Page 32 of I Could Be Yours (The Toronto Terror #6)

NATE

“ H ow was the flight?” I hug my dad, and when his girlfriend steps forward, I awkwardly hug her too. “It’s nice to see you again, Sophia.”

I’ve only met her a couple of times. She’s friends with Lavender, and only in her early thirties. I’m happy my dad is finally dating again, and she’s nice, but it’s weird to have her at my brother’s wedding.

“This hotel is awesome!” My younger brother, Brody, is clearly pumped.

“We’re gonna have the best time!” Chase Lovett, his best friend, is practically bouncing. He hugs his girlfriend to his side, who happens to be Essie’s younger sister, Cammie. “Isn’t that right, precious?”

She side-eyes him while he grins down, her expression impassive. “We will definitely have the best time, as long as you and Brody don’t take excessive advantage of the free and plentiful booze.”

“I’ll keep them in line,” I tell her.

Brody gives me a look. “You’re not captain of the fun police.”

“Oh fu—dgerdoodles. Save me from my sister.” Cammie tries to hide behind Chase. Which is fairly effective since Chase is well over six feet and Cammie is the size of my thumb.

Even so, Essie twirls in like a beautiful, pink storm. Essie’s five seven, so average in terms of height, but she’s much taller than Cammie.

“Cammie-Whammie!” Essie throws her arms around her.

Cammie looks less than enthused. “No. You do not get to call me Cammie-Whammie like we are still toddlers. It’s mortifying.”

“You love it.” Essie kisses her on the cheek.

“I do not, and if you keep it up, I will flip you over my shoulder and everyone will see your underpants.”

Apparently, Cammie has a black belt in karate and has done this to Chase.

“I’m less worried about my underwear and more concerned about potential bruises.” Essie lets her go. “Where are Mom and Dad?”

“Still checking in, but they said they’d be down in a bit,” Cammie replies.

“They’re going to love it here.” Essie turns to Brody. “Look at you! Wow! You’re huge!” She squeezes my brother’s biceps. “Are you bigger than Tristan?”

“I’m an inch shorter.” He might as well have hearts for eyes with the way he’s smiling at her. “But I might still grow a bit more.”

“Well, you look great!” She pats him on the chest. “Very solid.”

He beams like a fucking spotlight.

I want to toss him in the ocean.

Essie turns to my dad and his girlfriend. “Mr. Stiles, it’s so lovely to see you.” She hugs him briefly.

Dad arches a brow at me over her shoulder.

I’ve mentioned that we’ve been tackling a lot of wedding related stuff together.

And Brody has kindly brought up the fact that she was the hottest girl in high school once upon a time.

I can only imagine the things that will come out of my brother’s mouth, and all the ways I’ll deflect them.

Essie turns her beautiful, megawatt smile on my dad’s girlfriend. “And you must be Sophia. Lavender has told us all about you! If you’d like, I can introduce you to the girls while the boys get everything up to the rooms. But I also understand if you’d like to freshen up first.”

“I wouldn’t mind saying hi to everyone.” Sophia turns to my dad. “If that’s okay with you, Gideon.”

“Of course. I’ll get the boys settled and come find you in a bit.” Dad kisses her on the cheek, and they share a look I would prefer to never see again.

Essie links arms with her sister and Sophia, like they’ve known each other for years and didn’t just meet a few seconds ago. She always makes people feel included and important.

Chase bends to kiss Cammie before Essie guides them over to the girls, who shriek excitedly. Tally and Fee, along with Fee’s little sister, Callie, have also joined the group, having just arrived today.

“How is it possible that Essie’s gotten hotter?” Brody muses.

“You think Essie’s hot?” Chase’s brows pull together.

“Dude.” Brody looks at him like he has two heads.

“Stop drooling,” I mutter.

“She’s a nice young lady,” Dad says.

“She’s a literal human rainbow.” It comes out sounding irritated, mostly because there are enough people ogling Essie, and there’s more to her than just her pretty face and smoking-hot body.

Chase grabs Brody’s arm. “Holy crap! Is that Sam and Isaac? Hemi’s brothers?”

Brody squints against the sun and follows Chase’s finger. “It is.”

“Let’s go say hi!” Chase drags my brother off.

Dad settles a hand on my shoulder. “You doing okay, son?”

Freaking out about the wedding. Had sex with the maid of honor a few hours ago and couldn’t look her in the eye because I was afraid she’d see my feelings for her all over my face. Have to keep those to myself for the rest of the week and make a plan. “Yup. All good here.”

“Dad! You’re here!” Tristan strides across the foyer, a wide smile on his face.

He and Dad hug and back slap each other.

“You ready to walk down the aisle?” Dad asks.

