Page 39 of Dear Future Husband (The Dearly Written #1)

Maybelle

“I can’t do it, Penn. I’m not strong enough.”

“You got this, Belles; I believe in you.”

“Your faith is misplaced; I am a weak, weak woman.”

“Just look away.” Penny supplied.

I continued to gawk. “Easier said than done.”

Larson sauntered up to where Penny and I stood in the far corner of our shared apartment.

“Couldn’t help but notice you two ladies staring. What’s caught your atten—oh, Maybelle, you naughty girl.”

He followed my stare to the sweaty, shirtless, tanned, pack of abs on Trey as he carried a box into the living room.

“You’re one to talk, Chad. I heard you begging Bear to take his shirt off earlier,” I said, as I slanted a smirk at him.

He wasn’t fazed. “I can appreciate my boys looking like chiseled gods without it being weird, May. You can’t, and your ogling is teetering on the point of scandalous.

” I scoffed, but Larson wasn’t finished.

“Besides, I harass Bear because it’s fun.

See how he’s the only man here who has left his shirt on in this sweltering heat?

Poor boy is shy, and his scowl is so funny under all that fur. ”

As if on cue, Bear faced us, his bushy brows and beard downturned in what I guessed was a frown.

Trey, Noah, Chad, and Bear came over that morning to help me move my things into my new apartment room I now shared with Penny. It was mid-September. While it should’ve been a nice day, a heat wave hit. So, we were moving boxes, my bed and whatever supplies Chelsea packed me, in ninety-degree heat.

Larson was the first to lose his top, showing off light skin molded into a canvas of lean muscle. Williams was next and gorgeous, with brown skin taut against athletic strength.

But as pretty as the other half-naked men were, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Trey. I was lost in my wonderland of muscle daydream when—

“Careful there, May, or I’ll have to charge extra for the view.”

My mouth snapped shut, and Trey’s crooked smile revealed a dimple.

I tipped my nose up at him. “Oh, did you think I was looking at you? I was actually looking at Williams.”

“Do not bring me into it, Mason,” Williams huffed over a stack of boxes in his arms.

Trey turned his smile on him. “I can’t blame her. You are looking extra fine today.”

Noah dropped the boxes inside mine and Penny’s room as he swiped the sweat off his brow. Then he smooched the air in Trey’s direction, partnered with a wink.

“You boys are too funny,” Penny gushed as she unloaded a box in the kitchen.

Feeling a little useless, seeing as I wasn’t exactly strong enough to carry much of anything yet... I put myself to work on unloading the boxes of clothing into my closet.

With a box in hand, Williams followed me into the bedroom.

“How does it feel to officially be at college, little Mason?” he asked, setting the box on my bed, and opening it with a box cutter.

“Surreal,” I sighed.

“It’s fun to have you here. Not to sound sappy but having you here with us—like—heals a part of my soul.” His mouth clicked shut.

I turned to look at the shirtless mountain of a football player. He pinched his lips tight, like he too couldn’t believe he said something so corny.

“Huh?” I finally asked.

He rolled his eyes. “I’m not Bear. Talking about feelings isn’t my strong suit. I was just trying—I don’t know what I was trying to say.”

“No, don’t give up now! It was just getting good,” I pressed.

He heaved a long, annoyed breath. Obviously pained to keep trying to explain himself.

“Liam was my hero. He was there for me when I had no one, even though I was younger. I knew I would follow him after high school into college. It was supposed to be us three here. Trey, Liam, and me. Now that you’re here, it just feels… right, I guess. Complete.”

He covered his face with one of his enormous hands.

Sobered by the serious tension of his words, I said, “Thank you, Noah. I’m happy I’m here too.”

I placed my hand on his forearm, giving it a quick, coaxing squeeze. A comfortable silence carried, but the sound of a motorcycle engine rolling in shattered it.

Williams’s head fell back as he groaned.

Daniel Aguilar had arrived.

I smiled. “Daniel is really nice. You should try getting to know him.” Though I had only spoken to the quiet boy twice.

The first time was at the game, when Penny introduced us. The second was when Penny and I Face Timed one night so she could help me apply for financial aid. He was on the phone with her and even then, he only said, “Hi,” and a final, “Bye,” to me as we hung up the call.

Despite that, I recognized what Daniel didn’t say with his words, he made up for with his actions. While Penny spoke, he always kept constant contact with her. Like a protective hand on her leg, or an arm around her shoulders.

Williams side-eyed me. “I know he’s nice, Maybelle. That’s the problem. He’s my competition. I can’t like the guy.”

