Page 6 of Duress (Birch Falls #3)

EVERLY

I t’s Thursday evening, a little past six.

Dinner is rapidly cooling on the table. Bryce is nowhere to be seen.

He left for work early this morning, without even saying goodbye.

My texts to him have gone unanswered. I pick at the pasta on my plate, my appetite nonexistent.

The comment he made last night about no one else fucking me unless he says they can keeps running through my mind.

He seemed to get some sort of sick satisfaction out of knowing Shane wants to fuck his wife, and I’m not entirely sure he won’t use that to his advantage at some point to make a deal with Shane. Surely he wouldn’t…would he?

As time creeps by, food getting colder by the minute, I find myself staring at my phone, rereading Dane’s invitation to game night, debating if I should go.

Dinner is made, but it isn’t my fault Bryce isn’t here to eat it while it’s warm.

The frustration I feel at his lack of communication and his disrespect of my time courses through my veins.

Why should I sit here, waiting for him to get home, like a doting housewife?

I’m not a prisoner. What is he going to do?

Yell? Be angry? Well, I’m already pissed, so that doesn’t matter.

I take his plate, cover it with foil, and stick it in the fridge, leaving a note for him to look for it in there.

I don’t leave any details about where I’m going or what I’m doing.

Let him worry for a change. I throw on my favorite denim jacket, grab my purse, steal an overpriced bottle of wine from the wine fridge so I don’t show up empty handed, and head out the door, ready to live my life for me, if just for tonight.

Pulling up to 615 Bloom Street, I find a cute, craftsman-style house with a red front door and a porch lined with beautiful hydrangea bushes, still clinging to their color in the late summer season.

It’s been getting cooler the last few days, and soon the leaves will change and the flowers will die.

I sit in my car, taking a moment to calm my nerves.

It’s been so long since I’ve gone out to meet new people with the intention of making friends.

What if they don’t like me? What if I’m too out of touch after spending so much time with Bryce and his social circle?

Will I seem like a snob to them the same way Veronica seems like one to me?

Fuck it—that’s what the wine is for, right?

I march up to the front door and knock before I let my doubts get the better of me and convince me to turn around and go home.

I hear boisterous laughter coming from inside the house.

It’s after seven, so the game night has probably already started.

Biting my lower lip, I take a step back, reconsidering my decision.

But before I can make my escape, the door opens, revealing a handsome young Black man with a dazzling smile.

My mind temporarily glitches as I take in his appearance, from his neatly braided corn rows to the dimples in his cheeks and the gorgeous brown eyes that seem almost bottomless.

His sepia brown skin still seems to glow from the joy radiating off him.

I find myself immediately at ease with him.

“Hey, can I help you?” His tone is curious, but not unfriendly. His voice is rich like honey, and I wonder if he works in radio or perhaps sings.

“Um, yeah, is Dane here? He…he invited me to join him for a game night at this address? I’m Everly, his sister-in-law.” I stick out my hand in offering, and my cheeks heat as the man in front of me holds back a chuckle.

Instead of shaking my hand, he grabs it and pulls me into the house, taking me by surprise.

“Hey, Dane, you can get that stick out of your ass. Your guest is here!” He turns, flashing me an amused grin, and waggles his eyebrows at me.

“Hopefully he will stop being so damn pissy now that you’re here.

He’s been in a mood since he got here. I’m Kai, by the way.

” Without any other choice, I follow him further into the house, getting closer to the sound of people laughing and chatting.

I follow Kai into a den, and find a group of people sitting around an oversized sectional couch.

There is an easel set up on one wall, where a gorgeous woman with tawny brown skin, golden eyes, and a youthful face dusted with freckles stands with a marker in her hand, poised like she is ready to draw.

She has a halo of curls that frames her face, and I immediately realize she must be Serena, Dane’s partner.

Dane is sitting at one end of the couch, staring down at his phone, brows furrowed, scowling. Kai wasn’t joking—he does look like he’s in a bad mood. My feet freeze in place as doubt creeps in. Maybe I shouldn’t have come. Kai stops short when he senses I’m not following him into the room.

Everyone but Dane turns toward us, and I suddenly have seven sets of eyes on me.

I clear my throat nervously and throw my hand up in a wave.

“Hi. Sorry to barge in but —” I start to introduce myself, but Dane’s head jerks up when he hears my voice, and the scowl that had been etched on his face melts away as soon as our eyes meet.