“Absolutely. I can’t wait for tomorrow.” I wouldn’t be surprised if Tristan shot glitter out of his ass with how happy he is.

“I bet you can’t.” Dad may have some glitter in his cannon too.

Brody jogs over. “Sam and Isaac are going cliff jumping.” He thumbs over his shoulder, then jams his hand in his pocket. “They have a boat to get there. Can Chase and I go with?”

Sam and Isaac head toward us. They’re dressed in dark shorts and polo shirts with sunglasses and matching loafers. How they manage to look like they’re ready for a round of golf and a mafia takedown at the same time is a mystery.

“Tristan, Nate! It’s great to see you!” Sam says. We exchange a round of handshakes.

“You all right with us taking the boys to the cliffs?” Isaac asks. “There’s more than enough room for the three of you to join as well, if you’d like.”

“That sounds fun.” Tristan looks to me and Dad. “You think you can swing it?”

“Sure, let me make sure Sophia is settled with the girls,” Dad replies.

“We’ll meet back here in twenty?” Sam suggests.

“Perfect,” Tristan agrees.

Sophia has already been absorbed into the girl group out by the pool. She’s sandwiched between Lavender and Essie, who’s lost her beach cover-up. Today she’s wearing a hot-pink ruffled bikini top and matching shorts. She looks relaxed and beautiful .

“Anyone want to come cliff jumping?” Sam asks as we approach.

Hemi pushes her sunglasses down her nose. “You’re not serious.”

“Of course we’re serious.” Isaac frowns at his sister.

Hemi sighs and shakes her head, like he’s an idiot for even suggesting it. None of the girls are interested in cliff jumping.

“Please remember that not everyone lives their lives at Mach 10!” Hemi calls to her brothers as we head for the rooms to change.

“We’ll be fine!” Sam calls over his shoulder.

We split off, Brody following Dad since his bag is currently in his room. He’s staying with me, or at least he’s staying in my room, but we’ll bring his stuff over when we get back. Changing rooms now seems pointless. We can always push the bed to one side if it rains to avoid the leak.

I check my phone when I get to my room.

Essie

Do you have a roommate tonight?

Nate

Yeah, but Brody sleeps like the dead, so I should be able to sneak over.

Essie

I’ll understand if you need bro time, tho.

Nate

You’re much nicer to wake up next to.

Essie

And cuddle with. Have fun at the cliffs.

Nate

Have fun with the girls.

Essie hearts the message as a voicemail alert pops up from an unknown number. My stomach twists, but we’re in a foreign country, and sometimes the carriers don’t pick up familiar numbers.

I key in my passcode and hit play.

“Hi, Nate. It’s your mom. I saw your brother’s?—”

Panic hits hard and fast. “No fucking way.” I delete it without listening to the rest, then toss the phone on my bed.

My skin prickles, and my chest tightens.

I run my hands through my hair, gripping the strands tightly as I pace.

I blocked my mom from my social media. As soon as she started calling, I set them all to private.

But I’m sure she has a fake account set up, and Brody’s accounts aren’t set to private, so he probably doesn’t realize she can see what he’s posting.

I wish she’d just leave us alone.

My phone pings with new messages.

Brody

Waiting on you.

I’d come get you, but you haven’t sent me your room number yet.

Naaaaaaaate. Brooooooooo.

Nate

Be there in two.

I shove all my feelings about my mom and her fucking phone calls into a box. My dad and my brothers don’t need to know she’s still trying to reach us through me. I change into board shorts and a T-shirt and meet up with the rest of the guys.

“Took you long enough!” Brody rolls his eyes. “Did you need to iron your board shorts first?”

“Ha-ha.” The ironing board is currently set up in the corner of my room because I like things neatly pressed, but I draw the line at swim- and underwear.

“Everything good?” Tristan asks.

I force a smile. “Great. Let’s roll. ”

We follow Isaac and Sam to the pier and climb into a sweet speedboat with seating in the bow. Sam gets behind the wheel.

“This is lit!” Chase exclaims.

“It’s awesome,” Brody agrees and tucks his ball cap under his leg so he doesn’t lose it in the water.

Isaac points to the rocky cliffs across the bay. “That’s where we’re going.”

“This is freaking cool.” Chase can hardly contain himself.

He’s the extrovert to my younger brother’s introvert.

“You all been having a good time?” Dad asks as we zip across the pale blue water.

Tristan nods. “It’s been great. We had a hiccup in the beginning with the room situation, but Connor Grace pulled some strings and we ended up at Bea’s dream resort, so it all worked out.” He’s in a buoyant fucking mood.

And why wouldn’t he be? He’s marrying the love of his life.

He has no idea Mom is still trying to contact me.