“Well, have you tried talking to Penny about how you feel?” I asked.

He nodded. “I tried after the scrimmage. It didn’t go very well. I guess there isn’t really a competition. She’s pretty smitten with that guy.”

I felt bad I couldn’t encourage my friend to keep trying. While Williams was great and would treat Penny with all the love and respect she deserved... Anyone with a pair of eyes could see she and Daniel were it.

“Chin up, you’re great and I know you’ll find someone just as great.”

His fallen face didn’t change, but he nodded standing from the bed. “So, what’s the deal with you and Turner?” he asked, and my accusatory eyes narrowed at him.

“Nice subject change.”

He shrugged and waited for a response.

“There’s no deal. We’re friends and that’s all,” I said, busying myself by hanging my shirts up in the closet.

“Friends?” Williams barked. “I doubt that will last long.”

I paused mid-fold of a shirt and shot him an annoyed look, but he wasn’t looking at me. I followed his gaze to Trey’s football jersey that poked out from under a few other shirts.

Well, crap. I definitely forgot to give that back… Or ma y have just forgot to hide it a little better. Either way, Noah Williams caught me red-handed for a second time.

A nervous giggle escaped me. “Weird. How’d that get there?” I leaned across the clothing, plucked up the jersey, and tossed it under my bed.

Williams shook his head at me as I returned to hanging up my clothes. “You’re a weirdo.”

When I didn’t answer, but my deep red blush was enough proof of how I felt, he spoke again, “Are you playing friends because of what we saw between him and Juliette?” He approached, leaning a broad shoulder against the wall next to me.

“That and you all forget that I’m new here.” I bit out, my embarrassment feeding into my tone with more harshness than I meant. “You guys may know me, but I don’t know you. I barely know myself and I have a lot to learn before anything can happen between Trey and I again.”

He continued to stare at the side of my face, crossing his arms over his bare chest. “Okay, you have a point,” he conceded. “But the funny thing is, none of us really know you either.”

I paused and looked up at him. “What do you mean?”

“We all knew Liam, but you and I, I think, only spoke twice before the accident. I believe you met Penny once and Trey was close with your family. But I don’t think you guys talked much until that last week leading up to the accident.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, considering this before I said, “Well, kudos to you guys because I never would’ve guessed. I thought for sure we’d all been at least friends before. Considering how welcoming everyone has been.”

“You were super quiet. Hard to get to know or even talk to kind of quiet. Before, it made no sense to me that you and Liam were siblings, let alone twins. Except for the same hair and all that, of course. But now—” He paused, looking like he might be stumbling over his emotions.

“I meant what I said earlier. It really is like having Liam back. You’re easy to be friends with like he was.

The only difference is, you’re a lot more enjoyable to look at. ”

A surprised laugh erupted from my throat at the sudden shift in the mood. “That’s good, I guess.”

Williams’s brilliant white smile was verging on heartbreakingly gorgeous as he chuckled.

“You know, random thought, but what if you and I went to this football banquet thing together?”

His eyes tapered skeptically at me.

“Don’t look at me like that. We’d go as friends. I just thought better go together for a fun time instead of sulking over what we don’t have right now,” I explained, gesturing with my head out to the living room.

From where we stood, we could see Penny embracing Daniel and Trey unpacking boxes with Bear.

Williams appeared to be considering the offer for a moment but shook his head. “No. I can’t do that to my boy.”

I snorted. “Your boy is taking a hot cheerleader to said banquet. Trust me, he’ll be fine.”

“You know he doesn’t want to go with her, right?” He adjusted himself so his back leaned flush against the wall.

“Then why is he going with her?”

“Juliette, unfortunately, is our defensive coach’s niece.

When Coach found out they were going together, he made a massive deal about it.

Then he practically threatened bench time if Turner were to do anything to upset her.

He’s taking her out of obligation. And—let’s be real—he’s too good of a guy to flirt with the possibility disrespecting her or Coach.

Even though, he has every right to after the shit she pulled that night after the scrimmage. ”

He put a hand on my shoulder. “Let me talk to him. A friend date to the banquet would be great, but I want to make sure he would be cool with it first.”

I nodded. “Okay, just let me know.”

Suddenly, a fully dressed Larson popped his head in past the door, a wide smile splitting his face in two.

“Hey, boxes are unloaded, and I’m starving. You’re buying me lunch, May. Let’s go.” And he was gone, down the hall, trying to put Bear in a headlock who was entirely unmoved by the effort.

Williams sat up from the wall, putting a large, bare arm around my shoulders. “ Don’t worry. It’s on me.”