Page 66 of Somehow You Knew

“It’s all yours, man.” I hand the key for Aunt Diane’s house to Penn, feeling like a weight is being lifted as I do. Penn had cash to pay for the house, so we opted for a quicker than normal escrow.

“Thanks, Gage. I know this is hard, but I promise I’m going to fix this place up and make it somewhere people can make some amazing memories.”

Staring at the house, I think of all the memories I have inside those walls. “I think my aunt would like that. She was always looking out for people. It’s why she wanted the money from the sale to go to the Veteran’s Center.” I almost mention that it’s in honor of his and Hazel’s dad, but that’s something I want Hazel to hear from me first.

“Damn. Well, that was very generous of her.”

“She loved this town,” I say.

And I think I’m finally starting to get why.

There’s something about the slow pace of life in Carrington Cove that’s been surprisingly refreshing. Back in Orlando it always felt like I wasin a hurry to go places, work and go out with my buddies, or keep up with the next new thing. Since I’ve been here, my life just feelssimpler. Except for my new wife and the fact that I’m insanely attracted to her but can’t touch her the way that I want, of course.

“This place is home,” Penn says, pulling me back to our conversation. “There’s a reason that a lot of people who grow up here never leave.”

“Yeah, Hazel mentioned never wanting to live anywhere else.”

Penn nods. “That’s part of the reason things didn’t work out with Nathan.”

Just the mention of that asshole’s name has my shoulders tensing.

“Speaking of which, any sign of him?” Penn asks.

I shake my head. “Nope. I followed Hazel to work and hung out around the studio when I could over the past week just to make sure he didn’t stop by again. When I mentioned the name to Axel, he said the guy was a doofus and that I shouldn’t be concerned, but I know what I saw on Hazel’s face when he was there.”

Penn clasps a hand on my shoulder. “Well, I’m glad she has you to look out for her, at least for the next few months, anyway.”

I clear my throat, trying not to show how the thought of our diminishing timeline affects me, especially after the incident with her ex. “As long as I’m here, she’s safe. But just to make sure, are there any other asshole exes I should know about?”

Penn scoffs. “Well, my sister was a bit of a serial dater, so there are plenty of men she’s given a chance, but not many she let in as much as Nathan.”

My stomach twists. “A serial dater, huh?”

Is that…jealousy?

He laughs. “Hazel has what we like to refer to as hopeless romantic syndrome. She’s always dreamed of falling in love, chased the happily ever after and all that, only to be left disappointed.”

The guilt that’s been hovering like a shadow since the day we got married? It presses in tighter.

Penn pushes a hand through his hair. “Actually, that’s a big reason we were so shocked she agreed to this marriage.”

I force a casual shrug. “We’re adults. We knew what we were doing, and we’re keeping things platonic. The last thing I want to do is disappoint your sister.”

Penn eyes me curiously from the side. “Well, I know from experience that sometimes we make choices because we think it will keep us safe, when in reality, it just keeps us from getting what we really want.” Before I can reply, one of Penn’s employees pulls into the driveway.

Penn claps his hands together, calling to the man as he climbs out of his truck. “Come on, Vince! We’ve got a house to demo.” Then he turns back to me. “You wanna stay and see the mess I’m about to make in here?”

“Nah, I’ve got to get going.”

“Suit yourself. See you at dinner next weekend,” he says before walking up to the house with Vince trailing him.

Right. The Sheppard family dinner is next week, which means more time with the people closest to Hazel. People who are welcoming me into their family like I might actually be good for her.

I should be figuring out how to walk away. Instead, I just keep getting pulled in deeper.

Chapter twelve

Hazel