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Chapter twenty-five

Robbie

“Are you ready for your next assignment?” I ask Naomi, raising my voice to be heard over the loud patrons enjoying live music at The Squirrely Bear.

“Here? Now?” She whips her head to me. Our friends are well out of earshot, playing pool in the opposite corner of the bar, but I lean closer to her anyway.

I’ll take any excuse to be near her these days.

Our fake relationship may have melded into very real feelings, but I still feel a different sort of spark when we’re out in public like this, as if we’re putting on a show.

Like I’m allowed to be more open and candid with my affection without needing to be cautious about our future at the same time.

“Operation Make Naomi a Boss is an ongoing project, sweetheart,” I say against the shell of her ear, relishing the goosebumps that spark against my lips in response.

“I don’t remember setting any timelines.” She smirks. “But okay, I’m game. What do you have for me?”

“Not so fast,” I chide, raising my eyebrows expectantly.

“Oh! Something I want out of life. Hmm.” She scratches her chin with her finger, looking incredibly adorable as she looks up at the ceiling while she ponders.

I watch each neon strobe from the jukebox as they dance across her face in this dimly lit bar, memorizing this version of her.

This carefree, relaxed, alive version I’ve come to crave.

“I want to run a marathon someday,” she says decisively, her answer surprising me.

“Do you run?”

“Not a day in my life,” she deadpans then points a finger at me. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t train.”

“Alright.” I chuckle. “I’ll keep my skepticism to myself and not point out your two left feet, then.”

“Saying it out loud isn’t keeping it to yourself, you know,” she chides with a smile.

“I’m aware.” I give her an open-mouth smile before rubbing my hands together. “Alright. I’d like you to practice setting a boundary today—like, actually set one…face to face with someone.”

“Okay,” she says slowly, unsure of my request. “With who?”

“Stick with me. I have someone in mind, and they just so happen to be here tonight…but if you don’t like it, you can go another direction if you prefer.”

“How convenient.” She gives me a side-eye, pursing her lips together. “Who is it?

“Let’s have a look, shall we?” I gesture out into the crowd. “Can you see anyone here who might, say, overstep at times?”

I watch as she scans the bar, perusing the Pine Falls residents, many of whom would realistically fall into that category.

“Perhaps someone who…brings their laundry over without asking? Has a rude way of asking for what she wants?” I hint.

Her eyes go wide with understanding.

“Gabby,” she mouths, even though, again, we’re still out of earshot.

“Bingo.”

“But…what am I supposed to say?” A look of uneasiness spreads on her face.

“Let’s practice first.” I shift in my seat so I’m facing her side, blocking her in between my legs. She twists in her own seat to face me with an air of confidence that only has a slight layer of hesitation underneath this time.

“So, you’re Gabby, I’m assuming?” she asks.

“Correct. How’s my confidence? Is it conceited enough?”

I chuckle when she uses her fist to slap me on the shoulder.

“I’m kidding. Okay, hit me with it.”

She clears her throat, leaning forward. “Hi, Gabby.”

“Naomi.” I dip my head curtly then wait patiently.

“So…I just wanted to let you know that I’m enforcing a new house rule.” She poses it like a question and statement in one.

“What would that be?” I fold my arms across my chest, attempting to exude the specific attitude that makes Gabby, Gabby.

“I’m no longer keeping my laundry room open for use.” She pauses to build momentum. “It’s just getting to the point where monthly laundry essentials are extremely expensive, and I’d like to keep the space to myself. And this isn’t just a rule for you, by the way. Robbie uses it without asking too.”

“Fair enough.” I nod, ignoring the jab she threw in there.

“I hope you can understand,” she says gently.

“Okay, there was a little bit too much guilt at the end there, but overall, good delivery. Really good.” I reach a hand up for a high five, which she returns.

“Now, do you think you can say exactly what you said to me to her face?”

“I think so?” she says, a bit of uncertainty playing on her face.

“Is it something you want to do? I don’t want to force you to confront her, so I can come up with a plan B assignment if you want,” I offer.

“No, you’re right. I think I’ve let her have too much free rein for too long. I don’t want to be mean, though.” She cringes.

“You don’t have to be. But it’s your house, Naomi. Your life. Take control of it if you want to,” I remind her gently.

“Okay.” She smiles at me, holding my stare, and for a second, I get lost in her eyes, forgetting what we’re supposed to be doing. A loud beat from the music refocuses me a moment later.

“Jumping jacks?” I offer with raised brows.

“We’re in a bar, Robbie.” She laughs.

“So? You know the whole place would join in, flash-mob style, if we started jumping right now.”

“That’s true.” She giggles and then grows serious, running her palms along her thighs. “No, I can do this. I’m ready.”