“Everly, you came.” He sounds surprised, but pleased to see me, and it sends a wave of relief coursing through me.

Dane immediately jumps up from his seat on the couch and comes over to give me a hug.

In a matter of seconds, I find myself wrapped in his arms, surrounded by his intoxicating scent, and I can’t help but melt into him a little.

When Dane pulls away, I immediately find myself missing the warmth of his body.

Has he always been such a hugger? I rack my brain trying to remember.

“I wasn’t sure if you were gonna come… Um, here, let me introduce you to everyone.

” Dane rests his hand on my lower back and guides me into the room.

A slight thrill shoots through me at his touch, and I mentally chide myself for enjoying it too much.

This was a bad idea. I’m going to spend the evening hanging out with my husband’s brother, enjoying his co mpany and torturing myself with something I can never have. Why did I do this to myself?

While my mind is doing mental gymnastics, I try to pay attention to the names of everyone he introduces me to.

“Seems like you met Kai already.” Dane says, nodding to the man who has moved over to stand next to Serena. “That’s his wife, Serena, cop-slash-undercover stripper extraordinaire.”

“Boy, I swear to god, if you tell that story one more time.” Serena’s tone is threatening, but there is humor dancing in her eyes as she threatens Dane.

“You’ll what?” Dane flashes his smirk before turning to the other people in the room.

“That’s Gloria, AKA Mrs. G. Don’t get her started on any stories about handcuffs or zucchinis unless you’re really okay with TMI.” The older woman with the oversized glasses flips Dane the bird, and I immediately like her.

“Those two over there are Grace and Luther, Kai’s parents. And next to them is Laura, Serena’s mom.” I stick my hand out to shake hands, but Grace leaps off the couch and pulls me into a hug.

“Honey, we hug in this house. We don’t shake hands.

Come, come, sit. We were just getting started!

” Grace’s hug feels like being wrapped up in my mother’s arms. I give her a squeeze as I let the familiarity wash over me.

She can’t be much older than me, maybe ten or twelve years but her warmth reminds me so much of my mother, I can’t help but feel a pang of longing.

She passed from breast cancer shortly after Bryce and I married, and I still feel that loss on a near daily basis.

When Grace lets go, I see Luther has scooted over to make room for me and Dane to sit on the couch.

When we sit, I find myself sandwiched between Laura and Dane, my body pressed firmly against his, the scent of his cedar wood cologne short-circuiting my brain.

“Hi, I’m Laura. Please don’t get offended if I introduce myself to you more than once tonight. I had a brain injury, and my short-term memory is a little glitchy.”

Despite not having the same skin color as Serena, it’s clear as day that Laura is her mom. Her freckles mirror Serena’s, and they share the same eyes and nose.

“Oh, that’s okay. I’m awful with names, so there is a solid chance I’ll forget someone’s name tonight, and I don’t even have the brain injury excuse.” Shit. I cringe as soon as the words leave my mouth, and I hope they don’t come across as glib and insensitive.

Laura just bursts out laughing. “Oh god, I can’t tell you how handy that excuse is when someone comes up to talk to me and I don’t recognize them. If I’m being honest, I’ve always been terrible with names too.” Laura gives me a conspiratorial wink that puts me at ease.

Dane gives me a gentle nudge with his leg, pulling my attention back to him. “Is that just for you or for sharing?” He nods his head toward the wine I’m clutching to my chest like my own personal emotional support bottle.

“Oh, sorry! I brought this for sharing. I didn’t want to show up empty handed.” Sheepishly, I hold the wine out toward Kai, who takes it with an appraising look.

“Does this need to be chilled, or can we open it now? ”

“It can be opened now if you want. I wasn’t sure what you liked, but Riesling is usually a safe bet. It’s on the sweeter side. If you don’t like wine, that’s fine. You don’t have to open it.” I’m rambling, and I can’t seem to stop myself.

Kai throws me a bone with his response. “Awesome, Riesling is Serena’s favorite.

I’ll go pour some. Dane, you wanna come give me a hand carrying back the drinks?

” Kai shoots a look to Dane that says his request is more of a demand than a polite request for a favor.

My heart clenches at the thought of being alone with a room full of strangers, but Dane gives my leg a reassuring squeeze before he stands.

“Don’t worry. They won’t bite.” He shoots me an easy wink before following Kai to the kitchen.

“Speak for yourself, boy. Mr. G loved it when I would leave love bites on him!” Gloria calls after Dane, setting off a round of raucous laughter in the room.