Or that I’m over here having an existential crisis because my views on love and relationships are suddenly shifting, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.

But I can make a plan. I’m good at those.

“Sounds like everything is working out the way it should.” Dad stretches an arm across the back of the seat.

“Aside from that and Nate here getting stung by jellyfish, it’s been smooth sailing.” He claps me on the shoulder.

“Jellyfish? Did someone have to pee on you?” Chase asks.

I roll my eyes. “That’s not actually what you’re supposed to do.”

“You should probably send Essie a thank you for taking care of you last night,” Tristan says.

“Yeah.” I rub the back of my neck. “I owe her.” For a lot more than just rubbing cream into my stings and making sure I had food when I woke up.

Brody perks up. “Essie took care of you?”

“I was high on antihistamines. There wasn’t much to take care of. ”

“He passed out in her bed and snuggled with her stuffed cat,” Tristan notes.

“I didn’t snuggle with Catalina,” I grumble.

“Yeah, you did. Bea stopped by to check on you and snapped a couple of photos.”

Heat works its way into my cheeks. “That’s some bullshit.” I do vaguely remember trying to huff Catalina.

“Essie and Bea were talking about how cute you are when you’ve overindulged on antihistamines.”

“I have never been cute a day in my life,” I grouse.

He ignores me and turns to Dad. “How are things with Sophia?”

“Good.” His smile softens. “Great, actually. She’s a lot of fun. Smart, ambitious, patient.”

And young . At least I think it and don’t say it.

“She came to one of my university games last week,” Brody says.

“She likes hockey?” Tristan asks.

“She went to a lot of Hockey Academy stuff out in Pearl Lake because her best friend is married to Maverick Waters,” Brody explains. Maverick and Lavender are the kids of hockey legend Alex Waters.

“Nate and I will have to come to one so we can support you and get to know Sophia better,” Tristan tells them. “Right, Nate?”

“Yeah, for sure.” My stomach turns a little. I really hope this thing with my dad and Sophia doesn’t go sideways, because Brody seems like he’s getting attached.

I try to stay engaged while Brody and Chase talk about the awesome time they’re having at the Hockey Academy this summer, but my mind drifts to Essie.

I keep trying to pinpoint the moment it stopped being about just sex and became something else.

It’s been happening for a while, I decide.

The woman I’ve gotten to know is still fairy-tale obsessed, but she’s so much more than that.

She loves with her whole heart. Even after I ghosted her all those years ago, she never stopped being nice to me.

What if she could love me? What if I could love her? Would she be willing to try?

Sam pulls the boat into a slip at the pier. From across the bay, the cliffs don’t look like much, but this close, the height makes me nauseous.

Isaac hops out of the boat and ties us off, and we all file onto the pier. Sam and Isaac are unreasonably excited about the prospect of jumping off a steep cliff into the churning waters below.

“That’s quite the drop,” Tristan observes.

“There are several levels,” Sam informs us. “It’s a bit of a climb to the top, but totally worth the rush.”

Tristan rubs the back of his neck. “Not to pass on a good time, but Bea would be pretty pissed if I ended up with broken body parts the day before the wedding.”

“Come on, Tris.” Brody nudges him. “Bea won’t mind.”

“Pretty sure she would.”

A guy jumps off the top and flails his way to a belly flop.

We cringe when he slaps the water, but Sam and Isaac clap and cheer.

“As the best man, it would be in my best interest to stay down here and watch you guys have a good time.” I don’t care if I get razzed. “I’ve already been stung by a family of jellyfish. I don’t need to tick any more injury boxes.”

“I’ll stay back with these two.” Dad pats me and Tristan on the shoulders.

“You two still in?” Isaac points at Brody and Chase.

“Absolutely!” Chase is all balls, zero brains, apparently.

Brody looks slightly unsure but still gives the guys a thumbs-up.

Chase snaps a selfie, sends it to someone—probably Cammie—and hands his phone to my dad. Brody does the same.

Sam slaps his palms together. “All right, let’s do this.”

He strides down the dock, Isaac beside him, while Brody and Chase rush to keep up. They reach the zigzagging staircase leading to three jump points.

“They’ll go all the way to the top,” Tristan mutters.

“Yup, and I’m happy to watch that happen from down here.” I heard about Dallas’s day-long excursion with those two that nearly killed him when he started dating Hemi.

“Those two are intense,” Dad observes.

“They’re actually pretty laid-back today,” Tristan replies.

“Huh. That’s…something else,” Dad muses.

“Yeah. Here’s hoping Brodes and Chase make it out alive.” Tristan doesn’t seem all that worried as he points to a restaurant with a view of the cliffs. “Let’s grab a beer and watch the adventure unfold.”