“Yeah?”

She nods. “Yup. But do you promise to come follow me if I run out crying?”

“I promise. I’ll even pull the getaway car around back.”

“Fine.” She rises to stand. “And then we’re stopping for ice cream.”

“Deal. You’ve got this.” I don’t even attempt to cover my grin when I catch her buzzing her lips as she walks off.

She weaves between the people on the dance floor to where our friends are playing pool. I watch, sipping my beer, while she starts a conversation with Charlie, biding her time for the right opportunity with Gabby, who’s talking with Luke.

Even with my eyes trained on her, not having Naomi right next to me as a distraction makes my mood sour quickly.

The same dark, unsettling cloud that’s been following me around ever since we boarded a plane back to Pine Falls creeps over me with a vengeance—a flight I would have happily never taken in the first place if I had my way.

To say I didn’t want to come back would be an understatement.

Everything about life was absolutely perfect when she was with me at the show.

I got to have the two most important things to me in one place—my band and Naomi.

If I could be completely selfish and keep her out on the road with me all the time, I would do so in a heartbeat.

Wouldn’t that be the easiest solution to this roadblock standing in our way?

An email notification pulls my attention down to the phone in my pocket. At first glance, I see a message coming through from Naomi’s website with the words ‘cancellation notice’ in the subject line.

Hmm. That’s odd. This makes two canceled orders this week alone. I open the email and peruse it for any hint of an explanation, but there’s nothing there, just a quick apology and a request to refund the order.

I make a mental note to ask Naomi about it later, but a text message comes through, stealing my attention.

Steven: I heard you’re back in town again. Can we talk, please?

The sight of his name causes a surge of anger to run through me, causing the pit in my stomach to grow insanely heavy. I delete the message immediately, having absolutely no desire to text my brother back.

I slide my phone back into my pocket just as Toby and Rachel come to the table.

“Any idea what they’re talking about?” Rachel asks, gesturing a thumb toward where Naomi and Gabby are now talking.

“We hightailed it out of there as soon as I heard Naomi say, ‘Gabby, can we talk?’ That never leads to anything good,” Toby says, sliding into the chair next to Rachel.

“Something that should have been done a long time ago,” is all I say, settling against the chair back with my arms crossed, keeping my eyes trained on the other side of the room.

I watch their interaction, noting Gabby’s clear defensiveness and Naomi’s assertion, even with a few twinges of uncertainty sprinkled in. Watching Naomi this intently provides a little bit of a calming effect, and I push the thoughts of my brother completely out of my mind.

“Oh no, here it comes,” Rachel murmurs, nervously peering over her hand as Gabby throws her hands up in frustration, turning sharply on her heel before booking it out the side door of The Squirrely Bear.

I hold my breath, awaiting Naomi’s reaction. I was not expecting Gabby to make a scene, let alone leave the bar altogether like that. If I did, I wouldn’t have put Naomi in this situation in the first place.

When Naomi spins slowly toward our direction, her guilt-ridden eyes meet mine. Nothing could stop me as I push away from the table, rising instantly. I give her my best encouraging smile as I cross the dance floor as quickly as I can, feeling anxious to make sure she’s okay.

As soon as she’s within reach, I slide my arm around her shoulders, squeezing as I place a kiss on her temple.

“She’ll come around,” I whisper against her hair as it tickles my lips.

“I know.” She smiles sadly, turning into me, wrapping an arm around my waist, her hand gripping my shirt.

She tilts her head up. “Want to know something?”

“Desperately,” I say gruffly, getting caught up in the breathless way I feel when she’s in my arms like this.

“That felt really good,” she admits.

“I’m glad.” I squeeze her closer, running my hand up and down the soft skin of her arm.

“Yo, Robbie, are you sticking around until next week?” Luke asks. “There’s a big boat parade on Gull.”

Naomi tilts her head up with excitement, looking at me expectantly.

“No, I’ll be leaving before then. I wish I could stay, but we’ve got a couple shows in Atlanta.”

I watch as my words slice through both of us, the reaction on Naomi’s face matching the way I feel on the inside—disappointed at the reality that keeps us from being together as much as we both want to be.

“No worries. We’ll take care of Naomi.” He winks, tossing me a pool stick.

“Your turn to rack up,” he tells Charlie.

Before I let Naomi go, I lean in. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

“I know.” She looks up, resting her chin on my chest. “I’ll survive.”

“Barely, though, right? You can’t breathe without me?” I force some sarcasm into my tone, wanting to lighten the mood.

“Obviously.” She rolls her eyes playfully.

Determined to enjoy the rest of the night, I give her one last squeeze before releasing her to play pool with our friends.