.”

“Hold on now, you’ve got it all wrong. Jaxon and I aren’t a love story. I don’t know what we are.”

“Nope. Not hearing it. You guys will get back together. I know it. Everyone knows you belong together.”

“Everyone thinks I cheated.”

“Tell them you didn’t.”

“Then they’ll just say I’m a liar. Listen, this isn’t about me trying to absolve myself. I’ve still done things I’m not proud of.”

She puts her hand on mine. “I wish you would have called. I could have been there for you.”

I nod. “I should have done a lot of things differently.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to have dinner with him. Then I’m going to throw myself into my job. What else can I do? It’s way too early to make plans or commitments. It’s even too early to make assumptions.”

“But you want him.”

“I never stopped.”

“And he wants you.”

I shrug. “I mean, I think so.”